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A Killing in the Sun
‘A Killing in the Sun’ is a collection of speculative fiction from Africa. It draws from the rich oral culture of the author’s childhood, to tell a wide variety of stories. Some of the stories are set in a futuristic Africa, where technology has transformed everyday life and a dark force rules. Others are set in the present day, with refugee aliens from outer space, ghosts haunting brides and grooms, evil scientists stalking villages, and greedy corporations creating apocalypses. There are murder mysteries, tales of reincarnation and of the walking dead, and alternative worlds whose themes any reader will identify with. This collection is deftly crafted, running along the thin boundary of speculative and literary genres.
200 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2014
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377 people want to read
About the author
Dilman Dila
35 books58 followersDilman Dila is a Ugandan writer and film maker.
In 2014, he was longlisted for the BBC Radio Playwriting Competition, and in 2013, he was shortlisted for the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize and long listed for the Short Story Day Africa prize.
He was nominated for the 2008 Million Writers Awards for his short story, Homecoming.
He first appeared in print in The Sunday Vision in 2001. His works have since featured in several literary magazines and anthologies. His most recent works include the sci-fi, Lights on Water, published in The Short Anthology, the novelette, The Terminal Move, and the romance novella, Cranes Crest at Sunset, which are available on Amazon.
His films include the masterpiece, What Happened in Room 13 (2007), and the narrative feature, The Felistas Fable (2013), which was nominated for Best First Feature at AMAA 2014. More of his life and works is available at his website http://www.dilmandila.com.
In 2014, he was longlisted for the BBC Radio Playwriting Competition, and in 2013, he was shortlisted for the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize and long listed for the Short Story Day Africa prize.
He was nominated for the 2008 Million Writers Awards for his short story, Homecoming.
He first appeared in print in The Sunday Vision in 2001. His works have since featured in several literary magazines and anthologies. His most recent works include the sci-fi, Lights on Water, published in The Short Anthology, the novelette, The Terminal Move, and the romance novella, Cranes Crest at Sunset, which are available on Amazon.
His films include the masterpiece, What Happened in Room 13 (2007), and the narrative feature, The Felistas Fable (2013), which was nominated for Best First Feature at AMAA 2014. More of his life and works is available at his website http://www.dilmandila.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 14, 2014
This is my first collection of short stories. I love it for it is a work that has taken over ten years to come life. The title story was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. I don't want to praise the book, for it is mine, but please let me know what you think on reading it!
March 16, 2022
This is the first published collection by Ugandan writer and filmmaker Dilman Dila and has served as my introduction to both forms of his storytelling. The opening story, "A Leafy Man," impressed me from the get-go but ends abruptly, and I felt others ended prematurely as well. Great idea though! Others that I enjoyed include the title story, which reminded me a bit of Ambrose Bierce's work, and "Okello's Honeymoon," which bears a Nollywood feel. That is not to imply that his work feels derivative because it doesn't. However his own voice spoke to me most clearly in two of the best in the collection, "Lights on Water” and a "A Wife and a Slave".
Some stories involve hive-minded alien species that have crash-landed on earth. Some are strictly fantasy, others are a blend of SF with elements of magic. All bear some form of political or social commentary, often turning his themes on their head. Or perhaps it's more that they aren't from a western viewpoint, which is the collection's strength.
Though he doesn't seem to subscribe to it, Dilman writes about colorism, albeit inverted so that advantage and acceptance is conferred upon those with darker skin tones. One thing I find profoundly interesting is that he writes of ill-treatment of monolithic Whites or Europeans as a wrong, i.e. the same wrong when undifferentiated people of African descent are monolithically ill-treated by Whites, but other stories feature individual White characters who are decidedly evil. Just as Dilman decries how “Africans” are lumped together by non-Africans, he also takes on Africans who do believe in one “African” culture that is superior to European/White culture, suggesting that doing so is prone to recreating the same bad outcomes perpetrated by Western culture except under the guise of being “African.”
I am on the fence on his depiction of women, suspecting that he does not respect them all the way. Rather they seem to create problems for the men either because they are too-strong willed or too meek, and in either case, easily brainwashed. Then he turns around and expresses admiration for Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Stieg Larsson, Snow Patrol, J-Lo, Janet Jackson, Damien Rice, Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah, and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, the latter of which tickled me to no end.
The morals of these stories are that people should be judged for who they are not what they are. Do watch out for autocrats, close-minded traditionalists, soldiers, Westerners bearing gifts and women. Believe in magic and witchcraft, art and science, aliens and Africa. And maybe women.
Check out his website for more fascinating insights and exposure to this unique writer. 3.5 stars
Some stories involve hive-minded alien species that have crash-landed on earth. Some are strictly fantasy, others are a blend of SF with elements of magic. All bear some form of political or social commentary, often turning his themes on their head. Or perhaps it's more that they aren't from a western viewpoint, which is the collection's strength.
