N.K. Jemisin, Broken Earth series

Kim Wickham (University of Rhode Island)

Ed. by Dimitra Fimi, University of Glasgow
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.5: African American Writing and Culture of the United States.
Vol. editors: Philathia Bolton (University of Akron), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), J. Michael Duvall (College of Charleston), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), A Yemisi Jimoh (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Tony Papanikolas (San Jose State University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 2015 - 2017

Places

United States (Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Fantasy
Science Fiction

Resources

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The Broken Earth

trilogy, written by N.K. Jemisin, consists of

The Fifth Season

(2015),

The Obelisk Gate

(2016), and

The Stone Sky

(2017), and was released by Orbit Books. Each novel won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, making Jemisin the first author to win three consecutive Best Novel awards. The trilogy is a ground-breaking work of fantasy. Set in a vividly created world,

The Broken Earth

primarily follows Essun as she attempts to get revenge on her husband for killing their son and retrieve her daughter. During her journey, she discovers the history of the world and confronts her own past. Like much of Jemisin’s other work, the world of the Broken Earth is flawed, filled with corruption, exploitation, and difficult choices. And, unlike traditional fantasy, the attempts to overthrow…

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2595 words

Citation: Wickham, Kim . "Broken Earth series". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 January 2020 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38976, accessed 18 April 2024.]

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