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Title details for Noor by Nnedi Okorafor - Available

Noor

by Nnedi Okorafor
Délé Ogundiran
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
2 of 2 copies available
From Africanfuturist luminary Okorafor comes a new science fiction novel of intense action and thoughtful rumination on biotechnology, destiny, and humanity in a near-future Nigeria.
Anwuli Okwudili prefers to be called AO. To her, these initials have always stood for Artificial Organism. AO has never really felt . . . natural, and that's putting it lightly. Her parents spent most of the days before she was born praying for her peaceful passing because even in-utero she was "wrong." But she lived. Then came the car accident years later that disabled her even further. Yet instead of viewing her strange body the way the world views it, as freakish, unnatural, even the work of the devil, AO embraces all that she is: A woman with a ton of major and necessary body augmentations. And then one day she goes to her local market and everything goes wrong.
Once on the run, she meets a Fulani herdsman named DNA and the race against time across the deserts of Northern Nigeria begins. In a world where all things are streamed, everyone is watching the "reckoning of the murderess and the terrorist" and the "saga of the wicked woman and mad man" unfold. This fast-paced, relentless journey of tribe, destiny, body, and the wonderland of technology revels in the fact that the future sometimes isn't so predictable. Expect the unaccepted.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    November 16, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781666138337
      • File size: 206907 KB
      • Duration: 07:11:03

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from September 13, 2021
      Convenience and comfort come at a cost in this probing, brilliant near-future odyssey from Okorafor (Remote Control). Anwuli Okwudili changed her name to Augmented Organism, or AO, as a nod to the body augmentations she’s used to compensate for her physical and mental disabilities over the years. Now she’s partially robotic, with various cybernetic limbs, organs, and implants produced by the mega company Ultimate Corp—and at times she feels more connected to Ultimate Corp’s machines than to her own people in Abuja, Nigeria. When AO is attacked while at the market, she inadvertently kills her assailants in self-defense, displaying the deadly range of her cybernetically enhanced capabilities. Branded a murderess, she goes on the run with Dangote Nuhu Adamu, or “DNA,” a Fulani herdsman wrongfully accused of terrorism. Together, the fugitives battle never-ending sandstorms and evade both Ultimate Corp’s watchful eye and the Nigerian government’s retribution as they make their way across the desert. Okorafor exposes the cracks in this technology-driven, highly surveilled society as each detour in AO and DNA’s route adds layers of intrigue on the way to a jaw-dropping finale. Frequent instances of suicidal ideation may be triggering to some readers, but Okorafor handles heavy subjects well. This is a must-read. Agent: Donald Maass, Donald Maass Literary.

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from January 1, 2022

      The latest from Okorafor (Binti) explores a future where people can augment their bodies with cybernetic parts while questioning the contents of their souls. In this world, force fields can insulate people from destructive winds, information and energy are readily accessible to everyone, and mega-corporations can know everything about you to better satisfy your desires. AO, a cybernetically augmented woman, and DNA, a herdsman who lives a simple life with only his cattle, flee from a society where they are wanted as terrorists and deviants. While facing the swirling storms of the Redeye, they learn that AO possesses unique abilities that can help them fight back. The audiobook's narration by D�l� Ogundiran helps immerse readers in this future Africa, and Okorafor's story tackles far-reaching yet timely questions about colonialism, consumerism, and self-actualization. VERDICT This beautifully depicted example of Africanfuturism, a subgenre coined by Okorafor herself, offers both timely and timeless social commentary.--James Gardner

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      D�l� Ogundiran narrates this futuristic novel, which is set in Northern Nigeria at a time when body augmentations are able to restore and enhance human physiology. Anwuli, a young woman, faces daily discrimination from zealots who fear that biotechnology, considering it a sin against nature. Listeners are plunged into the action when Anwuli is forced to defend herself against a vicious attack. Fleeing the scene, she must evade detection by overreaching surveillance in a fully connected world. Fortuitously, she joins forces with Fulani, a herdsman who is also wrongfully accused of a crime. The two embark on a perilous path that ultimately leads to a better future for both of them. Ogundiran effectively delivers a high-stakes portrayal of abusive capitalism, climate change, and colonialism. M.M.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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