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Africanfuturism: An Anthology
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.
113 pages, ebook
First published October 19, 2020
7 people are currently reading
824 people want to read
About the author
Wole Talabi
56 books198 followersWOLE TALABI is an engineer, writer, and editor from Nigeria. He is the author of the novel SHIGIDI AND THE BRASS HEAD OF OBALUFON (DAW books/Gollancz, 2023). His short fiction has appeared in places like Asimov’s Science Fiction, Lightspeed Magazine, Tor.com and is collected in CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS (DAW books, 2024) and INCOMPLETE SOLUTIONS (Luna Press, 2019). He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and Nommo awards, as well as the Caine Prize for African Writing. He has edited five anthologies including a 2-volume translation anthology in Bengali, AFRICANFUTURISM (Brittlepaper, 2020) and the forthcoming MOTHERSOUND: THE SAUÚTIVERSE ANTHOLOGY (Android Press, 2023). He likes scuba diving, elegant equations, and oddly shaped things. He currently lives and works in Malaysia. Find him at wtalabi.wordpress.com and at @wtalabi on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Tiktok.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 25, 2020
Great collection of stories, a mix between sci-fi, african mythology and superstitions, set in high-end technological worlds, in a near or a distant future, bringing a breath of fresh air into the genre.
Egoli by T.L. Huchu - a story told in 2nd person about how old and new mingle in the life of an old woman. 4/5
Sunrise bt Nnedi Okorafor - how an AI with personality messes things up, but there's a god part too. 4/5
Yat Madit by Dilman Dila - a socio-political tale revolving around a young woman and her father. 4/5
Rainmaker by Mazi Nwonwu - a retelling of the old saying 'if you wish something hard enough, it will happen'. 3/5
Behind our irises by Tlotlo Tsamaase - a harsh approach on big companies and their working policies. 3/5
(I know it's silly of me, but I can't help laughing each time I encounter 'pula' in an english text, either reffering to Botswana's currency, the case here, or the Croatian city, because in Romanian its meaning is penis.)
Fort Kwame by Derek Lubangakene - another story set on a distant planet, about how misinformation could destroy life. 3/5
Fruit of the Calabash by Rafeeat Aliyu - in a world with infertile women, children are grown through ectogenesis, until something goes wrong. Great idea, weak ending. 2/5
Lekki Lekki by Mame Bougouma Diene - an emotional story about family values. 4/5
Can be downloaded from here.
Egoli by T.L. Huchu - a story told in 2nd person about how old and new mingle in the life of an old woman. 4/5
Sunrise bt Nnedi Okorafor - how an AI with personality messes things up, but there's a god part too. 4/5
Yat Madit by Dilman Dila - a socio-political tale revolving around a young woman and her father. 4/5
Rainmaker by Mazi Nwonwu - a retelling of the old saying 'if you wish something hard enough, it will happen'. 3/5
Behind our irises by Tlotlo Tsamaase - a harsh approach on big companies and their working policies. 3/5
(I know it's silly of me, but I can't help laughing each time I encounter 'pula' in an english text, either reffering to Botswana's currency, the case here, or the Croatian city, because in Romanian its meaning is penis.)
Fort Kwame by Derek Lubangakene - another story set on a distant planet, about how misinformation could destroy life. 3/5
Fruit of the Calabash by Rafeeat Aliyu - in a world with infertile women, children are grown through ectogenesis, until something goes wrong. Great idea, weak ending. 2/5
Lekki Lekki by Mame Bougouma Diene - an emotional story about family values. 4/5
Can be downloaded from here.
October 24, 2020
I started this out of curiosity. It was short and free so there was no reason not to. I finished because there are genuinely good stories here.
Egoli- 4 stars. Ursula. Le Guin esque
Sunrise- like something from Bradbury's Illustrated man just with moder tech and writing not quite as good as Bradbury's.
Yat Madit- 5 stars - best of the bunch. Emotional story about woman and her conflicting emotions about her father with well incorporated sci-fi element.
Rainmaker - 3.5 old belief in a new world but not cynical view of it but with slight warm undertone.
