Tochi Onyebuchi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tochi Onyebuchi
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Onyebuchi at the 2017 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | October 4, 1987 Northampton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, lawyer |
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| Genre | Fantasy, science fiction, young adult, Afrofuturist |
| Years active | 2017–present |
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Tochi Onyebuchi (born October 4, 1987) is an American author who writes exciting science fiction and fantasy books. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a civil rights lawyer.
Onyebuchi is famous for weaving themes of social justice and Afrofuturism into his stories. Afrofuturism is a style of science fiction that explores African and African American culture and history. His 2020 book, Riot Baby, won several major awards, including an Alex Award and a World Fantasy Award.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Childhood and Inspirations
Tochi Onyebuchi was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. His parents were Nigerian immigrants from the Igbo community. His first name, Tochi, means "praise God" in the Igbo language.
He grew up in Connecticut. As a kid, Onyebuchi loved to read. He was a huge fan of X-Men comics, especially the hero Black Panther. He also enjoyed adventure stories and manga, with Blade of the Immortal being his favorite.
In high school, he spent a year studying in France. There, he discovered the book The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. He was inspired to learn that Dumas, a famous French author, had African ancestry. This encouraged Onyebuchi, who had been writing stories since he was young.
Higher Education
Onyebuchi was a dedicated student and attended several top universities. He graduated from Yale University with a degree in political science. He also earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in screenwriting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
His education didn't stop there. He received another master's degree in France and then went to Columbia Law School. At Columbia, he learned a lot about the justice system and the different challenges people face in America. This would later become a major theme in his writing.
From Law to Writing
Career as a Lawyer
After finishing law school, Onyebuchi became a civil rights lawyer in New York. He worked to help people and protect their rights. He even worked for the Legal Aid Society, assisting people involved in the justice system.
He said this work was very demanding. He wanted to continue exploring important issues of fairness and justice, but in a different way. He realized that writing was the best way for him to do this.
Becoming a Full-Time Author
While working at a tech company, Onyebuchi used his long train commute to write. He had been writing novels since high school. After many attempts, he finally signed a contract to publish his first book. In 2019, he decided to leave his job to become a full-time author.
Famous Books and Stories
Young Adult Novels
Onyebuchi's first published novel was Beasts Made of Night (2017). It's a fantasy story for young adults set in a world inspired by Nigerian folklore. The book was a success and won an award for Best Speculative Fiction Novel by an African. He later wrote a sequel called Crown of Thunder.
He also wrote the War Girls series. The first book, War Girls (2019), is set in a future Nigeria in the year 2172. It draws on real historical events to tell a powerful story of action and drama.
Riot Baby
In 2020, Onyebuchi published Riot Baby, a novella for adults. The story is about a brother and sister. The sister has amazing telekinetic powers. Onyebuchi was inspired to write the book by real-life events and his desire to explore themes of anger and justice.
He said, "I clung to this idea of writers as alchemists—that we can take pain and anger and rage and sorrow and turn it into a work of art." Riot Baby was a huge success, winning many awards and connecting with readers all over the world.
Goliath
Onyebuchi's first science fiction novel for adults, Goliath, came out in 2022. The story is set in 2050. Wealthy people have left Earth to live in space colonies, leaving everyone else behind on a decaying planet. The book explores important topics like fairness, racism, and the gap between the rich and the poor. It was praised by critics and chosen as an Editors' Choice Pick by The New York Times.
Work in Other Media
Comics and Video Games
As a lifelong comics fan, Onyebuchi was thrilled to start writing for Marvel Comics. His first comic was a story about the character Domino.
In 2021, Marvel asked him to write a new series called Black Panther Legends. The series tells the origin story of the Black Panther. Onyebuchi said he couldn't believe he was getting the chance to write for one of his childhood heroes. He has also written for the Captain America comic series.
Beyond comics, Onyebuchi was one of the writers for the popular video game Call of Duty: Vanguard in 2021.
Awards and Honors
Tochi Onyebuchi has won many awards for his writing.
- 2021 Alex Award for Riot Baby
- 2021 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella for Riot Baby
- 2021 Ignyte Award for Best Novella for Riot Baby
- 2020 New England Book Award for Riot Baby
- 2018 Nommo Award for Best Novel for Beasts Made of Night
Personal Life
Onyebuchi lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
Selected Published Works
Novels
- Goliath (2022)
- Riot Baby (2020)
Young Adult Novels
- Beasts Made of Night (2017)
- Crown of Thunder (2018)
- War Girls (2019)
- Rebel Sisters (2020)
Comics
- Black Panther Legends (2021)
- Captain America: Symbol of Truth (2022)
