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75 New and Upcoming Sci-Fi and Fantasy from African Authors
Sci-fi and fantasy readers, don't miss out on the amazing new literature from African authors who continue to shape these genres in fascinating and innovative ways.
For a quick primer on the latest speculative fiction from the continent, Goodreads asked Dr. Ainehi Edoro-Glines, founder and editor in chief of Brittle Paper, to recommend new sci-fi and fantasy reads. Edoro-Glines, who teaches African literature and digital culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, enlisted the help of author Wole Talabi (Incomplete Solutions) to create this list of 75 novels. All of these books were published since 2018, with the one exception of 2017's After the Flare, which Edoro-Glines felt would be a shame not to recommend to her fellow readers.
If you want to learn more about African literature in general, check out the online literary magazine Brittle Paper. You can follow them on their Instagram account as well!
Scroll over the covers below to learn more about each book, and be sure to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf!
For a quick primer on the latest speculative fiction from the continent, Goodreads asked Dr. Ainehi Edoro-Glines, founder and editor in chief of Brittle Paper, to recommend new sci-fi and fantasy reads. Edoro-Glines, who teaches African literature and digital culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, enlisted the help of author Wole Talabi (Incomplete Solutions) to create this list of 75 novels. All of these books were published since 2018, with the one exception of 2017's After the Flare, which Edoro-Glines felt would be a shame not to recommend to her fellow readers.
If you want to learn more about African literature in general, check out the online literary magazine Brittle Paper. You can follow them on their Instagram account as well!
Scroll over the covers below to learn more about each book, and be sure to add the books that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf!
Goodreads: What are some of the most exciting new trends or developments you’re seeing in sci-fi and fantasy?
Ainehi Edoro-Glines: Science fiction and fantasy have gained a ton of momentum in the African literary sphere over the past 15 years, and the output is becoming more diverse as more writers join the train.
Today you can find everything from Imraan Coovadia’s A Spy in Time, a classic sci-fi story set in a futuristic Johannesburg, to Patience Agbabi’s The Infinite, a brilliant story for middle grade readers about the adventures of an autistic, time-traveling Black girl set in a world built on Nigerian cultural elements.
But one of the key trends in African sci-fi/fantasy is the Africanfuturism movement led by Nigerian American author Nnedi Okorafor. The term acknowledges the ways that authors and editors like Dilman Dila, Masande Ntshanga, and Ivor Hartman are centering sci-fi stories that draw from the history, mythology, and experiences of Africans living in Africa.
GR: Who are some of your favorite African authors in this space?
AEG: Anything Nnedi Okorafor writes is a gem. She writes both sci-fi and fantasy, so there is much to choose from her pretty sizable repertoire of novels and novellas. I also love Tade Thompson and Deji Olukotun. Thompson’s Rosewater Trilogy is a classic at this point, and Olukotun’s After the Flare does very clever things with blending the past and future for postapocalyptic effects. Lauren Beukes is one versatile author. She sets her stories in vastly different worlds: Johannesburg, Chicago, Detroit, to name a few. I love the global awareness she brings to her imagination of futuristic narratives.
For fresh new voices, I highly recommend Temi Oh and Tlotlo Tsamaase. They write beautifully, and their stories are delightful while inspiring deep reflection. For short stories, I read Omenana, an online magazine run by Chinelo Onwualu and Mazi Nwonwu, in addition to the AfroSF anthology series edited by Ivor Hartmann.
GR: What would you tell a reader who's never read any African sci-fi or fantasy?
AEG: Expect stories that celebrate global Black experiences from an African perspective. The worlds in African sci-fi/fantasy are lovingly built with elements drawn from mythology and oral stories.
Generally, African writers strongly believe in the diversity of life forms. They see the value in imagining worlds where humans, animals, spirits, and deities coexist in interesting ways. African sci-fi/fantasy draws from this tradition in the sense that they tend to be filled with lots of memorable nonhuman characters. African sci-fi/fantasy is also known for strong female leads. So, expect complex female characters who use their power to shape the world around them.
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Have a great speculative fiction recommendation? Share it with your fellow readers in the comments below!
Comments Showing 1-18 of 18 (18 new)
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Yaa
(new)
Jul 07, 2021 02:44AM
It would be great if there was a way to bookmark some of these articles 😍
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Wow! Amazing list that I will definitely dig into more. Thank you!
Yaa wrote: "It would be great if there was a way to bookmark some of these articles 😍"I wholeheartedly agree! :)
I wish there were more books like this when I was growing up and reading sci fi and fantasy, but I'm glad they are here now. :)
Yaa wrote: "It would be great if there was a way to bookmark some of these articles 😍"Agreed.
Yaa wrote: "It would be great if there was a way to bookmark some of these articles 😍"It's not much, but if you like it, it will show up in your profile for a while until newer info pushes it down. But I agree, there should be a save option.
How about The Burning series by Evan Winters (Rage of Dragons, Fires of Vengeance)
Evan Winter is a black Canadian author who has an Epic Fantasy series.The Rage of Dragons
The Fires of Vengeance
Trike wrote: "Evan Winter is a black Canadian author who has an Epic Fantasy series.The Rage of Dragons
The Fires of Vengeance"
Love his books!
So excited to see a Motswana author here. I can't wait to get to The Silence of the Wilting Skin
Yaa wrote: "It would be great if there was a way to bookmark some of these articles 😍"Agreed! Instead I opened a ton of new tabs to go add these to my "want to read" list haha.
Would have been awesome if this had actually been 75 seperate authors you know...
I am so grateful and humbled to be included in this list! Thank you so much. :) 🙏
Africanfuturism: An Anthology 
Listed above is actually free.
https://brittlepaper.com/2020/10/free...
Yaa wrote: "It would be great if there was a way to bookmark some of these articles 😍"I wish there was a suggestion box for this!
Yaa wrote: "It would be great if there was a way to bookmark some of these articles 😍"Agree. For now, my workaround is to "like" a list (hidden at the end of the list), then I go to Browse>Lists, and can see lists I've liked.