Behind our irises- 4 stars. Feels like a Black Mirror episode and like all black mirror episodes it has air of plausibility to it.
Fort Kwame - 3.5 stars. Unlike other stories, which are grounded in contemporary world, this is more of hard sci-fi.
Fruit of the calabash - 2.5 stars technology and spirituality meet. Not bad but more of unremarkable story.
My only problem with it was that it was available only in PDF, not .epub or .mobi.
Egoli- 4 stars. Ursula. Le Guin esque
Sunrise- like something from Bradbury's Illustrated man just with moder tech and writing not quite as good as Bradbury's.
Yat Madit- 5 stars - best of the bunch. Emotional story about woman and her conflicting emotions about her father with well incorporated sci-fi element.
Rainmaker - 3.5 old belief in a new world but not cynical view of it but with slight warm undertone.
Behind our irises- 4 stars. Feels like a Black Mirror episode and like all black mirror episodes it has air of plausibility to it.
Fort Kwame - 3.5 stars. Unlike other stories, which are grounded in contemporary world, this is more of hard sci-fi.
Fruit of the calabash - 2.5 stars technology and spirituality meet. Not bad but more of unremarkable story.
My only problem with it was that it was available only in PDF, not .epub or .mobi.
February 14, 2021
Africanfuturism is a term created by Nnedi Okorafor to describe science fiction rooted in the African world. Africanfuturism: An Anthology edited by Wole Talabi is the first anthology to directly engage with the idea of Africanfuturism. The collection is free and contains 8 science fiction stories that picture various aspects of African life.
As a whole, the anthology is uneven. Most anthologies are. I liked Nnedi Okorafor's charming Sunrise and Diman Dila's Yat Madit most.
Even though it's not perfect, it's free and quick to read (112 pages). It'll also broaden your reading horizons.
As a whole, the anthology is uneven. Most anthologies are. I liked Nnedi Okorafor's charming Sunrise and Diman Dila's Yat Madit most.
Even though it's not perfect, it's free and quick to read (112 pages). It'll also broaden your reading horizons.
January 24, 2021
I was struggling how to rate this because while there where some truly great stories, there were also some weak ones. But there were some really interesting ideas and the stories that I liked were really strong, so I think it's fair to give it 4, rather then 3.
This is really an interesting anthology having everything from more grounded sci-fi close to us, to the full blown technological dystopias, space travel and hard sci-fi. So it gives us an awesome mix of different subgenres, and I think everyone will find something that they'll like here.
Also, it reminded me how relaxing it can be to read short stories. I was reading this slowly, while taking break from other stuff, really savoring it.
My personal favorite is definitely Egoli. The style of this story, which was a second person narration, resembled oral narration, and the rhythm of it made me read it in one breath, fully focused and amazed. It was so heartfelt and emotional, I really felt it and it's the story that really stayed engraved in my brain after reading it. I almost cried and I wanted to call my own grandma in that moment, but it was late in the night.
Yat Madid was also a great story, giving us interesting personal dilemma and a family drama. Also very emotional, very hard, and the sci-fi aspect, while having technology based on what we already have just more complex, was really interesting.
Another favorites were Behind our Irises and Fruit of the Calabash. First is a chilling dystopian story, almost a horror story. It really explores and expands on the idea of corporate slavery. Checking other reviews for this book, I see that most people didn't like Fruit of the Calabash but I thought it was very interesting and I liked it a lot. Also a dystopian future, where women are infertile, with a woman scientist who "grows" babies in lab as a protagonist. This is always an interesting topic, and I liked how the writer Rafeeat Aliyu explored it, mixing fantastical with scientifical. The only problem I had was that the way it was written opened too many interesting plots that would make story easily a novella, so the ending was sort of rushed.
Which is actually a problem that I feel other stories I didn't like a lot, also had. So many interesting ideas presented in short form. And it doesn't always work. Making the narration clunky in some parts. I really think some stories would be much better if they were longer, if they had more space to expand.
This book is available for free and I hope more people will give it a chance.
This is really an interesting anthology having everything from more grounded sci-fi close to us, to the full blown technological dystopias, space travel and hard sci-fi. So it gives us an awesome mix of different subgenres, and I think everyone will find something that they'll like here.
