The Discovery of Nikki Clarke

On my uphill climb to step outside my comfort zone and start reading things that I wouldn’t usually pick up, I found an author who not only is an excellent storyteller but also pulled me into a world that the media has refused to promote for so long.

Nikki Clarke writes black speculative and urban romance fiction. While she has many standalone novels, she is mainly known for her Black Girls Off-World series which follows mercenaries and romantic-loving aliens who become enamored with strong, beautiful black women. Told in a woven tale that allows each book to relate to the other, the series starts with Kwarq who came to Earth for a silly scavenger hunt, and his life is changed forever when he meets the love that makes his heart beat, literally.

Now, why do I like these books? And why is this such a big discovery? Well, I have read a lot of interracial romances, black romances, white romances, fantasy (and still white) romances, and romances that transcend time. The last thing I expected was to pick up a spicy alien book and devour the first three of the series in less than two days. What I discovered was that I wasn’t just hungry for new books and escapism, I was hungry for stories that reflect thoughts and feelings I could relate to in these settings. It was odd at first, and I asked myself–is this really the genre for me? I didn’t think that I was the type of person to be interested in novels that have erotic themes. But as an avid fantasy and sci-fi lover, it was clear that the difference was only the theme. This was the first time I read about black women in sci-fi finding unconditional love and working to receive that love and all it entails. It’s beautiful. It’s spicy. It’s…refreshing.

Nikki Clarke is not the only author to bring black people into this genre, but she was the first to open my eyes to what I have been missing. Moving forward, I fully intend to discover others and enjoy them and I recommend you do too.

Edited by Lindsey Huddleston.