Though he doesn't seem to subscribe to it, Dilman writes about colorism, albeit inverted so that advantage and acceptance is conferred upon those with darker skin tones. One thing I find profoundly interesting is that he writes of ill-treatment of monolithic Whites or Europeans as a wrong, i.e. the same wrong when undifferentiated people of African descent are monolithically ill-treated by Whites, but other stories feature individual White characters who are decidedly evil. Just as Dilman decries how “Africans” are lumped together by non-Africans, he also takes on Africans who do believe in one “African” culture that is superior to European/White culture, suggesting that doing so is prone to recreating the same bad outcomes perpetrated by Western culture except under the guise of being “African.”
I am on the fence on his depiction of women, suspecting that he does not respect them all the way. Rather they seem to create problems for the men either because they are too-strong willed or too meek, and in either case, easily brainwashed. Then he turns around and expresses admiration for Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Stieg Larsson, Snow Patrol, J-Lo, Janet Jackson, Damien Rice, Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah, and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, the latter of which tickled me to no end.
The morals of these stories are that people should be judged for who they are not what they are. Do watch out for autocrats, close-minded traditionalists, soldiers, Westerners bearing gifts and women. Believe in magic and witchcraft, art and science, aliens and Africa. And maybe women.
Check out his website for more fascinating insights and exposure to this unique writer. 3.5 stars
June 21, 2020
This was a beautiful collection, and a wonderful introduction into the world of African Speculative Fiction.
My short story preferences (generally) lean more toward horror, and I am wary of any single author collections. I received this book as part of a bundle, however, and thought I'd give it a shot. I'm so, so glad I did because it exceeded every expectation.
From the first story, I knew I was hooked.
There was a wide range of tales to cater to any speculative fiction taste. There was some fantasy, some sci-fi, some folklore, and some spooky ones. My favorite, by far, was the titular selection "A Killing in the Sun" which I'd say borders on literary fiction. It struck me as very profound.
My short story preferences (generally) lean more toward horror, and I am wary of any single author collections. I received this book as part of a bundle, however, and thought I'd give it a shot. I'm so, so glad I did because it exceeded every expectation.
From the first story, I knew I was hooked.
There was a wide range of tales to cater to any speculative fiction taste. There was some fantasy, some sci-fi, some folklore, and some spooky ones. My favorite, by far, was the titular selection "A Killing in the Sun" which I'd say borders on literary fiction. It struck me as very profound.
September 25, 2014
A Killing in the Sun is a truly stunning début collection by Dilman Dila. One that will not only stand as an underivative keystone in the new wave exploration of Science Fiction and Fantasy by African writers, but keep you riveted from the first page till last with his magnificent worlds and deeply fascinating characters with compelling stories, all firmly rooted without compromise in our highly unique African perspectives and mythologies. This is the zephyr of fresh air international and local readers have been waiting for, works that enliven, diversify, enrich, and broaden, our understanding of what it means to be human and the immense range of possibilities in all our futures.
May 11, 2022
There was so much I loved about this book: horror stories that gave me chills, sci-fi and fantasy with terrific worldbuilding, and plots that left me still digesting long after finishing. My only real qualm was the writing of the women, who were relatively rare and occasionally frustratingly written.
July 16, 2021
This collection of short stories goes in several directions, but you won't quickly forget a story. They are sometimes violent and shocking. Distinctly African in flavour, by which I mean not only a setting in African countries, but also dealing with magic and (christian) religion, how corruption and crime happens, village live etc. But don't be mistaken: these stories are not sermons. They are not out to teach you higher morals are something: they tell stories in a wide variety of styles and genre.
Highly reccomended.
Highly reccomended.
January 13, 2016
I recommend this book. Well worth the read.
September 7, 2016
Review coming.
December 19, 2022
This may have been my favorite book of the year. Stunning new literary voice. We need more from him!
March 12, 2025
Dilman Dila's collection completely caught me off guard! It's unlike anything I've read before - a refreshing break from predictable storytelling that pulls you into worlds you never expected to visit.
What I loved: These stories are nothing like my usual reads. Each one takes you somewhere unexpected - from sci-fi futures to eerie supernatural encounters, all set in African landscapes. The variety kept me turning pages, wondering what bizarre and fascinating scenario Dila would cook up next.
What needed work: Almost every story ends abruptly! Just when I was really getting into a story, it would suddenly stop. I often found myself flipping to the next page thinking "Wait, that's it?" This happened so consistently it felt like a pattern rather than a stylistic choice.
If you're tired of reading the same old stuff and want something that breaks away from typical Western storytelling, definitely pick this up. Dila's unique voice and imagination make this collection worth your time, even with those frustrating endings!
What I loved: These stories are nothing like my usual reads. Each one takes you somewhere unexpected - from sci-fi futures to eerie supernatural encounters, all set in African landscapes. The variety kept me turning pages, wondering what bizarre and fascinating scenario Dila would cook up next.
What needed work: Almost every story ends abruptly! Just when I was really getting into a story, it would suddenly stop. I often found myself flipping to the next page thinking "Wait, that's it?" This happened so consistently it felt like a pattern rather than a stylistic choice.
If you're tired of reading the same old stuff and want something that breaks away from typical Western storytelling, definitely pick this up. Dila's unique voice and imagination make this collection worth your time, even with those frustrating endings!
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April 13, 2018Fiction D577k 2014
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews