--- title: How Courtney Buchanan’s THRIVE Turns Black Wall Street’s Forgotten History Into a Warning for the Future description: Set in a rebuilt world, ‘THRIVE’ fuses Tulsa’s Greenwood legacy with a dystopian thriller as a life-extending vaccine enforces compliance and tests freedom. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-01-14T12:29:32.000Z updated: 2026-06-29T08:43:15.572Z canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/how-courtney-buchanan-s-thrive-turns-black-wall-street-s-forgotten-history-into-a-warning-for image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/IMG_6568.jpg categories: Fiction content_type: Book Review region: Oklahoma publication: Rich Books about: - type: Person name: Courtney Buchanan description: Courtney Buchanan is a Tulsa-based author and storyteller whose work blends speculative fiction, cultural history, and social commentary. Drawing inspiration from real-world events, ancestral legacy, and emerging technology, Buchanan uses science fiction to explore themes of power, memory, identity, and control. THRIVE is his debut novel and the foundation of a larger narrative universe examining how progress, when left unchecked, can reshape humanity in profound and unsettling ways. Find out more at www.courtneybuchanan.com url: http://www.courtneybuchanan.com/ --- ## THRIVE In 2044, humanity’s salvation arrives as THRIVE—a bioengineered vaccine promising perfect health and eternal youth. But hidden within its code lies total control: one signal can command obedience or death. Sky Annamauhrie, born outside the system, ventures into futuristic New Washington to uncover THRIVE’s secrets and discovers its reach extends back through time to his ancestors at Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, where a legacy was built that the world tried to erase. With hacker Daysia and an underground resistance, Sky must awaken the power of the past to fight for humanity’s future. A gripping blend of Afrofuturism, history, and sci-fi, *THRIVE* exposes the war for the human soul—where freedom isn’t given, it’s remembered. For fans of *Black Mirror*, *The Matrix*, and *Kindred*. ### Book: THRIVE By Courtney Buchanan In 2044, humanity's salvation arrives as THRIVE—a bioengineered vaccine promising perfect health and eternal youth. But hidden within its code lies total control: one signal can command obedience or death. Sky Annamauhrie, born outside the system, ventures into futuristic New Washington to uncover THRIVE's secrets and discovers its reach extends back through time to his ancestors at Tulsa's Black Wall Street, where a legacy was built that the world tried to erase. With hacker Daysia and an underground resistance, Sky must awaken the power of the past to fight for humanity's future. A gripping blend of Afrofuturism, history, and sci-fi, THRIVE exposes the war for the human soul—where freedom isn't given, it's remembered. For fans of Black Mirror , The Matrix , and Kindred . [Amazon](https://amzn.to/45bvivm) In 1921, the neighbourhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a thriving hub of Black entrepreneurship and culture known as [Black Wall Street](https://historicblackwallstreet.com/the-legacy-of-black-wall-street-in-modern-america/). It was a place where Black families built wealth, created jobs, and fostered a community so vibrant it became a symbol of what was possible. Then, in a matter of hours, it was destroyed. The Tulsa Race Massacre left hundreds dead, thousands displaced, and a legacy so painful it was buried for decades. Yet, the story of Greenwood did not disappear. It echoed. Now, Tulsa-based author Courtney Buchanan is reviving that echo in his debut novel *THRIVE*, a near-future thriller that uses Greenwood’s buried history to explore what happens when survival comes at the cost of freedom. [growth should be sustainable](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/how-akila-selvaraj-s-book-helps-us-grow-without-forcing-ourselves-into-moulds) and suited to the individual, challenging the productivity culture and perfectionism that often drive burnout and feelings of inadequacy. This perspective aligns with a broader shift in the self-help movement toward individualized, mindful self-care, moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions. ## The Past That Never Left For Buchanan, Greenwood is not an abstract chapter in a history book. “I was raised in North Tulsa, the community that surrounds Greenwood, once known as Black Wall Street,” he recalls. “When we weren’t simply spending time in the area, my friends and I attended the legendary Juneteenth celebrations on Greenwood that brought the community together each year.” Over time, he witnessed the lasting effects of systemic failure and generational disruption. “I saw how cycles of crime, limited opportunity, and institutional neglect shaped lives around me. I watched friends and people I knew fall into the criminal justice system or lose their lives altogether. These experiences were not distant, they were personal.” One question stayed with him: *What would North Tulsa look like today if Greenwood had never been destroyed? *That question became the foundation for THRIVE. Long before the vaccine reshaped the world in Buchanan’s novel, Greenwood was a beacon of Black brilliance and independence. Its destruction was not just an act of violence but an attempt to erase a story of possibility. Buchanan weaves this legacy into the novel’s architecture, suggesting that the past never truly disappears. It lingers in the systems that govern us and the memories we choose to remember. “THRIVE is about inheritance: not just of blood, but of silence, fear, and