Nikki Clarke on Centering Black Women in Sci-Fi, Monster Romance, and Urban Romantasy
Why should speculative fiction and monster romance rely on tired, reductive stereotypes when whole universes exist to be imagined? Today, for a special Birthday Bash release, I sit down with speculative romance author Nikki Clarke to discuss world-building, language, and centering Black leads across sci-fi, paranormal, and fantasy romance. We break down the importance of writing Black-coded aliens who reflect full, nuanced lived experiences rather than lazy historical trauma tropes. Nikki sha...