10 Books By Black Authors I Need To Be Made Into Films ASAP

1. My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

As the title suggests, the main character's sister has managed to kill every single one of her partners. Whether you support women's rights (or wrongs) and believe Ayoola to be the victim, this book definitely had me wondering who would be next on the chopping block (no pun intended). I'll never say "no" to a thriller/mystery with a Black female lead, so let's hurry up with that script.

2. Kindred by Octavia Butler

Okay, now hear me out, I understand that there was a show, but it wasn't thaaat great of an adaptation in my opinion. (Did it deserve to get canceled on a cliffhanger, though? No.) But I think a movie would allow the story to be fleshed out more fully. There's a reason Kindred (and Octavia Butler books in general) is so popular, so I'm holding out for something better.

3. Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Now THIS is how you write an anthology. This book perfectly blends drama, sci-fi, and dystopian horror. If you enjoyed films like Sorry to Bother You, Get Out, or They Cloned Tyrone, this is something you need to read (and something I need to see on a screen). This could even work as an American Horror Story-type beat. Please tell me y'all see the vision!

4. Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

So I'm not a romance person at all when it comes to books, and this book is definitely written for younger audiences. But guys, we're literally on the darkest timeline, and this is a book that will make you feel like life is worth living. All of the stories portray young Black love in its purest form and definitely deserve an adaptation.

5. Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston

For this book, I'm not sure if I see a feature film necessarily, but a documentary would be amazing. This book should be required reading and honestly goes to show just how recent slavery was. And it's time we gave more Black anthropologists, like Zora Neale Hurston, their flowers.

6. Captain America: Truth — Red, White & Black by Robert Morales

It's time Steve Rogers had several seats and gave Isaiah Bradley his time to shine. I'm sure we all remember seeing Chris Evans's beefy body onscreen after undergoing the super-soldier experiment. But this book uses that same experiment to allude to the real-life experiments Black people endured, like The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, giving us the "first" Captain America, Isaiah Bradley.

And with us seeing a lot more of Sam Wilson as the new Captain America in the MCU, it'd be great to see Isaiah Bradley get some well-deserved screen time.

Before all you MCU experts come in here like "he does get screen time!" I'm sorry, but I refuse to acknowledge that little feature in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Captain America: Brave New World! He's literally Captain America! I need more!

So I was led to believe this book was about ✨friendship and girlhood✨, but it's Toni Morrison. Of course, she just about broke my heart with this one. Between the very real situations Black folks found themselves in post-slavery and the very human experience of grieving lost friendships, I was deep in my feelings. As far as I know, Beloved was the only book of Morrison's to be adapted into a movie, so I'm ready for another one.

Sidebar, we don't talk about Beloved enough as a society and how often it gets excluded from conversations about the horror genre. But that's a discussion for another day!

8. Zone One by Colson Whitehead

I actually need to be a hater for a second. I did not enjoy this book. It was a 1-star read for me. But the premise? I looooved it. So while I have beef with the source material, I have no qualms about a post-apocalyptic film with a Black lead. Sometimes, the movie is better and that's okay!

I do have to say though that I don't have beef with Colson Whitehead in general. If it weren't already a movie, I would've added the wonder that is Nickel Boys.

9. Binti by Nnedi Okorafar

Okay, I actually need another second to be a hater. I personally found the book hard to follow, but will I be sat for a film about Black people in space civilizations? Absolutely. The book is kinda like if Black Panther and Star Wars had a sci-fi baby.

If this is your jam, it's the first of a series you can check out here!

10. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Now, I had to save the best for last. This is my favorite book of all time simply because it resonated with me deeply as a Black American woman. Since I love it so much, I think the adaptation needs to be done with care, and the only two people I trust with this undertaking are Ava DuVernay and Barry Jenkins. So, if y'all are seeing this, it's time to lock in.

Alright, I shared my thoughts and now I want to hear yours! What's a book by a Black author you want to see made into a movie (or show even)? Let me know in the comments below!

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