Remote Control

by Nnedi Okorafor

The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From here on in she would be known as Sankofa­­ - a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past.

Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks - alone, except for her fox companion - searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers.

But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion?

• ISBN10: 125077280X
• ISBN13: 9781250772800
• Publish Date: 1 February 2021 (first published 7 March 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 160
• Language: English

Reviews

[mrs_mander_reads]

Definitely not what I expected. I didn't dislike it, I just wanted more from it. Based on the descriptions I heard from podcasts / youtube, I was expecting a more mythical feel - as though Death played a character, which it doesn't.

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Remote Control in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Nnedi Okorafor has done it again. She's created another thrilling science fiction read, and she's done so with elegance and intelligence. Remote Control is a dark yet surprisingly brilliant novella, one that I can't recommend enough.

There was a time when Fatima considered herself a normal girl. Those days are gone. Her name is gone now. It has been ever since Death crossed her path. Now she carries it with her, bringing it to those that ask for it – and sometimes those that deserve it, but won't ask for it.

When she lost her name, she took up another one. Sankofa. Now she and her best (and only) friend, a little fox, travel the country following a trail that only she can spot. But to what end?

“Sankofa smiled, glad that he had not run like his sister. She hated when that happened. It always made her feel that ache she worked so hard to mute.”

Remote Control was such a compelling and intense read, it's almost difficult to find words to explain how much I loved it. Needless to say, Nnedi Okorafor has once again succeeded in knocking my socks off.

Sankofa's story is heartbreaking yet beautiful, in ways that are compelling and so utterly human. All while portraying something that for many, should feel anything but. It's all the evidence needed to prove Okorafor's mastery in writing.

This is a novella that will gut you, tear out your heart, and then stomp on it. All before placing it gently back in your chest. After all of that – you will thank it for the experience. It's that powerful, and that stunning.

I love all the thoughts and feelings that were explored over the course of this story. Her journey is a more literal one than many of us will face, and yet there is something so inescapable about the concept.

All things considered, I find myself desperately hoping that Remote Control is only the start of Sankofa's adventures. I want to read more. No, I need to read more, about this one girl and her forever companion.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks