I read Remote Control purely because it was new from Nnedi Okorafor. Fans of Binti and Lagoon will find similar themes of feminism and Africanfuturism here. While a coming of age story, the intended audience isn’t young adults. The complexity of the main character, Sankofa, combined with the richness of symbolism and meaning create a rewarding reading experience. Because the story is at times more figurative, there is more opportunity for reader reflection and consideration. Though, these same characteristics make it slightly less accessible than her other work. The end creates space for readers to make decisions about the result and hint at future books. Readers looking to expand 11-12 grade reading experiences beyond the canon, could consider Remote Control. The complexity of development in a small page count creates a valuable opportunity for analysis and conversation.

One million stars for this one. The author has written a unique, powerful story that hits with science fiction readers of many strips. Highly recommend

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.

Remote Control was a very interesting read. We go on a journey with Sankofa from her childhood as Fatima to the day her entire life changed. We walk with her day to day as she journeys from town to town trying to figure out what she is and what happened to her. There is not a ton of action in this book and it very slice of life in that we are truly just watching her live her day to day life. Sankofa is character that you find yourself pitying by the end of the book. She is a small child when she becomes Death's adopted daughter and she is basically forced to grow up almost alone. People's treatment of her based on awe and fear is difficult to stomach at times as you realize humans can be cruel when scared. I did find the ending a bit abrupt and I wonder if it will become a series or if that is intentional. If it does become a series, I would continue to read.

Special thanks to Tor for giving our group an ARC of this story.

Nnedi Okorafor's newest novel is a beautiful meditation on the ambiguous line between the mystical and the technological. The adopted daughter of Death, Sankofa cannot touch cars, phones, drones, or robots without instantly destroying them. When threatened, she can send out a green light from her body that kills anyone in the vicinity. She wanders the countryside collecting the favors left by townspeople who fear her, with a fox companion by her side.
I never quite knew what to expect next as I was reading. The story and writing were compelling enough that I didn't need to know to want to continue, and I read the whole thing in about two sittings over a couple of days. The story sat with me for much longer, though. It's a beautiful little novel with a very original premise and character.

I was first pulled in by the concise way Okorafor can deliver a robust story when I read the Binti trilogy back in February. And once again, she delivers in REMOTE CONTROL. By giving us frequent glimpses of Sankofa’s past, Okorafor reassures you that whatever questions you may have as the story unfolds shall be answered in due time. I read this novella in one sitting and not once did I feel like it moved too slow or too fast; it’s paced to perfection and keeps you engaged while still being fulfilling.

REMOTE CONTROL features many pertinent themes, such as self-acceptance and the beauty in shining your light bright regardless of what others around you may think. Sankofa comes right up against the dangers of people fearing you because of ignorance, and she struggles to accept her place in the world, then eventually learns how to own her individualistic power, scars, and misdeeds because they make her who she is. I absolutely loved her character growth throughout this journey.

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor is a stand-alone science fantasy novella, set in near future Ghana. It tells the story of a girl who is alone and feared and, for a large part of the story, nomadic.

"She’s the adopted daughter of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own."

The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon 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?

I requested this novella for review because I've enjoyed Okorafor's other work, especially the Binti series of novellas. However, I wasn't sure what to expect, since the blurb makes it sound very different from Binti. After reading, I can say that, it is and it isn't. Fatima/Sankofa undergoes an intensely traumatic event at a young age, leaving her alone. Magic helps keep her safe, physically at least.

Sankofa's story is not told entirely chronologically, which works very well for this context. I liked the way in which aspects of her life were revealed piece by piece. I also liked the worldbuilding that went into the story. From the shea tree Sankofa climbed as a child to the towns, cities and homes she encounters during her travels, Okorafor paints very clear pictures of the settings. The contrasts between rural and urban settings is especially stark. While Sankofa is in the forest, it is easy to forget that this story is actually set in the future. The advanced technology present in the city is a stark contrast, and reminds us that there is more going on in the background of the story than what we most frequently see from the tight focus on Sankofa.

