How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

“He has made his fellow citizens happier, and there is no finer virtue.” 

This quotation refers to a man whose ladybug pin inspires joy in those around him on the Day of Good Birds. It reveals that happiness is more important to a healthy society than financial bounty—an idea which continues to resonate throughout the collection. Other stories that indicate mental health is more important than monetary wealth include “The Effluent Engine” and “The You Train.”

“To care for one another. That is a city’s purpose, they believe—not merely to generate revenue.”

This quotation describes the citizens of a utopia called Um-Helat. It draws attention to the collection’s anti-capitalist bent. The collection includes several examples of how capitalism is destructive rather than constructive. This quotation demonstrates Jemisin’s belief that compassion is more valuable than money.

“This is the paradox of tolerance […] we hesitate to admit that some people are just fucking evil and need to be stopped.”

The narrator of “The Ones Who Stay and Fight” says this in order to draw attention to the limits of tolerance. This is significant because it touches on one of the collection’s most prevalent messages: It’s necessary to be both accepting of others’ differences and critical of the world. This balance can be demonstrated in some of the other stories, such as in “The Trojan Girl.” Meroe accepts the strength of those who are different from him while remaining skeptical of their intentions. The result of this balance is that he and those different from him develop a symbiotic relationship. 

“Mama’s boyfriend ain’t here to slap me and say I’m not a man for it.” 

The narrator of “The City Born Great” says this to himself after he survives an attack from a Mega Cop, then lays there, resting. The narrator exemplifies what many of the men in this book suffer from: a pressure to be masculine. Emmaline’s sons also feel this pressure, as does Cet when trying to comfortable with Gimmen. 

“There’s no gap between me and the city anymore.”

The narrator of “The City Born Great” says this when he has just defeated the Mega Cop pursuing him and he starts to feel the pains of New York City as his own physical pain. This blending of place and person happens often throughout the book and demonstrates how powerful location can be. Other characters who experience this melding of place and person include the girl in “Stone Hunger” and the speaker in “The You Train.”

“Thank God the truck driver hadn’t […] noticed how pretty Pauline was becoming.”

Emmaline thinks this about her daughter Pauline after she finds out Pauline asked a truck driver if she could have a piece of fruit that rolled off his vehicle. This passage draws attention to the fact that for many women, their beauty proves to be their greatest source of danger. This is also true for other characters besides Pauline, such as Namsut and Jessaline.

“Not that that bothers your kind like it does mine.”

The White Lady says this to Emmaline in reference to the southern heat they are experiencing. This is important because it shows the “us vs. them” mentality that white people often have toward other races—a mentality that has caused endless heartache and bloodshed. The quotation shows that white people perceive their superiority as natural since the woman speaking believes that she and a woman of a different race will differently experience something as objective as temperature.

“Wasn’t no prosperity worth a girlchild’s soul.”

Emmaline has this thought after her daughter suggests she move in with a white family to gain prosperity. This shows how African Americans are often forced to choose between financial stability and emotional health. This quotation also shows the relativity of the term “prosperity,” an idea that plays a significant role throughout the collection. 

“Clouds are clouds, aren’t they? Just fog in the air instead of on the ground.”

One of the young Sky-People says this to Nahautu when she asks him about the dragons she sees in the sky. It draws attention to one of the most important themes in this book: Perspective matters. While the content may remain the same, this quotation reminds readers that perception is an unavoidable ingredient in any description. 

“Was it the dreaming that made her so weak?”

Meroe has this thought about the avatar girl who appears weak to him because she expresses emotion. This is significant because it calls to mind two of the collection’s major themes: Emotion or hope is often perceived as a feminine—therefore negative—trait, and dreams play a significant role in waking life.

“The ones who want not just to survive, but to win. You could be the key that helps your kind defeat us some day.”

Lemuel says this to Zinhle when he is explaining that if she comes with him, she will be able to strive for her full potential, but if she stays with her family, she will be forced into a life of conformity. In this passage, it becomes clear that sometimes one has to go against the grain in order to find a place among it. This idea pops up in other stories as well, such as “Stone Hunger” and “Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows.”

“[N]one were so blessed as to be male.” 