Also, it reminded me how relaxing it can be to read short stories. I was reading this slowly, while taking break from other stuff, really savoring it.
My personal favorite is definitely Egoli. The style of this story, which was a second person narration, resembled oral narration, and the rhythm of it made me read it in one breath, fully focused and amazed. It was so heartfelt and emotional, I really felt it and it's the story that really stayed engraved in my brain after reading it. I almost cried and I wanted to call my own grandma in that moment, but it was late in the night.
Yat Madid was also a great story, giving us interesting personal dilemma and a family drama. Also very emotional, very hard, and the sci-fi aspect, while having technology based on what we already have just more complex, was really interesting.
Another favorites were Behind our Irises and Fruit of the Calabash. First is a chilling dystopian story, almost a horror story. It really explores and expands on the idea of corporate slavery. Checking other reviews for this book, I see that most people didn't like Fruit of the Calabash but I thought it was very interesting and I liked it a lot. Also a dystopian future, where women are infertile, with a woman scientist who "grows" babies in lab as a protagonist. This is always an interesting topic, and I liked how the writer Rafeeat Aliyu explored it, mixing fantastical with scientifical. The only problem I had was that the way it was written opened too many interesting plots that would make story easily a novella, so the ending was sort of rushed.
Which is actually a problem that I feel other stories I didn't like a lot, also had. So many interesting ideas presented in short form. And it doesn't always work. Making the narration clunky in some parts. I really think some stories would be much better if they were longer, if they had more space to expand.
This book is available for free and I hope more people will give it a chance.
March 24, 2024
Good mix of stories and perspectives. Some interesting ideas to chew on too.
November 22, 2020
Beautiful.
This is a collection of short stories exemplifying "Africanfuturism" (centering science fiction on people from Africa specifically) in comparison to "Afrofuturism" (which has a more Western focus in the black diaspora).
It contains such a variety of stories that are heart-warming, comical, horrific, and sad. All are quick reads and wonderfully written, and span a wide range of science fiction. Recommended to any science fiction short story enthusiasts.
This is a collection of short stories exemplifying "Africanfuturism" (centering science fiction on people from Africa specifically) in comparison to "Afrofuturism" (which has a more Western focus in the black diaspora).
It contains such a variety of stories that are heart-warming, comical, horrific, and sad. All are quick reads and wonderfully written, and span a wide range of science fiction. Recommended to any science fiction short story enthusiasts.
December 30, 2022
"Egoli" T.L. Huchu - 5/5
"Sunrise" Nnedi Okorafor - 2,5/5
"Yat Madit" Dilman Dila - 3/5
"Rainmaker" Mazi Nwonwu - 4/5
"Behind Our Irises" Tlotlo Tsamaase - 2/5
"Fort Kwame" Derek Lubangakene - 2,5/5
"Fruit of Calabash" - 2,5/5
"Lekki Lekki" - 4,5/5
"Sunrise" Nnedi Okorafor - 2,5/5
"Yat Madit" Dilman Dila - 3/5
"Rainmaker" Mazi Nwonwu - 4/5
"Behind Our Irises" Tlotlo Tsamaase - 2/5
"Fort Kwame" Derek Lubangakene - 2,5/5
"Fruit of Calabash" - 2,5/5
"Lekki Lekki" - 4,5/5
June 13, 2025
Me encanta ver elementos culturales en esa ciencia ficción que se escribe desde, por y para África.
Hay historias que me habría gustado saber mucho más, veo su capacidad de novelas.
Super anotadxs autores que me impactaron/gustaron más y quiero seguir leyendo.
Hay historias que me habría gustado saber mucho más, veo su capacidad de novelas.
Super anotadxs autores que me impactaron/gustaron más y quiero seguir leyendo.
January 26, 2021
A wonderful anthology of 8 stories ranging from heartwarming to chilling, but all of them showcasing the strengths of African visions of the future. Most with a strong hope to them, though some filtered through a need to address pressing injustices and corruptions.
