Starting in 1985, Michael J. Fox netted a boon for his performances in the "Back to the Future" movies.
If you recall, the premise of the movies was a man who had to go back to the past and make sure events played out so that he could exist in the future.
The concept was definitely interesting, but it was not original.
In 1979, Octavia Butler, an African-American, female science-fiction writer had already penned this concept in her book, Kindred.
The main character, a 26-year-old black female named Dana, had to go back to the past in order to repeatedly rescue a white relative, who owned her ancestors during slavery, or Dana would cease to exist in the future.
One of the most interesting twists in the story is that Dana, in her lifetime in history, is married to a white man, who latches on to her when she is pulled back to America's slavery past. Dana and her husband have to pretend to be master and slave, which makes for an interesting turn of events.
Do some research and learn more about Octavia Butler.
If you're interested in some excellent sci-fi writing, with an African-American flavor, check out Ms. Butler's collection**:
Standalone Novels
- Dawn (Xenogenesis, Book One)
- Adulthood Rites (Xenogenesis, Book Two)
- Imago (Xenogenesis, Book Three)
Parable Series
Short Stories
** Links in this article take you to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase after following one of these links, the African-American History Examiner will receive a small commission from Amazon.com for referring you.