This comment is made by the surrogate storyteller about King Paramenter’s six daughters. This quotation reminds readers of the strict gender roles marring most societies, and of the ever-present existence of the patriarchy. Many of the characters in this collection struggle against gender conformity, including Ginnem and Eugenie. 

“The vanity of men is a powerful weapon, so easy to aim and unleash.” 

This is said by one of King Paramenter’s daughters before they “attack” him for so wantonly creating children (181). “The vanity of men” becomes an issue again and again throughout this collection, especially in stories like “The Narcomancer” and “Cuisine des Mémoires.” This quotation also resonates because “the vanity of men […] unleash[ed]” causes overpopulation—one of the main issues dealt with in this book. 

“So many of our leaders are weak and choose to take power from others rather than build strength in themselves.”

The surrogate storyteller says this after they finish their tale about greedy King Paramenter and his death at the hand of his daughters. This quotation is true of many of the leaders in this book, such as the girl in “Stone Hunger” and the Masters in “Walking Awake,” and is therefore worth remembering.

“You […] waste your life tilling ever-smaller fields, keeping order in this graveyard.”

Dihya says this to Ayan, leader of the colony of Illiyin. This comment is relevant because it implies some people settle for being comfortable before they ever fight for being happy, which is true of many of the people in this book, such as the Manka in “The Evaluators” and the parents in “Valedictorian.”

“Real walls implied a false permanence […] Real walls echoed despair.” 

Ayan has this thought when she is contemplating whether homes with permanent or temporary walls are more appropriate for life in the temporary colony of Illiyin. Walls, real or fake, play an important role in this book. This comment calls attention to the fact that people will respond to walls, even if they are purely imaginary, making them especially powerful tools (or weapons).

“All the monsters were right here. No need to go looking for more in space.” 

Enri says this to Sadie, referring to the fact that parasites on Earth rather than extraterrestrials were their downfall. This calls into question what defines a monster, which is a question many of these stories ask, including “Stone Hunger” and “Henosis.” This also calls attention to the stupidity of racism, which often assumes monsters are someone different, rather than someone familiar, which is rarely the case. 

“Desperation makes even vinegar taste good.” 

The girl in “Stone Hunger” thinks this as she is seeking revenge against the vinegar man. Many of the characters in this book are forced to change their opinions or habits because of existing in a state of desperation. This quotation demonstrates that people cannot be expected to behave the same across varying external circumstances. 

“[P]eace was gone, ground away between the two inexorabilities of duty and desire.”

This statement is made about Cet, who is trapped between an oath to his religion and his love for a woman. This piece of narration reflects one of the main conflicts in this collection: the struggle to find a work-life balance. Characters, such as Harold and Sadie, lose their chance at peace because they cannot find a way to balance duty and desire like Cet does. 

“It is an artist’s fate, an artist’s duty, to share all that they are and have been with the world.”

Harkim says this to the woman who kidnapped him when she expresses disgust that an author’s legacy be bought and sold. This quotation asks one of the main questions of the collection: What constitutes an artist? This same question is asked as early as the second story, “The City Born Great” and as late as one of the last stories, “Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows.”

“It probably doesn’t take much. Just one person, really, wanting badly enough to go.”

The narrator of “The You Train” says this to her friend in reference to starting up new train lines. This encapsulates many of the other narratives in this collection. For example, this quotation could also apply to Dihya or the girl in “Stone Hunger,” both of whom single-handedly possess the power to destroy whole communities. 

“It was so stupid of me to assume that just because you had a family, everything was perfect for you.” 

The narrator of “The You Train” says this in way of apology to her friend whom she has been emotionally unloading on for quite an extended period. This quotation is important because there are plenty of happy non-nuclear families in this collection that stand in opposition to this narrator’s assumption that a nuclear family is the key to happiness. The quotation puts happy relationships into stark relief and asks readers to focus on the many unconventional routes to happiness.

“We need you to believe.”

This is written on the bottom of a flyer announcing a mass prayer in New York City organized to alter the city’s luck. This idea that both substance and belief must come together for something to exist is present throughout the collection. Death in “On the Banks of the River Lex” needs people to believe for him to fully exist. Dihya, in “The Brides of Heaven” also proves the power of belief when she decides to destroy an entire colony of women based on her belief in a deity.