forgotten truth,” he explains. “The future is always built on what we choose to remember.” This idea of inherited memory reflects how history shapes our present. The erasure of Greenwood’s story from mainstream narratives for nearly a century shows how powerful forces can suppress uncomfortable truths. Yet, those truths resurface. The Greenwood Rising History Center in Tulsa, for example, is one of many modern efforts to reclaim this history. Through immersive storytelling, it connects the past to the present, showing how resilience and resistance are passed down through generations. Greenwood’s legacy is not just a story of destruction but one of enduring strength. This theme resonates deeply in THRIVE, where the characters must confront the weight of their ancestors’ struggles. ## A System That Demands Compliance Buchanan’s novel asks what happens when the systems designed to protect us begin to control us. In THRIVE, the vaccine’s promise of safety is a double-edged sword. It eliminates disease and extends life, but it also decides who advances, who is corrected, and who is erased. The parallels to contemporary concerns about surveillance and compliance are clear. From data privacy debates to algorithmic decision-making, the idea that convenience and safety might come at the cost of freedom is no longer confined to dystopian fiction. For readers interested in how real-world fears inspire speculative storytelling, [this exploration of a food crisis](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/seeds-of-suspense-how-real-world-fears-inspired-best-selling-book-author-s-food-crisis-thrill) thriller offers a compelling comparison. “When survival becomes conditional, the soul is the first casualty,” Buchanan says. In a world where systems replace truth, obedience becomes the price of survival. This warning feels particularly relevant in an era where trust in institutions is fraying and questions about power are more urgent than ever. The novel holds up a mirror to society, challenging readers to consider how much freedom they are willing to trade for the illusion of safety. ## The Power of Forgotten Histories What makes THRIVE more than just a thriller is its insistence that the past is never truly past. The novel’s characters, who uncover their ancestral ties to Greenwood, realise the future is not unfolding by chance. It follows a deliberate design, one linked to bloodlines, memory, and long-suppressed knowledge. This revelation forces them to confront not only the system governing their lives but their own place within it. It is a powerful metaphor for how historical erasure shapes identities and the systems we live under. Buchanan’s decision to centre Greenwood in THRIVE is both a narrative and political choice. By reviving this forgotten history, he joins a larger cultural movement to reclaim stories deliberately omitted from mainstream narratives. Books like Built from the Fire by Victor Luckerson, which tells the multigenerational story of Greenwood’s resilience, and institutions like the [Greenwood Rising History Center ](https://www.greenwoodrising.org/)are part of this effort. They remind us that history is not just a record of what happened. It is a tool for understanding who we are and what we might become. For those intrigued by how literature can reframe historical narratives, [‘Outback Odyssey](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/australia-s-to-kill-a-mockingbird-why-outback-odyssey-is-sparking-conversations)‘ offers a similar exploration of prejudice, identity, and reconciliation in an Australian context. What surprised Buchanan most during the writing process was how the story seemed to find its own direction. “I started THRIVE in 2020, during the global shutdown, intending to write a science-fiction novel that honored Black Wall Street and the legacy of Greenwood,” he explains. “But as I wrote, Greenwood didn’t feel like something I was forcing into the story, it wove itself in almost organically.” The ideas came together in ways that felt instinctive, even unsettling. “The systems, the characters, and the world I was building were fictional, yet they mirrored reality so closely that it made me stop and question what I had created. That moment, when fiction begins to feel uncomfortably familiar, was the biggest surprise of the entire process.” ## Why This Story Matters Now THRIVE arrives at a moment when conversations about historical erasure, generational trauma, and systemic control are at the forefront of cultural discourse. The novel’s blend of speculative fiction and real-world history makes it more than just an entertaining read. [It is a call to reflect](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/the-last-viracocha-douglas-schofield-writes-about-women-who-do-not-wait-to-be-rescued) on the systems that shape our lives and the histories that inform them. Early readers have praised the book for its emotional depth and haunting relevance. Described as “smart, unsettling, and impossible to put down,” it lingers long after the final page, blurring the line between fiction and reality. When readers finish THRIVE, Buchanan hopes they’re left asking: “What happens when we forget where we come from, and who benefits from that forgetting?” He continues, “We live in a world that’s quick to move on from uncomfortable truths, but forgetting doesn’t protect us, it makes us vulnerable. THRIVE is a reminder that memory is power, and that remembering the past, especially the parts we’d rather avoid, is how we protect the future.” For readers who care about history, social justice, and speculative fiction, *THRIVE* offers a unique lens through which