Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Book of Anansi

The Book of Anansi combines elements from several genres, including fantasy, science fiction, and Afrofuturism. How does the author use these elements to examine contemporary social issues?

Analyze the different ways characters exploit and abuse power in the novel. How does the novel examine the different ways power can be misused?

During a scene in which Nic attends a church service with her family, Jesus is described as “the real Gift” (148). How do spirituality and moral values inform the characters and their world?

How does Nic and her grandmother’s relationship evolve during the story? What factors contribute to these changes?

Choose one of the minor characters in the story, like Mami Wata or Magnus Marigold. How is he/she characterized? What is his/her wider role and significance in the text?

Examine the worldbuilding in Nic Blake and the Remarkables. How is the Remarkable world different from or similar to the Unremarkable one? What are the key features and settings in the Remarkable world, and how do they shape Nic’s journey?

Nic becomes increasingly aware of the forms of discrimination and oppression that exist in the Remarkable world. How are different characters oppressed, and how do they react to that oppression?

How does the Remarkables series compare and contrast to other fantasy novels for young people that draw upon Black folklore and African mythology, such as Kwame Mbalia’s Coretta Scott King Honor-winning Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (2019) and Nnedi Okorafor’s Akata Witch (2011)?