I really enjoyed this story. I highly recommend it to fans of science fantasy and speculative fiction generally. I'm not usually a fan of science fantasy but this one really worked for me. If you enjoyed Okorafor's other works, especially the Binti series (since I have not yet read any of her longer works, I can't compare those), I highly recommend Remote Control.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: January 2021
Series: No
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

I liked the story, ultimately, but I wish it had been more clear about exactly what was happening. Sankofa was a cool character, and I really liked how OTHER people interacted with her, I just felt like there was something missing from the actual story.

Sankofa. Her name strikes fear into each town she visits. Rumors about her fly. She is the adopted child of the Angel of Death, the destroyer of technology, a remedy of suffering, an agent of chaos, and wanderer, a loner, an indestructible glowing force of nature in search of something that she'll never find.

It is a hard life for a pre-pubescent girl.

Remote Control is an origin story about how a seven-year-old girl--a lover of nature, animals, and the world around her--is given a gift from the heavens above and the earth below. Her body is changed, her world is changed, and she is pushed and pulled by forces she doesn't understand, but cannot resist.

Sankofa's story is heartbreaking yet hopeful, as she seizes her abilities and dictates her lifestyle instead of succombs to it. She spends many years of her youth traveling throughout west Africa searching for answers to something just out of her grasp, encountering a wide range of characters that include wild animals, skeezy politicians, and Robocop. Yep.

Fast moving and exciting stuff, all packed into a tightly-written novella. I hope to see a lot more Sankofa stories from Okorafor, who has once again created yet another winning anti-hero to add to her impressive body of work.

This was a really powerful and compelling look at how we vilify what we don't understand and make 'other' anything that is different. It tells the story of Sankofa, the adopted daughter of death blessed (cursed?) with the power to ease people to their death. Sankofa is a fascinating character. She has forgotten her name and wanders the rural countryside of Ghana trying to find some meaning behind her predicament. Along the way, she meets people who are willing to help her but an equal number who are terrified of what she can do. I thought this was a very intelligent novella, which deals with the damage inflicted upon many African countries by colonisers, both through physical damage to the land but also the white washing of culture. Overall, this was a poignant and sometimes difficult read that I would definitely recommend.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

<i>"She's the adopted child of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own."</i>

Do we even need to introduce her? Nnedi Okorafor is an autobuy author for me at this point, and REMOTE CONTROL does not deviate from the rule. This is an Africanfuturism novella, character-driven and with incredible, literary-level prose.

The story follows Sankofa, a little girl in futuristic Ghana, after the mysterious abilities she has been given after being in contact with a wooden box kills her family and her whole town.
As always, I was captivated by the writing and the characters won over my heart, especially Sankofa and Alhaja. I was also pleasantly surprised by the Muslim rep in this story. We get to follow Sankofa as she wanders around, feared and gazed upon, and gets to find herself and the meaning of her powers. REMOTE CONTROL was a lyrical and captivating read, with adorable and heart-wrenching moments at the same time. It wasn't at all what I expected, yet this story hits all the good points.

5/5 stars, would absolutely recommend!

One Mike to Read them All: advance review of “Remote Control” by Nnedi Okorafor

Great Afrofuturism story about a girl who becomes known as “Death’s adopted daughter.”

Set in Ghana what feels like a few decades from now, this tells the story of a girl who encounters a strange “seed” beneath her family’s shea tree. This seed gives her mysterious powers: she can glow green, and by doing so she can kill. Sometimes it’s involuntary and sometimes … less voluntary, with tragic results.

The origin of the seed isn’t made clear. There are mentions of aliens, and a biotech company called LifeGen, and a few other hints, but none of that really matters to our protagonist (named Fatima, though later known as Sankofa). Not terribly surprisingly, she ends up ostracized and wandering; Death’s adopted daughter is someone to be feared and respected, but not someone you really want living next door. And, naturally, when you are afraid of someone, that can turn to anger and hatred. Again with tragic results.

The only other Okorafor book I’ve read is *Who Fears Death*, which I found powerful and moving. The same applies here, though not as deeply as a book about rape as a weapon of war. This is shorter, and less heavy. I feel like this would be a good jumping off point for someone who is interested in Okorafor’s writing but doesn’t want to dive into something like *Who Fears Death*. I’m curious to hear how it compares to *Binti*, which I haven’t read, but I’ll probably have to wait a few weeks to hear any opinions on that - this one comes out on January 21.

