Harare Review of Books

113 pages.

First published in 2020.

Finished reading on May 30, 2021.

Genre: Speculative Fiction / Science Fiction / Africanfuturism 🙂

Here are 8 original visions of Africanfuturism: science fiction stories by both emerging and seasoned African writers staking a claim to Africa’s place in the future. These are powerful visions focused on the African experience and hopes and fears, exploring African sciences, philosophies, adaptations to technology and visions of the future both centred on and spiralling out of Africa. You will find stories of the near and almost-present future, tales set on strange and wonderful new planets, stories of a changed Earth, stories that dazzle the imagination and stimulate the mind. Stories that capture the essence of what we talk about when we talk about Africanfuturism.

Uneven, but very interesting! Unexpectedly, my favourite was T. L. Huchu’s Egoli — so well-written. (No national bias.) Also enjoyed Rainmaker by Mazi Nwonwu, and Fruit of the Calabash by Rafeeat Aliyu.

Also notable for Nnedi Okorafor’s famous essay at the beginning (for those who don’t know, that’s the definition of Africanfuturism, which is not Afrofuturism).

Rated: 7/10, for interest rather than solid writing (in some parts). Very enjoyable regardless. Highly recommend reading for the future of this particular genre, and of spec fic in general.