Between Realms and Realities: Building Worlds That Fight Back

Mai Corland and Nnedi Okorafor explore the power and peril of stories that refuse to stay confined. In Three Shattered Souls, the Blades confront betrayal, grief, and a ruthless new ruler as they navigate four perilous realms, where alliances shift, loyalties fracture, and victory demands losing everything they hold dear. In Death of the Author, Zelu’s far-future novel propels her into literary stardom, but fame comes at a cost: control of her story, her identity, and even her sense of self. From fantastical kingdoms to near-future worlds, these novels interrogate what it means to wield power, to create, and to endure when the worlds we build push back.