MVmedia

28/01/2025

Spacefunk! Kickstarter Ebook rewards are on their way!

27/01/2025

MV Media, LLC Press Release
Spacefunk! Anthology
January 27, 2025
For Immediate Release 1/27/2025

Fayetteville, GA: MVmedia is delighted to announce the official release of the Spacefunk! anthology edited by Milton J. Davis.
Space is the Place! Over forty stories and poems by some of the best African/African Diaspora authors and poets from around the world. In Spacefunk you'll experience amazing stories of action, adventure, escape, hope, and home among the stars. Featuring stories and poems by Linda Addison, Sheree Renée Thomas, Eugen Bacon, S.A. Cosby, Jessica Cage, Maurice Broaddus, Wole Talabi, Gerald L. Coleman, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Balogun Ojetade, Zig Zag Claybourne, and many more!

Milton Davis is an award-winning Black Speculative fiction author and owner of MVmedia, LLC, a small publishing company specializing in Science Fiction and fantasy based on African/African Diaspora history, cultures, and traditions. For twenty years he has been at the forefront of Black Speculative Fiction and Afrofuturism. He’s the author of thirty novels and short story collections and editor/coeditor of fourteen anthologies. Milton has been published in various publications, such as Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda, Slay: Stories of the Vampire Noire, and The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022. His publications have been nominated for various awards, including the Pushcart Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award for short fiction. His most current project as a co-editor, The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022, was nominated for the 2024 Locus Award for best anthology. Milton has received the ECBACC Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award, The 2024 ConCarolinas Polaris Award, and the 2024 Deep South Con Phoenix Award.

Spacefunk is available directly from MVmedia, LLC and anywhere books are sold. Send all sales inquiries to [email protected]
MVmedia, LLC (www.mvmediaatl.com) is a small Black owned press which specializes in speculative fiction based on African/African Diaspora history, culture and traditions.

MVmedia, LLC
Spacefunk! Anthology
Edited by Milton J. Davis
ISBN no.: 979-8-9905120-3-0 (Retro Cover)
ISBN no.: 979-8-9905120-4-7 (John Jennings Cover)
Paperback
708 pages
Publishing Date: January 25, 2025

25/01/2025

It's release day!
Space is the Place! Over forty stories and poems by some of the best African/African Diaspora authors and poets from around the world. In Spacefunk you'll experience amazing stories of action, adventure, hope, and escape among the stars. Choose between the retro cool cover by Sethodian Tlou Thapelo Ramatlhodi or the afrofuturistic flavor cover by John Jennings.

With stories and poems by:​
Linda Addison
Eugen Bacon
Maurice Broaddus
Jessica Cage
Gerald L. Coleman
Nicole Givens Kurtz
Kyoko M
Sumiko Saulson
Wole Talabi
Sheree Renee Thomas . . and many more!
Link in the comments!

21/01/2025

https://www.miltonjdavis.com/post/20-years-writing-changa-s-safari

Changa's Safari was one of the 'Big Three,' the three books I wrote between 2005 and 2008. With Changa, I wanted to write a sword and sorcery book with an African main character and a book that combined my love for Sword and Sorcery and history. I also wanted a character whose adventures extended be...

19/01/2025

18/01/2025

The Spacefunk! Anthology is now available for preorder from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and anywhere books are sold. Official release date: January 25, 2025. Space is the Place!

17/01/2025

BBL
5.0 out of 5 stars So Good I'm Ready for Book 2, Please!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2025
Verified Purchase
Which Rock ‘n Roll legend does our hero conjure up in this post-apocalyptic thriller? I won’t ruin your surprise here; suffice it to say, it’s a clever nod to the book’s title. You’ll enjoy this book and find out soon enough! The writing is crisp and tight, setting a fast pace. I read “Too Old to Dance But Young Enough to Rock 'n' Roll” in two settings because I couldn’t put this book down. Vivid, unexpected descriptions of future plights and places kept me fully immersed in the story. Happily, the initial plot was resolved satisfactorily by the end of the book, but the writers skillfully led us to a new cliff at the end. I’m ready for book two, please!