February 6, 2022
This is a free ebook anthology from literary magazine Brittle Paper showcasing the emerging sci-fi subgenre of “Africanfuturism”, a term coined by author Nnedi Okorafor mainly to describe her own work as distinct from “Afrofuturism”, but also to describe similar works by other authors (put simply, the latter focuses on the Black diaspora outside of Africa, whereas Africanfuturism is specifically rooted in African cultures, comes from a specifically African POV, and specifically takes place in the future – you can read her explanation of Africanfuturism here, but it’s also included in this book). Edited by Nigerian writer and editor Wole Talabi, this collection features original short stories from eight authors that illustrate the Africanfuturism concept.
T.L. Huchu’s “Egoli” and Okorafor’s “Sunrise” focus on the sometimes clashing impact of advanced technologies on local culture, while Dilman Dila’s “Yat Madit” looks at how technology could prevent political corruption (and how determined politicians would try to find workarounds). Rafeeat Aliyu’s “Fruit of the Calabash” deals with the hazards of running a private ectogenesis lab of artificial wombs to counter a plague of infertility. Tlotlo Tsamaase’s “Behind Our Irises” is corporate-driven body horror. Derek Lubangakene’s “Fort Kwame” involves a failed offworld rebellion. Mazi Nwonwu’s “Rainmaker” takes place on a planet plagued by dust storms. And Mame Bougouma Diene’s “Lekki Lekki” features “soul engines” installed in giant trees.
Like with any anthology, there are hits and misses, but even the few misses here are pretty good and worth reading. What’s particularly noteworthy is the rich variety of stories here. Sure, plenty of anthologies do that, but it’s particularly significant here because while Africanfuturism might be a narrowly defined subgenre, there’s a lot of room to play within those parameters. That’s because Africa itself is not one country with a monolithic culture, but rather a collection of countries with a wide spectrum of cultures and traditions, each of which inevitably approach SF in its own way. And that’s a very good thing. Highly recommended (and did I mention it’s free?).
T.L. Huchu’s “Egoli” and Okorafor’s “Sunrise” focus on the sometimes clashing impact of advanced technologies on local culture, while Dilman Dila’s “Yat Madit” looks at how technology could prevent political corruption (and how determined politicians would try to find workarounds). Rafeeat Aliyu’s “Fruit of the Calabash” deals with the hazards of running a private ectogenesis lab of artificial wombs to counter a plague of infertility. Tlotlo Tsamaase’s “Behind Our Irises” is corporate-driven body horror. Derek Lubangakene’s “Fort Kwame” involves a failed offworld rebellion. Mazi Nwonwu’s “Rainmaker” takes place on a planet plagued by dust storms. And Mame Bougouma Diene’s “Lekki Lekki” features “soul engines” installed in giant trees.
Like with any anthology, there are hits and misses, but even the few misses here are pretty good and worth reading. What’s particularly noteworthy is the rich variety of stories here. Sure, plenty of anthologies do that, but it’s particularly significant here because while Africanfuturism might be a narrowly defined subgenre, there’s a lot of room to play within those parameters. That’s because Africa itself is not one country with a monolithic culture, but rather a collection of countries with a wide spectrum of cultures and traditions, each of which inevitably approach SF in its own way. And that’s a very good thing. Highly recommended (and did I mention it’s free?).
November 13, 2020
Solid collection of short stories.
January 27, 2021
As always, I find anthologies incredibly difficult to rate, since my feelings on individual stories vary so much! I ended up settling on three stars, since I did like it overall, and share my specific thoughts on the individual stories below.
“Egoli” by T.L. Huchu - This story is low on plot, but more than makes up for it with color, lyricism, and atmosphere. An excellent example of how a simple concept executed well can be stronger than a more involved concept done poorly. 4/5.
A quote that stood out to me—
“Sunrise” by Nnedi Okorafor - Somewhat disappointing, in that I felt like it had a strong start, but ended up going in a more run-of-the-mill direction, just in a different setting than we usually see these sorts of storylines. Which might have been the point, but it just didn’t feel fresh enough to work for me. That being said, one small detail I did appreciate was how 2/5.
