Blurbs
A CITY DREAMING:
"Broaddus concludes his Astra Black space opera trilogy magnificent style, following 2024’s Breath of Oblivion with a complex narrative that expertly balances political intrigue and action, while brilliantly speculating about the future of humanity. The pan-African Muungano Empire, formed in 2050 in the wake of an environmental collapse that led to the colonization of Mars, faces its greatest challenge in 2121, after expanding its reach as far as Titan. A Muungano signal station camouflaged as an asteroid picks up a transmission apparently from the other side of a wormhole—“We’re coming home”—that heralds a threat to the empire, possibly from the Interstellar Alliance, a polity that promises a better life for the empire’s citizens. Not everyone takes these promises at face value, setting up a confrontation that could either spell the end of the Muungano, or begin a new, more secure chapter. The series’ worldbuilding is as rich and expansive as ever, touching on everything from the tedium faced by essential workers even in space to the lasting legacy of racism into the far future. Broaddus is unafraid to tackle big questions, such as the nature of consciousness, but never sacrifices plot development for exposition. Few current authors can match the ambitious imagination of this powerful and thought-provoking trilogy. (June 2026)"
- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
SWEEP OF STARS:
"Not to be missed"
- Washington Post
“Broaddus (Buffalo Soldier) opens his Astra Black trilogy with this powerful, sweeping Afrofuturist space opera that introduces Muungano, a cooperative society of pan-African people stretching through the solar system and founded after seceding from the oppressive governments of Earth in 2050. Now in 2121, shadows forces threaten to destabilize Muungano’s leadership, and Wachiru and Amachi, son and adopted daughter of one of the seven founding families, along with security officer Maulana Buhari, must choose between preserving Muungano’s founding values, or meeting violence with violence. Meanwhile, on the other side of the galaxy, a unit of super soldiers led by Maulana’s sister Fela stumbles into an alien conflict, with far-reaching consequences. Broaddus brings to bear his experience as an educator and community organizer as the principle characters struggle to build and maintain a Black utopia even as the legacies of colonialism and the Maafa—the trans-Atlantic slave trade— still lurk in the background. He draws a direct line in global Black history from the kingdoms of precolonial Africa, through the American civil rights movement and into an imagined future, making this a hugely ambitious and notable work of postcolonial science fiction. This takes the genre in an exciting and challenging direction. Agent: Jennifer Udden, New Leaf Literary. (Mar.)”
– Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
VOICES OF MARTYRS:
“The lush, descriptive prose tantalizes all the senses, drawing the reader into a rich world spanning both miles and centuries. Hints of magic in both the past and present, as well as the science fiction elements of the future stories, make this an exciting exploration of genre as well as culture.”
– Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Give thanks for these griot, hip-funk, afrofuturist stories of pure horror and complicated hope. Broaddus sounds a deep beat in this true myth of survival: what our heads forget, our bones remember.”
– Karen Lord
“Maurice Broaddus has a talent for creating fascinating characters across lifetimes, fierce voices that linger and stay with you. His fantasies, fables, and far out tales come from an imagination as frightening as it is admirable. And whether they come from the past, present, or one of his cautionary futures, you are certain to find a story that speaks to you.”
– Sheree Renée Thomas
“An outcast in the distant past struggling to survive. A religious captain rationalizing away the evil of the slave ship he commands. A future biomech warrior in a literal culture war. The stories in The Voices of Martyrs again prove why Maurice Broaddus is one of the most exciting writers of today’s genre fiction. His vision spans space and time while staying grounded in the stories–in the very voices–which make us fully and tragically and hopefully human.”
– Nebula Award-nominated author, Jason Sanford
“Reminiscent of a young Charles Saunders, Maurice Broaddus’ The Voices of Martyrs is a fresh blend of science fiction, fantasy, and the folkloric history of the African diaspora.”
– Chesya Burke, Author of "Let’s Play White" and "The Strange Crime of Little Africa"
“There’s a percussive intensity to the stories in The Voices of Martyrs. These are not simplistic heroic tales but poignant examinations of the triumphs and losses, the joys and pains, and the deep, rich complexities of a culture.”
– Ayize Jama-Everett, author of "The Liminal People"
“There are fewer greater pleasures in a reader’s life than witnessing a writer whose work they have enjoyed reached a new plateau in their storytelling skills, and such is the case here; with The Devil’s Marionette, Maurice Broaddus comes into his own as a writer of dark fiction. It is the brilliance we’ve all been waiting for, and Broaddus delivers in a voice that both whispers and roars and cannot be ignored.”
– Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild Award-winner Gary A. Braunbeck, author of "Mr. Hands", "Destinations Unknown", and "Coffin County"
PIMP MY AIRSHIP:
“[Pimp My Airship] doesn’t just examine those genre assumptions. It chops them up, grinds them into a fine powder, rolls them into some quality paper, and then smokes them for fun. It simultaneously dismantles the genre and slaps it back together into something newer, fresher, and — dammit — more interesting than the original.”
– Matt Forbeck, award-winning author of "Amortals" and "Carpathia"
THE KNIGHTS OF BRETON COURTS:
“Maurice Broaddus has an uncanny ability to capture the flavor of the streets. This is a wild, imaginative journey grounded in a gritty reality so compelling that you’ll swear these characters must live in your own city. Put this on your must-read list!”
– Brandon Massey, award-winning author of "Cornered" and "Don’t Ever Tell"
“Deft characterization, authentic dialogue, exciting plot. Add a highly original premise: The Arthurian Legend magically springing up in the ‘hood, including the return of the King, Merlin, the Knights of the Round Table, and even a dab of chivalry. Maurice Broaddus has definitely brought his A-game to this urban joust.”
– Gene O’Neill
“Maurice Broaddus’ writing creates a dangerous and authentic mood. The language is fierce and evokes the gritty realism of life on the streets. When the supernatural elements are introduced, they drift through the novel like smoke, leaving the reader gradually horrified as the end game is reached… For some, King Maker is going to be the best read of 2010.”
– FantasyLiterature.com
“King Maker is a fascinating novel, a true urban fantasy in the literal definition of the term, and with assured prose and strong characters, should be on every SF fan’s shelf.”
– Adam Christopher
“KING MAKER’s strength is its ability to stay true-to-life even when the fantasy components come into play; the reader has enough time to get invested in the urban drama yet won’t find anything goofy when dragons, cannibals, and mystics are hinted at and eventually encountered.”
– Antibacterial Pope
“I have to give props to Broaddus for his creativity. This is no simple retelling of the Arthur legend with new names pasted in, this is a genuine and compelling story in its own right. Characters are complicated and have their own motivations and goals. None of them simply go through the motions dictated by the legend… King Maker is one of the best modern fantasies I’ve read in ages.”
– Nicholas Kaufmann’s Journal
“A cunningly wrought retelling of the Arthurian myth, set amongst the street gangs of Indianapolis.”
— Ben Aaronovitch, author of "Rivers of London"