to examine these themes. It is a reminder that the past is not just a backdrop for the present. It is an active force shaping our future. Buchanan’s novel challenges us to ask: what are we choosing to remember, and what are we allowing to be erased? For those who enjoy stories that delve into survival and identity, [B.M. Roberts’s *The Good Wife*](https://richbooksmagazine.com/article/everyone-has-secrets-the-good-wife-taps-into-survival-and-identity) provides another gripping exploration of these themes in a psychological thriller format. In the end, *THRIVE* is more than a story about a future where survival comes at the cost of freedom. It is a story about the power of memory, the resilience of forgotten histories, and the choices we make when faced with systems that demand our compliance. As Buchanan puts it, “The future is always built on what we choose to remember.” And in a world where so much has been deliberately forgotten, *THRIVE* is a timely reminder of why those memories matter. ## In case you were wondering… **Q: What was Black Wall Street, and why is its history significant beyond Tulsa?** Black Wall Street refers to the Greenwood district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States during the early 20th century. It became a symbol of Black economic independence, entrepreneurship, and cultural vibrancy. Its significance extends beyond Tulsa because it demonstrated what Black communities could achieve despite systemic racism and segregation. The destruction of Greenwood during the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 also serves as a stark example of how racial violence has been used to erase Black success and suppress economic progress. This history resonates in discussions about racial inequality, reparations, and the ongoing struggle for economic justice in marginalised communities. **Q: How does dystopian fiction explore the theme of compliance in exchange for safety?** Dystopian fiction often examines the trade-off between safety and freedom by depicting societies where governments or systems promise protection in exchange for absolute compliance. These stories reveal how surveillance, algorithmic control, and conditional access to resources can erode personal autonomy. For example, systems that monitor behaviour, suppress dissent, or decide who deserves access to healthcare or opportunities force characters to confront the ethical cost of obedience. Such narratives serve as warnings about the dangers of sacrificing individual agency for the illusion of security, reflecting real-world concerns about data privacy, authoritarianism, and the ethical limits of technological advancement. **Q: What is historical erasure, and how does it shape collective memory?** Historical erasure refers to the deliberate or unintentional omission of certain events, people, or perspectives from mainstream narratives. This can occur through the destruction of records, suppression of testimonies, or the exclusion of marginalised voices from education and media. Over time, erasure distorts collective memory, reinforcing power imbalances and perpetuating myths about who holds authority and whose experiences matter. For example, the suppression of stories like the Tulsa Race Massacre has allowed systemic racism to persist unchallenged. Reclaiming erased histories is essential for understanding the root causes of inequality and ensuring that future generations recognise the full scope of human experiences. **Q: How does generational trauma appear in fiction, and why is it a powerful storytelling tool?** Generational trauma in fiction refers to the portrayal of emotional, psychological, or social wounds that are passed down through families or communities. These stories often explore how the unresolved pain of ancestors influences the lives of their descendants, shaping their identities, relationships, and choices. Fiction allows authors to illustrate the invisible burdens of trauma—such as silence, fear, or inherited resilience—while also showing how characters reclaim agency. This theme is powerful because it highlights the interconnectedness of past and present, demonstrating how historical injustices continue to affect individuals and communities long after the original events have occurred. **Q: Why do speculative fiction authors use real-world history as a foundation for their stories?** Speculative fiction authors often draw on real-world history to ground their narratives in tangible truths, making their warnings or explorations more relatable and urgent. By weaving historical events into fictional worlds, they highlight patterns of human behaviour, systemic oppression, or societal collapse that might otherwise feel abstract. For example, using the destruction of Black Wall Street as a backdrop for a dystopian novel underscores how historical violence can echo into the future. This approach also honours the experiences of those who lived through these events, ensuring their stories are not forgotten and encouraging readers to reflect on their own roles in shaping the future. **About Courtney Buchanan** Courtney Buchanan is a Tulsa-based author and storyteller whose work blends speculative fiction, cultural history, and social commentary. Drawing inspiration from real-world events, ancestral legacy, and emerging technology, Buchanan uses science fiction to explore themes of power, memory, identity, and control. THRIVE is his debut novel and the foundation of a larger narrative universe examining how progress, when left unchecked, can reshape humanity in profound and unsettling ways. Find out more at www.courtneybuchanan.com [Website](http://www.courtneybuchanan.com/)