“Yat Madit” by Dilman Dila - My favorite story within this collection! The nuance on display in this story is an absolute dream, both when it comes to the interpersonal relationships and with what it has to say about political systems and the nature of corruption. I adore the slow and careful way our understanding of the relationship between Amaro and her father unfolds, and her struggles when it comes to her feelings about her father felt incredibly human. Literally my only criticism is that I found the repetition of the line more irritating than impactful, but other than that, I thought this story was basically perfect. 4.5/5.
“Rainmaker” by Mazi Nwonwu - I really wanted to like this story. I love these sorts of plots, and the world itself felt like an interesting one. Unfortunately, the writing itself just didn’t hold up. The worldbuilding may be intriguing, but it’s all conveyed in heavy-handed info-dumps, and the dialogue in particular often felt stilted. 2/5.
“Behind Our Irises” by Tlotlo Tsamaase - I feel torn on this one. On one hand, the analytical part of my brain appreciated this. Granted, isn’t exactly the newest of concepts, but the way qualms about the corporatization of culture is intertwined with this did feel fresh and intriguing.
On the other hand, I found it difficult to enjoy on the personal level. This story story has a very gritty, urban, hopeless sort of feeling to it, and that’s just not the kind of fiction I enjoy. So: 3/5 —I think the author has talent & can’t justify rating it lower because of that, but I personally wasn’t into it.
A quote that stood out to me—
“Fort Kwame” by Derek Lubangakene - This story felt like the author was trying to cram a novel’s worth of plot, character relationships, & worldbuilding into the space of a short story, but failed at it. And although I usually like a good open ending, by the time I reached the end, I found myself at a loss for what the author was even trying to get across with this story. 1/5.
“Fruit of the Calabash” by Rafeeat Aliyu - Somewhat messily written, I thought. Beyond that, I don’t have any particularly deep thoughts about this piece—it simply didn’t work for me. 1/5.
“Lekki Lekki” by Mame Bougouma Diene - I really liked most of this one, but the ending fell incredibly flat for me. But if we set that aside, I otherwise deeply enjoyed this story. It made for an eerie, almost unsettling read at times, , and fascinatingly so. I love the differing perspectives we get on the tree plan and how those perspectives shift throughout the story; relatedly, I also really liked the casual way the author approached the passing of time.
I did have a few questions—, but overall—and if we set aside the ending—I found this to be an immersive and enjoyable read. 3.5/5.
“Egoli” by T.L. Huchu - This story is low on plot, but more than makes up for it with color, lyricism, and atmosphere. An excellent example of how a simple concept executed well can be stronger than a more involved concept done poorly. 4/5.
A quote that stood out to me—
All that and much more has happened in the span of your lifetime. Indeed it is more useful to forget than it is to remember or else your mind would be overwhelmed and your days lost to reminiscences. And if you did that then you would miss moments like this, just how stunning the sky is before dawn.
“Sunrise” by Nnedi Okorafor - Somewhat disappointing, in that I felt like it had a strong start, but ended up going in a more run-of-the-mill direction, just in a different setting than we usually see these sorts of storylines. Which might have been the point, but it just didn’t feel fresh enough to work for me. That being said, one small detail I did appreciate was how 2/5.
“Yat Madit” by Dilman Dila - My favorite story within this collection! The nuance on display in this story is an absolute dream, both when it comes to the interpersonal relationships and with what it has to say about political systems and the nature of corruption. I adore the slow and careful way our understanding of the relationship between Amaro and her father unfolds, and her struggles when it comes to her feelings about her father felt incredibly human. Literally my only criticism is that I found the repetition of the line more irritating than impactful, but other than that, I thought this story was basically perfect. 4.5/5.
“Rainmaker” by Mazi Nwonwu - I really wanted to like this story. I love these sorts of plots, and the world itself felt like an interesting one. Unfortunately, the writing itself just didn’t hold up. The worldbuilding may be intriguing, but it’s all conveyed in heavy-handed info-dumps, and the dialogue in particular often felt stilted. 2/5.
“Behind Our Irises” by Tlotlo Tsamaase - I feel torn on this one. On one hand, the analytical part of my brain appreciated this. Granted, isn’t exactly the newest of concepts, but the way qualms about the corporatization of culture is intertwined with this did feel fresh and intriguing.
