The movie Black Panther broke tons of box office records when it was released. After you’ve seen this groundbreaking movie once or twice or 10 times, take a look at our list of incredible book titles that are the perfect follow-up! In remembrance of Chadwick Aaron Boseman, these books will bring you closer to this Marvel classic.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Written as a letter to his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates attempts to answer the question “what is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it?” Coates addresses societal issues as well as the intimate feelings a black father has for his son as he enters life in racist America. Between the World and Me would definitely be Killmonger’s favorite book.

Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha L. Womack

A primer to all things Afrofuturism, this books gives insights into its music, literature, art and culture. Written partially to educate about Afrofuturism and partially to entertain, the book includes interviews with rappers and pop culture stars as well as Afrofuturist professors. If you felt inspired by Black Panther to check out Afrofuturism, then this book is a great starting place!

Dazzling by Chikodili Emelumadu

In this novel inspired by West African folklore, two girls carrying the immense weight of their individual destinies will collide at their new boarding school. Treasure has made a bargain to bring her father back in exchange for one terrible deed. Ozoemena is the first girl to inherit the duty of protecting the land and its people as a Leopard. As both sacrifice to fulfill their promise they’ll come head-to-head.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Cora and her new friend Caesar are both on the run after escaping slave plantations. The duo utilizes the Underground Railroad to hide from the slave catchers and move North. This tale captures both the bravery of those in the Underground Railroad and the horrors of that time period. These characters fought the battle for freedom and justice long before Killmonger.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Sunny struggles to find her place as she adjusts to her new life in Nigeria after leaving the US. Though she is African, her albinism holds her back socially. When she discovers she has magical abilities, she teams up with a group of three other magic students who study the visible and invisible. Sunny and her friends put their studies to the test when they are tasked with catching a career criminal who shares their magical abilities. Sunny and T’Challa from Black Panther would be fast friends if they ever crossed paths.

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois

Though published over 100 years ago, The Souls of Black Folk could not be more relevant in today’s society. Du Bois’s masterful portrayal of the duality of being black in America gives understanding to the current Black Lives Matter movement and how history still impacts us today. This book should be required reading both here and in Wakanda.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Orïsha was once filled with magic but a ruthless king ordered all the maji be killed in order to eradicate magic from the land. Now Zélie and a rogue princess must figure out how to outwit the crown prince and bring magic back. Orïsha and Wakanda are like magical sister cities!

Nigger by Dick Gregory with Robert Lipsyte

The autobiography of comedian Dick Gregory, Nigger is a poignant recounting of what it was like for him to grow up in America as a black man. Written in Gregory’s characteristic humorous style, readers will be laughing and crying at the same time. Killmonger would love Gregory’s style, wit and honesty.

Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed

Mumbo Jumbo is an ingenious commentary on our society as a whole. Reed uses a satirical approach to analyze the black-white relationship in our culture throughout history and today. If Wakandans read this book, they surely would not have stayed secluded.

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

In Shawl’s alternative-history novel, African natives developed steam power before the colonial powers and rewrite the history of the Congo. Everfair is a section of the Congo that has been set aside as a safe haven for those Africans that are escaping American slavery and other mistreatments. Like the vibranium that set up Wakanda in Black Panther, the advances of Everfair change the history we know for its inhabitants.

(photo by DFree via shutterstock)