Jemisin wrestles with the theme of institutional racism in various ways. Explore some of the tangible ways racism, both institutional and face-to-face, affects the daily lives of her characters.

Some critics have argued that Jemisin’s handling of White supremacy is unnecessarily heavy-handed. Would the themes of oppression and racism have been too watered down if her White characters had been more nuanced and less one-dimensional?

Jemisin acknowledges the legacy of H. P. Lovecraft on the science-fiction genre while also opposing his well-known racism. In what ways does she both pay homage to Lovecraft and also subvert his White supremacy?