On the other hand, I found it difficult to enjoy on the personal level. This story story has a very gritty, urban, hopeless sort of feeling to it, and that’s just not the kind of fiction I enjoy. So: 3/5 —I think the author has talent & can’t justify rating it lower because of that, but I personally wasn’t into it.
A quote that stood out to me—
A hand was waiting in the air for my hi-five. Everyone had on the same smile, the same voice, the same excitement. They were so happy being at a miserable job. Why was I different? Why were they happy to be in this life and I was not?
“Fort Kwame” by Derek Lubangakene - This story felt like the author was trying to cram a novel’s worth of plot, character relationships, & worldbuilding into the space of a short story, but failed at it. And although I usually like a good open ending, by the time I reached the end, I found myself at a loss for what the author was even trying to get across with this story. 1/5.
“Fruit of the Calabash” by Rafeeat Aliyu - Somewhat messily written, I thought. Beyond that, I don’t have any particularly deep thoughts about this piece—it simply didn’t work for me. 1/5.
“Lekki Lekki” by Mame Bougouma Diene - I really liked most of this one, but the ending fell incredibly flat for me. But if we set that aside, I otherwise deeply enjoyed this story. It made for an eerie, almost unsettling read at times, , and fascinatingly so. I love the differing perspectives we get on the tree plan and how those perspectives shift throughout the story; relatedly, I also really liked the casual way the author approached the passing of time.
I did have a few questions—, but overall—and if we set aside the ending—I found this to be an immersive and enjoyable read. 3.5/5.
February 5, 2022
Puoi trovare questa recensione anche sul mio blog, La siepe di more
La decima task della 2021 RHC sembrava fatta apposta perché leggessi questa antologia che Okorafor aveva portato alla mia attenzione con un suo tweet: potete ancora trovarla disponibile gratuitamente sul sito di Brittle Paper, se dovesse stuzzicare la vostra curiosità e non avete problemi a leggere in inglese. Si tratta di otto racconti di autorз diversз: il genere – l’africanfuturism – è un sottogenere della fantascienza che, specifica Okorafor in un breve saggio introduttivo, è scritto da persone di discendenza africana (con tutte le differenze del caso tra le varie popolazioni e gruppi etnici) ed è radicato in Africa. A differenza dell’afrofuturism, scritto da persone nere, spesso statunitensi e con una prospettiva cosiddetta occidentale, l’africanfuturim porta la prospettiva sul futuro di autorз africanз e incorpora nella sua prosa elementi della cultura, della storia e della mitologia delle varie popolazioni africane.
Africanfuturism: An Anthology è la classica raccolta di racconti che ti lascia la voglia di leggere un’opera più sostanziosa di ognunǝ dellз autorз presenti. Si inizia con Egoli di T.L. Huchu, un racconto molto semplice e molto classico – la voce narrante mi ha ricordato un po’ Zia Muschio di Ursula K. Le Guin – dove l’atmosfera ben resa rende la storia assolutamente godibile.
Si prosegue con Sunrise di Nnedi Okorafor, un’autrice che già conosco grazie a Binti. Si tratta di un racconto sull’intelligenza artificiale, sui suoi possibili (e inaspettati) risvolti negativi e di come premiamo “acconsento” con molta, molta facilità pur di avere un servizio. Quindi si passa a Yat Madit di Dilman Dila, uno dei miei racconti preferiti: tendiamo a immaginarci la corruzione come un evento dove mazzette sostanziose vengono scambiate con potere e privilegi, ma a volte assume una forma più insidiosa e, forse, anche più difficile da individuare e contrastare.
Anche Rainmaker di Mazi Nwonwu mi è piaciuto molto, sia come worldbuilding, sia come l’autore ha caratterizzato i suoi personaggi. È quel tipo di mondo che ti fa venire voglia di leggerci ambientato un intero romanzo. Quindi troviamo Behind Our Irises di Tlotlo Tsamaase ha un sapore orwelliano e – come potete immaginare – non è uno dei racconti più positivi della raccolta.
