Janelle Monáe's just announced that she's turned her 2018 album Dirty Computer into a collection of Afrofuturistic short stories, and we couldn't be more excited.
The collection, called The Memory Librarian And Other Stories From The World Of Dirty Computer, is set to be published on April 19th, 2022, according to The Bookseller.
The book has been picked up by publisher HarperVoyager, and speaking about the book, they say it will explore "how different threads of liberation–queerness, race, gender plurality, and love–become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in such a totalitarian landscape…and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms.”
Janelle echoed their thoughts, saying, “As a reader and writer of science fiction since childhood, it is a dream to have the opportunity to expand Dirty Computer into a literary project. Writers, specifically Black, queer and genderqueer, are at the forefront of pushing the creative boundaries of sci-fi and speculative storytelling.
"I'm honored to be collaborating with a new generation of creators as we expand this tale, that began with an album and emotion picture, into a larger world of new and familiar characters.
"Like Jane 57821, so many of us–myself included–are on a journey to thrive more and protect our freedom. I hope this book can be a gesture of appreciation to all my dirty computers and fandroids who have supported and inspired my vision thus far."
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If you've been missing the world of Dirty Computer, then this book will give you everything you need. We can't wait to be reacquainted with Jane 57821, and read what Janelle and her collaborators have written to expand the album's universe.