I'm so glad this was the first Nnedi Okorafor book I read. It takes a true talent to tell such a deep and compelling story in such a short format.

Remote Control is a modern folktale that I will recommend to any sci-fi reader. Sankofa, the daughter of death, was a fascinating character - her story enveloped me and will stay with me for a long time.

Rating: 8.5/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Remote Control for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

Remote Control is a novella that begins like a folktale but turns into an immersive, devastating story of a young girl with powers beyond her belief or control. Okorafor wastes no time dropping the reader into Fatima’s story, her transformation into Sankofa, and the path she must take to reclaim the item she was given by the stars.

I have to admit: I looked back at the cover several times whilst reading the intro chapter of Remote Control because I COULD HAVE SWORN I was reading a novella by Neil Gaiman (who happens to also be an author on my favorites list). To see that he is a fan of Nnedi’s makes complete sense.

Fatima…errr Sankofa, as she is now known, scared the hell out of me in the intro. Heck, she terrifies anyone that intersects her path so it sort of makes sense. There is something about a child that can bring utter destruction and devastation with a simple glance that is more horrifying than when an adult can do the same. I assume it is all about innocence?

While the intro chapter felt like a short story on its own, I really enjoyed how Okorafor laid that foundation only to give us an entire overview of how Sankofa got to this point. The thing is, Fatima really IS just a little girl who wants to be left to her own devices, but when an adult is set to take something of hers (much like a toy being taken away), it sets her on a course of unforeseen circumstances that see her as this adopted daughter of the Angel of Death.

I will say.. the synopsis only gives you a snippet of what you can expect in this novella. There is a ton of heart in Okorafor’s writing, on top of some gorgeous world-building and deep characterization. This is a piece of Afrofuturistic fiction that needs to be on your TBR. If you enjoyed Binti, you will love Sankofa.

Remote Control is a wonderfully written novella that is best described as a folktale with a hint of science fiction. Telling the story of Sankofa, who is known as the 'adopted daughter of death, and her complicated and often introspective coming of age story. Sankofa is gifted with the mysterious ability to kill at the cost of not being able to interact with technology in a technology driven culture. Filled with moving moments and a world that I would love to know more about, Okorafor has delivered another not to be missed novella. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Remote Control is the newest novella from Nnedi Okorafor, a quiet, interior-focused and episodic work that is at times a haunting, tragic coming of age tale of magic and mystery, at other times a concisely and sharply effective observer of modern trends, and, depending on the reader, at other times a frustratingly vague story full of unanswered questions. Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit, finding it to be the sort of story that lingers in the head.

Six-year-old Fatima lives a happy family life in a near-future Ghana despite her frequent bouts with malaria. But when a meteor shower filled with “beautiful green streaks decorating the sky” drops at the base of her favorite tree a “seed [that] glowed a bright green [with] light seeping from it like oil,” it changes her life and those of everyone she knows and loves, even though her father soon sells it off to a local politician. The seed, though, had already bestowed its gift/curse on Fatima, though she wouldn’t learn its true power until a horrifying tragedy a year later that forces her from town. Over the next few years, Fatima, going now by Sankofa, lives an itinerant life, a fox her only companion as she wanders northern Ghana on the track of her sold-off seed, which she can still sense. Stories grow first in her wake and then preceding her arrival, stories of the adopted Daughter of Death/nature spirit/witch with the power to kill with a thought. Out of sometimes respect, sometimes fear, sometimes both, people give her whatever she asks for—shelter, food, clothing. This is how she survives into her early teens when the story opens up, before flashing back and then eventually coming full circle.

As noted, this is a quiet, introspective novel, with only a few moments of what one might call “action,” a few scenes creating suspense or fear for Sankofa. Mostly it’s a story of a girl too young to be given a horrible power she can’t control at first, of how it destroys everything she knows and loves, and how she eventually learns first to live with it (and her grief/guilt), then use it to carve out a place for herself in a world she’s never truly a part of. This part is lovely, haunting, and sometimes heartbreaking. One of my favorite moments is when Sankofa weeps for her father, an overcoming grief that rises up from the smallest, most mundane of things.

