An alternate history \/ historical fantasy \/ steampunk novel set in the Belgian Congo, from noted short story writer Nisi Shawl.<\/p>\n

Everfair<\/i>\u00a0is a wonderful Neo-Victorian alternate history novel that explores the question of what might have come of Belgium’s disastrous colonization of the Congo if the native populations had learned about steam technology a bit earlier. Fabian Socialists from Great Britian join forces with African-American missionaries to purchase land from the Belgian Congo’s “owner,” King Leopold II. This land, named Everfair, is set aside as a safe haven, an imaginary Utopia for native populations of the Congo as well as escaped slaves returning from America and other places where African natives were being mistreated.<\/p>\n

Shawl’s speculative masterpiece manages to turn one of the worst human rights disasters on record into a marvelous and exciting exploration of the possibilities inherent in a turn of history.\u00a0Everfair<\/i>\u00a0is told from a multiplicity of voices: Africans, Europeans, East Asians, and African Americans in complex relationships with one another, in a compelling range of voices that have historically been silenced.\u00a0Everfair<\/i>\u00a0is not only a beautiful book but an educational and inspiring one that will give the reader new insight into an often ignored period of history.<\/p>\n

Representation Includes<\/h4>\n

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• One of the main relationships in the novel is between a white passing black woman and a white woman. They are in a polyamorous relationship.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  Content Warnings<\/div>

  violence, colonialism, racism, sexism, homophobia, more content warnings needed. Help grow this entry by commenting below or by emailing queersffbooks@theillustratedpage.net. <\/div>