The Folio Society Teases Vibrant Illustrated Edition of Nnedi Okorafor’s The Binti Trilogy

The Binto Trilogy is written by Okorafor, and this edition features new painted covers and interior art by David Palumbo (Magic: The Gathering). The book features seven full-color illustrations as well as black and white part-title pages and metallic blue endpapers. Here’s the official logline for the book:

‘I am Binti Ekeopara Zuzu Dambu Kaipka of Namib.’ So begins this groundbreaking tale of a young Himba woman as she leaves Planet Earth to attend a prestigious intergalactic university. Despite her family’s concerns, Binti’s talent for mathematics and her aptitude with astrolabes make her a prime candidate to undertake this interstellar journey. But everything changes when the jellyfish-like Medusae attack Binti’s spaceship, leaving her the only survivor. Now, Binti must fend for herself, alone on a ship full of the beings who murdered her crew, with five days until she reaches her destination. But there is more to the history of the Medusae—and their war with the Khoush—than first meets the eye. If Binti is to survive this voyage and save the inhabitants of the unsuspecting planet that houses Oomza Uni, it will take all of her knowledge and talents to broker the peace. A vibrant space opera slash bildungsroman, THE BINTI TRILOGY traces the pains of coming of age against the very real threats of deep-rooted interspecies tensions. But this is also a story of rich human—and alien—experience: friendship, family, first love, and the quest for identity.

“With its fierce and imaginative blend of sci-fi and Africanfuturism—a term coined by Nnedi Okorafor herself, which aims to centre African culture and perspectives—the multi-award-winning BINTI TRILOGY is unique from any of the science fiction books that Folio Society has published in the past,” said Folio Society Editor Sophia Schoepfer in a statement. “Coupled with the mesmerising art by David Palumbo and vibrant design throughout, this Folio edition will be a stunning celebration of identity, conflict and connection across the stars. It’s a must-have for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, readers of space operas and intergalactic science fiction, and anyone who enjoys bildungsromans or has an interest in Afrofuturism.”

The illustrated edition of The Binti Trilogy is priced at £85.00 / US $120 and is available to preorder now exclusively on The Folio Society’s webste.

Previously, The Folio Society revealed illustrated editions of Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and Stephen King’s It.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.