Binti

Binti is the first of her people invited to attend the finest university in the galaxy, but the Himba don't leave the planet--they barely leave their villages. Against her families' wishes Binti sneaks off to catch the shuttle, where she meets a group of people who love science, maths, and learning as much as her... and then the Meduse come. Okorafor's novella is suspenseful, beautifully strange, and terrifying. The story explores a lot of ideas but at heart it looks at what we view as alien--including a Himba girl out in the wider world, or a jellyfish-like alien in a human dominated galaxy.