As a young child growing up in Greenville, North Carolina, artist Alex Smith spent a lot of his time engrossed in the world of cartoons and comics, devouring works like Battle of the Planets , X-Men , and Doom Patrol . In college, Smith first encountered science fiction novels by Octavia E. Butler and Samuel R. Delany , both of whom he admired because “they were Black and absolutely, phenomenally awesome.” “They both showed me that sci-fi could have literary quality, could be progressive and liberatory,” Smith added. “Just their ideas, world-building, and love of language fascinated me.” He was hooked. “Sci-fi is kinda like my church,” said Smith, who is now age 47 and living in Philadelphia. “It’s spiritual and very much connected to who I am as a Black, queer person.” The problem with his church, however, is that there isn’t very much Black (or queer) representation. Mainstream sci-fi features Black characters like Morpheus from The Matrix , Mace Windu from Star Wars , and Lt.…