Black to the Future Book Club: The Intuitionist

About the Book: Two warring factions in the Department of Elevator Inspectors in a bustling metropolis vie for dominance: the Empiricists, who go by the book and rigorously check every structural and mechanical detail, and the Intuitionists, whose observational methods involve meditation and instinct.

Lila Mae Watson, the city’s first black female inspector and a devout Intuitionist with the highest accuracy rate in the department, is at the center of the turmoil. An elevator in a new municipal building has crashed on Lila Mae’s watch, fanning the flames of the Empiticist-Intuitionist feud and compelling Lila Mae to go underground to investigate. As she endeavors to clear her name, she becomes entangled in a web of intrigue that leads her to a secret that will change her life forever.

A dead-serious and seriously funny feat of the imagination, The Intuitionist conjures a parallel universe in which latent ironies in matters of morality, politics, and race come to light, and stands as the celebrated debut of an important American writer.

About the Club: Welcome to the Kramers Afrofuturism Corner, where we read Black fantasy, magical realism, science fiction, and more! Our discussions will center the spirit of Sankofa, the practice of looking towards the future to help understand our past. Join us to talk and think about Blackness in all its dimensions. Feel free to grab a drink at the bar to enjoy during our book club.