Fort Kwame di Derek Lubangakene è forse il racconto che mi è piaciuto meno. L’ho trovato confusionario, non ho capito bene lo svolgimento della vicenda: forse avrebbe avuto bisogno di maggiore spazio. Fruit of the Calabash di Rafeeat Aliyu l’ho trovato molto intrigante e, sebbene le informazioni siano ridotte all’osso, mi è dispiaciuto veramente non avere pagine e pagine di spiegazione su come funziona questo futuro e come si è arrivatз a creare e formare bambinз in laboratorio. Chiude l’antologia Lekki Lekki di Mame Bougouma Diene, che non credo di aver capito in toto, ma che ho trovato molto affascinante.
In definitiva, è un’antologia che vi consiglio caldamente, anche solo come trampolino di lancio per segnarsi nuovз autorз da appronfondire. Sia mai che la vostra TBR si senta trascurata…
La decima task della 2021 RHC sembrava fatta apposta perché leggessi questa antologia che Okorafor aveva portato alla mia attenzione con un suo tweet: potete ancora trovarla disponibile gratuitamente sul sito di Brittle Paper, se dovesse stuzzicare la vostra curiosità e non avete problemi a leggere in inglese. Si tratta di otto racconti di autorз diversз: il genere – l’africanfuturism – è un sottogenere della fantascienza che, specifica Okorafor in un breve saggio introduttivo, è scritto da persone di discendenza africana (con tutte le differenze del caso tra le varie popolazioni e gruppi etnici) ed è radicato in Africa. A differenza dell’afrofuturism, scritto da persone nere, spesso statunitensi e con una prospettiva cosiddetta occidentale, l’africanfuturim porta la prospettiva sul futuro di autorз africanз e incorpora nella sua prosa elementi della cultura, della storia e della mitologia delle varie popolazioni africane.
Africanfuturism: An Anthology è la classica raccolta di racconti che ti lascia la voglia di leggere un’opera più sostanziosa di ognunǝ dellз autorз presenti. Si inizia con Egoli di T.L. Huchu, un racconto molto semplice e molto classico – la voce narrante mi ha ricordato un po’ Zia Muschio di Ursula K. Le Guin – dove l’atmosfera ben resa rende la storia assolutamente godibile.
Si prosegue con Sunrise di Nnedi Okorafor, un’autrice che già conosco grazie a Binti. Si tratta di un racconto sull’intelligenza artificiale, sui suoi possibili (e inaspettati) risvolti negativi e di come premiamo “acconsento” con molta, molta facilità pur di avere un servizio. Quindi si passa a Yat Madit di Dilman Dila, uno dei miei racconti preferiti: tendiamo a immaginarci la corruzione come un evento dove mazzette sostanziose vengono scambiate con potere e privilegi, ma a volte assume una forma più insidiosa e, forse, anche più difficile da individuare e contrastare.
Anche Rainmaker di Mazi Nwonwu mi è piaciuto molto, sia come worldbuilding, sia come l’autore ha caratterizzato i suoi personaggi. È quel tipo di mondo che ti fa venire voglia di leggerci ambientato un intero romanzo. Quindi troviamo Behind Our Irises di Tlotlo Tsamaase ha un sapore orwelliano e – come potete immaginare – non è uno dei racconti più positivi della raccolta.
Fort Kwame di Derek Lubangakene è forse il racconto che mi è piaciuto meno. L’ho trovato confusionario, non ho capito bene lo svolgimento della vicenda: forse avrebbe avuto bisogno di maggiore spazio. Fruit of the Calabash di Rafeeat Aliyu l’ho trovato molto intrigante e, sebbene le informazioni siano ridotte all’osso, mi è dispiaciuto veramente non avere pagine e pagine di spiegazione su come funziona questo futuro e come si è arrivatз a creare e formare bambinз in laboratorio. Chiude l’antologia Lekki Lekki di Mame Bougouma Diene, che non credo di aver capito in toto, ma che ho trovato molto affascinante.
In definitiva, è un’antologia che vi consiglio caldamente, anche solo come trampolino di lancio per segnarsi nuovз autorз da appronfondire. Sia mai che la vostra TBR si senta trascurata…
May 31, 2021
High 3.5. Uneven, but very interesting! Unexpectedly, my favourite was T. L. Huchu's Egoli -- so well-written. 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.