Available now from MVmedia! Link in the comments.

16/01/2025

Spacefunkateer Spotlight: Gavin Matthew!

Writer, Filmmaker, Teacher, & 70's Reincarnate, Gavin Matthew is an aficionado of Black Culture. He has won awards for acting and voice acting but loves creating stories, whether that is for literature or the big screen. Gavin has written for and worked with several independent filmmakers in the DMV area. He continues to write across mediums as his own film company gets ready to launch. He holds two bachelor's degrees, one in African American Studies with a focus on historical rebellion and another in Film with a focus on screenwriting. As a vivacious collector of knowledge, Gavin enjoys reading and film. Books and cinema have been a key motivation for his journey, and It is through his works that he hopes to inspire and uplift others.

In Gavin's story Funky Phlox Fungi, mycologist Phyllo shares a secret with private detective Mbe that can change the world of AF-Ro 7. Meet Gavin and fifteen amazing authors at the Spacefunk Release Party at the Black Coffee Company, January 25, 2025 from 12pm to 3pm. Space is the Place!

15/01/2025

The next day Jason waited at the station with an entirely different attitude. For one, the temperature was mild, one of those unexpected but welcomed reprieves in Atlanta during the winter. Two, he looked forward to seeing Lisa. He thought about her last night as he played video games, how they would hang out in between classes clowning and gossiping. He would walk her to her bus at the end of the day, then run to catch his before it pulled away. He’d forgotten how close they were. She was definitely among his top friends his freshmen year in high school. Too bad he was transferred to Hilton Heights the following year.
The train reached the station and the doors swished open. Jason slid inside and saw Lisa sitting expectantly, a wide smile on her face. There was an open seat next to her and she patted it. Jason sat beside her.
“You saved it for me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “And almost got beat up doing it. One more stop and you’d be standing. I ain’t the girl I used to be.”
Jason looked her up and down. “I don’t know. You look like you could go a few rounds.”
Lisa shoved his shoulder with her fist.
“I could take you,” she said.
“To a restaurant,” Jason replied.
“You’re still silly,” Lisa said.
Jason smiled. “Some things never change.”
“Speaking of restaurants, have you been to that new Korean chicken place on Bradford?” Lisa asked.
“No I haven’t,” Jason replied. “I heard it’s good.”
“Me too,” Lisa said, raising her eyebrows up and down.
“No . . . wait . . . hold up,” Jason said in mock anger. “We just reunited and you trying to get me to buy you lunch?”
“Can’t blame a woman for trying,” Lisa said.
Jason rubbed his chin. “I tell you what, let’s meet there. If it’s good, I’ll pay for it. If it’s not, you pay.”
“Bet,” Lisa said.
Jason nodded. “I can already tell you it’s going to be the nastiest chicken in Atlanta. Korea, too.”
“I hate you!” Lisa said, shoving him as they laughed. Just like old times, Jason thought.
They separated at the station, each headed to their own jobs. Jason arrived moment later at his job, Peachtree Labs. He waved at Claire, the receptionist, as he walked through the door then greeted his way through his work colleagues until he reached the lab. Work was slow so the day was slow. It seemed like forever before it was time for lunch.
He was putting on his coat when Nina from accounting entered the lab. She was a petite, light brown skinned woman with a brunette bob cut and a warm smile.
“Going out to lunch?” she asked.
Jason turned and smiled. “Yep. Meeting someone at the new Korean joint down the street.”
Nina frowned. “Oh.”
By the look on her face, Jason knew she was taking what he said the wrong way. Nina liked him, but he had a strict policy of not swimming in the company pool. On the other hand, maybe if she thought he was involved with someone she’d back off.
“Well, have fun,” she said. She sulked away.
Jason felt bad for a moment then headed to the restaurant. His timing was perfect; Lisa arrived at the same time.
“Ready to pay up?” she asked.
“Nah, I’m ready to survive this nasty bird,” he replied.
They ordered at the counter. Jason was about to pay but Lisa waved him off.
“I’ll pay, just so I can have the satisfaction of you having to pay me back,” she said.
“Nah, you just saving time,” Jason replied.
Lisa smirked. “We’ll see.”
They took a seat at a table near the picture window, the flow of traffic and walkers a moving background.
I can’t believe we worked so close to each other and never ran into each other until now,” Lisa said.
“It’s a big city,” Jason replied. “Plus, it’s only been a few weeks.”
“Yeah, but still . . .”
Jason shrugged. “I have a cousin that lives in the same apartment complex and I don’t see him unless I want to. It’s like that up here.”
“That’s a part of what I miss from not being home,” Lisa said. “There was always someone around you knew.”
“You don’t have any friends up here?” Jason asked.
“I do, but they’re coworkers. You can’t really talk to them like you can real friends. Like I can talk to you. You really know me.”
“We know each other,” Jason replied.
Jason noticed a familiar gleam in her eyes.
“We thought we were really going to be something,” she said. “You were so fine.”
“Were?” Jason made his best wounded frown then clutched his chest. “Ow.”
Lisa laughed.“You look aight now,” she said. “You were mister athlete back then.”
“I was,” Jason replied. “You weren’t so bad yourself. The prettiest country girl I’d ever seen.”
“Country? I wish I had my chicken,” she replied. “I’d throw it at you.”
“See, I knew it was nasty,” Jason said. “No one in their right mind would throw good chicken.”
“Number 349!” the order taker called out.
Lisa looked at her ticket. “That’s us.”
She went to the counter then returned with their meal. Jason took his box and opened it, scrunching his face.
“You first,” Lisa said.
Jason picked up the flat with his fingers then tasted it. His eyebrows rose as he chewed.
“I can’t even lie,” he said with his mouth full. “What’s your Cashapp?”
Lisa grinned in triumph. “Told you.”

