My Top 10 Black Sci-Fi & Fantasy Characters: A Juneteenth Tribute 

Amazing list! I couldn’t agree more about Zamira Drakasha, who also made Red Seas Under Red Skies my favorite of the three books. You’ll be happy to learn you’ll get much more Quick Ben in future Malazan books, including Memories of Ice. Happy Juneteenth!

I somehow knew Quick Ben would be near the top! Thanks for the video - I enjoyed it

Your shit is 🔥 Oh, and the list is awesome as well. If I may, I’d add my favorite Black character to your list: Susannah Dean from Dark Tower. She is amazing and unique and all-round kick ass woman. Btw, she is wheelchair bound. Susannah ❤

This is a fantastic video! Dean Thomas is bloody brilliant. Best Quidditch commentator ever. Thanks too for explaining Juneteenth. I live in NZ, it's not a thing here. I know that it IS a thing, and that its a celebratory one, but never knew what the story behind it was. One of my favourite authors is likely a little out of your preferred reading, she's a mixed race Samoan Indian lady who primarily writes romance/paranormal-romance/urban-paranormal though she's begun branching into contemporary mystery thrillers as well, and she lives right here in New Zealand. Nalini Singh. *Very* few of her characters are traditionally 'white'. In one of her contemporary romance series her characters are all from Pacific Island heritage, and these are BIG men, rugby playing men, who don't conform with traditional notions of 'handsome'. In that particular series, she also has an amputee as one of the main characters. In her paranormal romances her characters come from cultures as diverse as India, Morocco, and Russia with all the differences of body type and colouring imaginable. With every new culture she represents, she brings a family 'tone', a tradition of spices, holidays, endearments, and clothing, without attempting to highlight any of it - those things are simply a part of a character and their personality. The reason I wanted to tell you all of that, is because that level of inclusion - you know, like how people EXIST in the real world - simply deserves to be shared. *EVEN* as a very white woman who just turned 50, I appreciate how necessary these books are, and I LOVE them. I love being able to see a world where racism simply isn't there, and I wish heartily that non-white lead characters weren't still noteworthy even in these genres - the least constrained by reality.

Great video, and great way to commemorate this day! I couldn't agree more with you about Quick Ben, and though Deadhouse Gates doesn't feature him, get ready for more of the best mage in Malazan. I just finished Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower today, and I'd like to add Lauren Olamina from that amazing story to the conversation. Thank you for the video!

Saw the title and thought, “so how close to #1 is Quick Ben?” 😆 Great video, mate. 🙂👌🏻

Have you read Mistborn? Thought I'd see Sazed on the list. Orlando Jones really knocked it out the park, that scene with Anansi on the boat is one of the most powerful pieces of acting I've ever seen. I absolutely knew Dean Thomas would be somewhere in the top 3, ha. Great video as always man. My wife saw your shirt while I was watching the video and wants to get me one because I'm always harassing her with Spongebob lines 😂

Great unique video, Darko. Love me some Quick Ben. And agree to Dana! I'd like to add Tau among other characters from Evan Winter's The Burning series. Missed your content and glad to see ya back at it. 🍻👟

Amazing vid!! Quick Ben let’s gooooooooooooooooooooooooioooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Right with you on loving Red Seas more than Lies, and that pirate Captain is def one of the reasons why that book rocked! Piranesi is a super superstar, and Kip was easily one of the best things about Lightbringer. So lovable. Love the Dean Thomas shout out! Goes to show the importance of diverse rep but especially in kids books so everyone can feel seen. Have you not read Rage of Dragons yet? Tau is straight 🔥🔥🔥

Super interesting video and I love your shirt! Glad to see you are rocking videos again!

I gotta put one more on your radar: Sistah Samurai by Tatiana Obey. Novella was so good it won my Top Indie Fantasy of 2023

Amazing! Check out the sequel to American Gods. Anansi’s Boys and I would say for more Bulter try the xenogenesis trilogy. Thanks Darko.

I need you to read The Vanished Birds! Nia Imani will (hopefully) make your list in the future.

Awesome video Dark O!! One of my favorites is definitely Quick Ben, another is Jabari Onai from The Burning Series by Evan Winters . Oh, also Josh Hutchins from Swan Song is a fantastic character and one of my favorite characters in any book I read all year.

I'm surprised there's no Red Rising characters on here. Both Aja and Atalantia are great, terrifying characters. Interesting video, my man.

Brilliant, Darko! I knew Octavia Butler would be near or at the top of your list. I am planing to read more of her this summer. I know you're not a big N.K. Jemison fan, but she has some great characters of color too. I hope you're doing well, my friend. I always feel better after I watch one of your videos.

This was great! 😎📚👍

Happy (belated) Juneteenth!! Wonderful video to celebrate 🤩 I am ashamed to admit that I hadn't even fully realised that some of these characters were Black (or insinuated to be Black), but I love them all the more for it! Especially Belina is just a hoot, I adore her!! Some of my personal faves would be Sylah from The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi, Sistah Samurai from Sistah Samurai by Tatiana Obey, Tayen from No Heart for a Thief by James Lloyd Dulin and Rasia from Bones to the Wind by Tatiana Obey!

Do top 10 Black sf/f books!

Thank you for the list. Piranesi's mother was Ghanian. My other favorite characters: Lauren Olamina from the "Earthseed" duology by Octavia E. Butler Vincenza "Vintage" from "The Winnowing Flame by Jen Williams Fatma from "A Master of Djinn" by P. Djeli Clark Xiala from "Between Earth and Sky" by Rebecca Roanhorse Victoire from "Babel" by R. F. Kuang

Awesome video. I'm always looking for diverse POVs I loooove Binti, Akata too ❤ Karina from A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (west African) ALSO Tristan Strong, YA and so fun. Quick Ben is brilliant but it's a comment to the density of Malazan that I had no idea he was black 😳🤦‍♀️ My favorite is fantasy of the spec-ops variety but adore Top Simms from Joe Ledger. Really appreciate this list and all but Light Bringer I've either read or they're in my queue. 🙌🏼🤓

QUICK BEN!!!! He is just the best! Next to TATTERSAIL that is 😂 DANA!!!! 14:32 you didnt let me down here bestie she is the bomb! 15:37 tell me tell me???? Obviously!!! I knew it 16:03 haha how were you not going to say Dean and he handsome! Great list hunny and so cool to give voice you may end up adding a character from invisible man to that list yet I’m reading a book you will love called the Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow it’s hocus pocus meets witches of east wick, meets dark Disney fairy tales. Rabin from @onlythebestfantasynovels put me on to it. The character Cleo Quinn is a female of colour who is a journalist and a witch 😃 it’s so so good bestie Love you ❤

You can pick almost any favorite character from Malazan and put in this list, as most of the characters in the series are black. 😊 Definitely all the Malazans and all the Tiste Andii. Anomander Rake for the win.

Hi!- great list! If this one hasn’t popped up on your radar, try the “Seasons of Plenty” trilogy from Colin Greenland. The main character is Tabitha Jute; a gender-swapped and race-swapped Han Solo!

Hey do you take review suggestions? How do ppl reach out or find you on social media?