Also notable for Nnedi Okorafor's famous essay at the beginning.
Want to read
October 21, 2020The entire anthology is free to download in PDF form from Brittle Paper’s website
http://brittlepaper.com/wp-content/up...
http://brittlepaper.com/wp-content/up...
April 6, 2021
Better than I expected but not as good as I'd hoped. See my full review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SCAo...
December 29, 2020
If you keep coming across the same conceits over and over again in scifi and want to read something different, try this. It's free to download from the publishing house here!
Africanfuturism is a term created by Nnedi Okorafor to distinguish African science fiction from Afrofuturism, science fiction rooted in the different traditions of the Western black diaspora. And this is a great anthology showcasing short stories from eight different African authors. I really enjoyed this and will keep an eye on the authors.
Summaries and ratings of each short story under the spoiler tag.
Africanfuturism is a term created by Nnedi Okorafor to distinguish African science fiction from Afrofuturism, science fiction rooted in the different traditions of the Western black diaspora. And this is a great anthology showcasing short stories from eight different African authors. I really enjoyed this and will keep an eye on the authors.
Summaries and ratings of each short story under the spoiler tag.
November 5, 2024
A collection of 8 short stories centered around the sci-fi subgenre Africanfuturism. Interesting and wide range of sci-fi concepts and African based culture and mythology which I enjoyed to different extents.
Egoli by T.L. Huchu - 3.5/5; Shona older woman musings on scientific development
Sunrise by Nnedi Okorafor - 2/5; AI gone wrong
Yat Madit by Dilman Dila - 4/5; AI in politics
Rainmaker by Mazi Nwonwu - 3.5/5; rainmaking rituals in a new planet
Behind Our Irises by Tlotlo Tsamaase - 4/5; corporate slavery technology
Fort Kwame by Derek Lubangakene - 3/5; rebellion attempt of a oppressive orbital city
Fruit of the Calabash by Rafeeat Aliyu - 3.5/5; ectogenesis with a bit of juju
Lekki Lekki by Mame Bougouma Diene - 4/5; transferring souls into nature
Egoli by T.L. Huchu - 3.5/5; Shona older woman musings on scientific development
Sunrise by Nnedi Okorafor - 2/5; AI gone wrong
Yat Madit by Dilman Dila - 4/5; AI in politics
Rainmaker by Mazi Nwonwu - 3.5/5; rainmaking rituals in a new planet
Behind Our Irises by Tlotlo Tsamaase - 4/5; corporate slavery technology
Fort Kwame by Derek Lubangakene - 3/5; rebellion attempt of a oppressive orbital city
Fruit of the Calabash by Rafeeat Aliyu - 3.5/5; ectogenesis with a bit of juju
Lekki Lekki by Mame Bougouma Diene - 4/5; transferring souls into nature
December 31, 2021
This is a very solid short story collection and a good entry point for me to explore more Africanfuturist storytelling. The stories cover a variety of topics, but many of them center on families and family traditions in a future setting. I don’t know if that was on purpose or is a coincidence but it stood out to me.
I will need to go and look for more books by the authors collected here in the new year. Especially those by Mame Bougouma Diene and Tlotlo Tsamaase.
I will need to go and look for more books by the authors collected here in the new year. Especially those by Mame Bougouma Diene and Tlotlo Tsamaase.
Read
December 11, 2024Available for free @ Brittle Paper:
https://brittlepaper.com/2020/10/free...
https://brittlepaper.com/2020/10/free...
December 21, 2020
Amazing short stories that left me wanting so much more! A great exploration into Africanfuturism and I am excited to read more stories in this genre.
December 12, 2022
2.5 out of 5. Decently written stories, but nothing that really grabbed me or enthused me for a new author. A bit ho-hum.
May 19, 2025
Good collection of SF by African writers. All were readable, which is unusal for an anthology.
November 4, 2025
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Africanfuturism: An Anthology
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June 23, 2024DNF at 18%. Mostly this is just annoying to read because it’s a pdf.
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