- Second Kiss by Yours Truly. Coming February 13, 2025 from MVmedia. Cover art by Amber Denise. Cover design by Uraeus.

14/01/2025

What is Spacefunk?

Space. The Final Frontier . . . no, wait, hold up. That’s not what we’re here to talk about. We are here to talk about the Funk, the whole funk, nothing but the Spacefunk. But before we proceed, we have to give honor where it is due, to the elders and the ancestors who paved the way long ago and proved that Space had always been the Place for us.

We reach way back to ancient Kemet, a.k.a. Egypt. The Egyptians had an advanced understanding of astronomy for their time. They cataloged stars, mapped constellations, tracked the movements of celestial bodies like the sun and moon, and created the concept of a 365-day calendar, among other achievements.

We turn our attention to the Dogon and the Yoruba, who also used astronomy to develop technologies, predict weather, and create calendars. The Dogon are of particular interest. The Dogon believed that Sirius B was a small, dense, heavy star with a strong gravitational force. They also believed it was the heaviest star in the area and that it rotated on its axis. Scientists later confirmed that Sirius B is extremely dense, with a cubic meter of its substance weighing around 20,000 tons. The Dogon believed that Sirius had an invisible companion star that orbited Sirius every 50 years in an elliptical pattern.
The Dogon believed that the Sirius system was the source of creation. They also believed that the concepts of duality and twins were important aspects of their cosmology, which were driven by the Sirius stars.

Fast forward to the early days of the US space program, where a group of sisters now known as The Hidden Figures dropped their knowledge and helped carve out our country’s place in the stars. Three of these extraordinary women - NASA's first black female engineer Mary Jackson and mathematicians Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan – were honored in 2024 with the Congressional Gold Medal for their groundbreaking work. And let’s not forget aeronautical engineer Christine Darden, who is "internationally known for her research into supersonic aircraft noise, especially sonic boom reduction,' according to NASA, and became the first Black woman at NASA Langley to be appointed to the top management rank of Senior Executive Service.
But let’s not stop there. Let’s give a shout-out to our Black astronauts: Robert H. Lawrence, Guy Bluford, Ronald McNair, Frederick Gregory, Charles Bolden, Dr. Mae C. Jemison, Bernard Harris, Winston Scott, Robert Curbeam, Michael Anderson, Stephanie Wilson, Joan Higginbotham, Alvin Drew, Le-land Melvin, Robert Satcher, Victor Glover, Sian Proctor, Jessica Watkins and Jeanette Epps.