Okorafor also uses the story to briefly but effectively explore or comment other ideas beyond this girl’s coming-of-age. We see a near-future Ghana that is a mix of technology and old ways, with the two not always co-existing smoothly or positively. The power of story and myth, the ways they are born, change in the telling, and have power over lives is another theme. As is a reliance on technology and the lack of privacy it brings. Issues of gender and class rear up. For instance, it is only Sankofa’s deadly ability that allows her to travel freely as a young girl (a power she is forced to use on multiple occasions to protect herself against men). Another woman, one who holds a more mundane power, does so tenuously, as she is informed by a man who wishes to deprive her of it: “You’re just a woman … So do what women do, step back and let us take.” Meanwhile, America and corporations form a somewhat abstract villain always in the background, particular via a company called LifeGen, described by one character as “that fucking big American corporation that’s probably going to eventually destroy the world.” Amongst other things (they’re the company that wanted the green seed), LIfeGen is a pharmaceutical company, and there’s a quick but sharp aside about using Africans as guinea pigs for drug trials (not a “futuristic” concept btw). Finally, I think one can also read events and characters in the story on a more metaphorical, allusive level, the type of layered reading I always enjoy (I was going to say “if I’m right” but then realized I still enjoyed reading the novella that way whether intended or not). I’ll leave it to the individual reader, though, to suss out whatever may be there.

Some readers may have issues with the story in how, like the main character, it slowly meanders. Those who like explanations will also find themselves frustrated. In many ways this has a very fable-like feel to it and so unless I’m missing something, I don’t think “answers” are either offered or even intended. The ending is also a bit ambiguous. I have my own reading, but I can certainly see others, and it’s possible it’s a true ending (i.e. a standalone book’s “resolution”) or it’s a transition point to a sequel. Personally, I kind of prefer the former.

Novellas are tricky animals. Certainly there was room for more development of plot and character, but I wouldn't at all call it necessary, and it’d be all too easy to lose the magic and mystery of the story by filling in too many details and adding too much background. A short story, on the other hand, I don’t think would have allowed us to inhabit the character of Sankofa long enough to fully react to events in as powerful a way or allowed the narrative voice to capture us as completely. With Remote Control, I’d say Okorafor hit the sweet spot.

A gripping and intriguing tale of a mystifying Legend, Sankofa/Fatima is an instantly likeable character and I loved following her journey through an inventive, futuristic Ghana

I will read anything Nnedi Okorafor writes.
I love the world building Okorafor does, and Remote Control does not disappoint.

Remote Control tells the story of a young Ghanian girl whose presence brings death. In Sankofa's world, there's a lot of misinformation and folk tales surrounding her abilities and her goals, and I think it's best if readers experience the book while knowing as little about her as possible. All I will say is that I wonder if Okorafor was working on the Wild Seed adaptation while she wrote it because I see hints of Doro in this story. If I were to compare this novella to Okorafor's past work, I'd say it is most similar to The Book of Phoenix in that Sankofa is trapped in a bleak cycle that she's trying to break. As with most of Okorafor's work, Remote Control focuses on Africans as early adopters and innovators of electronic technology. Okorafor's imagery is vivid, and some of the situations Sankofa encounters are poignant. Unfortunately when I got to the ending, something about this story felt flat. Sankofa spends a lot of time wandering and knowing little. There's a bit of explanation at the end, but I don't know if there was enough to give it the full-circle feel that I think Okorafor was going for. I usually don't mind if a story doesn't stick the landing, but for Remote Control, it felt like the story was depending on the finale to give it an emotional resonance. I most enjoyed Sankofa's character (very different from what I was expecting) and her stay in Robotown. That said, this novella is definitely worth a read.

Nnedi Okorafor never fails to amaze me with her storytelling, wordbuilding, and characters. Remote Control is a small novella, but it packs a punch and will stay with you for a long time.