A special shout-out goes to Ed Dwight, who was selected by then-President John F. Kennedy to be the first Black astronaut. Unfortunately, Ed Dwight ran into the wall of racism after President Kennedy’s assassination. After his military service, he went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the University of Denver in 1977. Some of his most well-known sculptures, which are spread out in various locations around the country, include the series “Black Frontier of the American West,” the “Evolution of Jazz,” and a sculpture of President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.

And we can’t speak on Spacefunk without honoring those who added the funk to the space. We’re talking about Sun Ra and his Orkestra, the person who coined the phrase ‘Space is the Place’ and whose musical and theatrical performances are among the cornerstones of what we now call Afrofuturism. What about the people who put the bass in our face; none other than Parliament/Funkadelic. George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and the entire Mothership Connection lifted off from the foundation laid by the Godfather of Soul James Brown, taking us to musical heights never reached before while filling our minds and our moving our booties with Funkentelechy and the Placebo Syndrome. Don’t forget Earth, Wind, and Fire, Dexter Wansel, and other Black artists who incorporated the stars into their musical musing, putting the rhythm and bass in our face.

Which brings us to right here; right now. Spacefunk is not new. Over the years there have been quite a few African/African Diaspora authors and poets that have imagined space from their personal and cultural point of view. What we’ve done with Spacefunk is create an imaginative nexus where readers and creators come together to share a vision of the cosmos where everything and anything is possible, where the stars are open to anyone and everyone with a vision, a purpose, and a big dose of funk. The Mothership has arrived. Let's get on board!

11/01/2025

We uploaded the files yesterday. We need to do a little tweaking on the covers, and we'll be good to go. We expect to place the first rush order next week, so we'll have books for the party. If you've been holding off placing an order, now is the time to make a move. The best anthology of 2025 is about to drop. Space is the Place!
Links in the comments.

08/01/2025

'We got the book and comic yesterday and I was blown away. This was amazing. If it ever became a graphic novel series it would be a gift.'

Milton Davis's first historical fiction novel takes us back to the Swahili Coast and to the shores of Nippon. Merchant Kesi Masanja (Black Rose), defies the traditions of her society as a merchant sailing the monsoons to Asia from her home city of Pemba. She becomes the guardian of sheltered princess Danuja Tanaka after her father, Daimyo Tanaka, and her family are killed by rival warlords. Together they navigate the challenges of their societies while struggling with the legacies of their families.
Link in the comments.

08/01/2025

In my new Eleven Questions Special Edition, I interview author and friend K Ceres Wright about her writing journey and her latest MVmedia release, Too Old to Dance but Young Enough to Rock and Roll.

I finally get the chance to interview author K Ceres Wright! We discuss her writing journey and her latest book, Too Old to Dance but Young Enough to Rock an...

03/01/2025

MVmedia Spotlight! Spacefunk is available again for preorder!
Space is the Place! Over forty stories and poems by some of the best African/African Diaspora authors and poets from around the world. In Spacefunk you'll experience amazing stories of action, adventure, hope, and escape among the stars. Choose between the retro cool cover by Sethodian Tlou Thapelo Ramatlhodi or the afrofuturistic flavor cover by John Jennings. Preorder today. The Spacefunk! Anthology drops January 25, 2025!

With stories and poems by:​
Linda Addison
Eugen Bacon
Maurice Broaddus
Jessica Cage
Gerald L. Coleman
Nicole Givens Kurtz
Kyoko M
Sumiko Saulson
Wole Talabi
Sheree Renee Thomas . . and many more!

Link in the comments. Please share!