Less often do we find speculative fiction on the African shelves. Much less often do we find a mix of African American and African writers writing powerful speculative fiction packed in one place. In this anthology, we witness a convergence that is sordid, terrifying, and grasping. The stories are a mix of the speculative fiction sub-genres. While some are Science fiction, others are fantasy. The fantasy mostly mixed with horror and historical reflections that sometimes intersect with religion and mythical beliefs. What’s most striking in the anthology is a wide variety of styles and voices coming from different cultural backgrounds. You can be sure to find what rocks your boat.
In the opening story, “Trickin” by Nicole Givens Kurtz, we follow the story a post-apocalyptic Halloween where the protagonist is possessed by a vampire-like spirit. The story reimagines “trick or treats” and plays so well. A gruesome and bloody story. A strong way to open the anthology.
Dilman Dila entrances with a solid science fiction story. “Red_Bati” is the story of a robot dog programmed by Akili to be a companion for his grandmother. It finds itself trying to escape being scrapped for parts after losing a limb. Red_Bati slowly tries to execute its plan. But it seems that the ghost of granny that accompanies him thinks he’s nothing more than a robot dog. Although this story occurs on a starship, the story forces us to question our beliefs and find answers. That this way do we find our place in the world.
“You’re not a human in a dog’s body,” Granny finally said, still watching the ice as it floated towards the ceiling.
“I am,” Red_Bati said.
“Humans have spirits,” Granny said. “You don’t.”
“I do,” Red_Bati said.
“You can’t,” Granny said.
“Why not? I’m aware of myself.”
Like “Red_ Bati” in the science fiction subgenre is “A Mastery of German” by Marian Denise Moore. An interesting story that explores the subject of memory and gene. When Candace Toil takes over a role as the project manager, she has to work with scanty notes from records to determine if to continue or kill the project.
On face value, it appears as if the story is just an exegesis on memory. But it seems that it hits on the loss and distortion of memory from generation to generation (black history) as a result of who gets to record what. Just that here, it’s science doing the erasure and corruption. Although, I’m not sure most of the science works, it’s believable in the realm of “what if.”
Speaking of history, “Convergence in Chorus Architecture” by Dare Segun Falowo incorporates Ilé-Ifẹ and Yoruba mythical beliefs. In this fantasy, two boys, Akanbi and Gbemisola, struck by lightning, are being followed to the spirit world by 3 babaláwos.
“After the incident, Gbemisola and Akanbi slept for seven days without water or food. The Awo Meta were reluctant to go into their dream again on a rescue mission. They tried with all their power, casting spells, and laying hands and slipping bittersweet potions between the teeth of the sleepers, but the sleepers only jerked their limbs and mumbled. Once, still asleep, Akanbi sat up and said, “I can’t dig myself in any deeper.”’
Being the longest story in the anthology, this wildly imagined story stretches the length to which we talk about the position of the gods. With a cast of deities, strange powers, and Yoruba-named characters, we are plunged into a richly written story that at once mixes the edges of fantasy with science fiction and horror.
Colonialism is a continuous discourse in the speculative fiction genre. This is because looking to the future leans on the inconsistencies and complicity of the past. To balance and readjust events of the past, Eugen Bacon takes us on time travel to the Maji Maji rebellions in German East Africa. When Zhorr the grand magician of the Diaspora and his son Pickle time travel in an attempt to interfere with and make history better, they end up making it worse.
“A Maji Maji Chronicle” proves that re-imagining the past doesn’t necessarily produce a better outcome. Maybe, sometimes, let history just take its course? Time heals, but man is capable of evil and good at the same time.
Neo-colonial exploitations of the environment leading to destructions is evident in “The Satellite Charmer” by Mame Bougouma Diene. In this story, a young orphan faces the problem of a beam boring out of the sky being mined by a mining company. Chinese neo-colonial and imperialistic resources explorations are put on the stand as the protagonist tries to escape the reality of earth.
Just as we think to catch our breath, Suyi Davies Okungbowa enters with a terrifying and grim tale of the underworld. In “Sleep, Papa Sleep,” we follow the story of an intercultural transaction between a Yoruba and Hausa man that turns out to be an illicit deal of graverobbing. Although, the story is about a son trying to get out of the family business of body harvesting and grave-robbing but is constantly sucked back in. It’s a chilling tale in which the author doesn’t fail with the stylish craft of good horror and grisly imageries.
Max returns to the miniflat at Ishola Bello after the fall of darkness. There are dull throbs in his joints from digging twice in two days, and the drive back from Jafojo Cemetery was especially jarring because the hearse is a rusty old container. The only thing he can think of is sleep.
He strips and takes a freezing bath, then proceeds to wash his hands in the wash basin. He does it six times, seven times, but it does not stop him from replaying the blink blink of the Mazi-thing’s eyes once he put that first shovel of humus into its face. Taking another freezing long bath does not drown out the sight of its gap-toothed mouth, the stumped foot as the earth closed it up. Even sleep and two sweaters cannot melt the iciness in his chest.
Max wakes after midnight, swamped in a cocoon of wool and sweat. He pulls off the sweaters and heads to the kitchenette for a bitters-and-gin mix.
There are footprints from the door, thicker, muddier than the last time. There’s a man in his couch.
This story is about family. It’s about responsibilities. It’s about how the living should be feared more than the dead. But the content warning for this story? Body parts. Corpses. Body parts.
“The Unclean” seems to perform the function of the title. At first, it appears to be the story of a wife who must redeem herself back to society after her husband’s death. She waits for three days under an Iroko Tree (the tree of truth) alongside her husband. But we soon realise that this is the story of pain and sadness. Of a woman sold off by her family, then ostracized by society. The story alternates between her past and her present until we find in this oddly powerful puzzle, a strange discovery that stuns us. Nuzo Onoh cleanses the reader in this gruesome tale.
Adhering the tradition of excellence espoused throughout, the anthology closes out with a story that has a bit of everything. “Ife-Iyoku, The Tale of Imadeyunuagbon” by Epeki Oghenechovwe Donald is post-apocalyptic. After a fallout between countries, a nuclear war leads to an incomplete apocalypse where the humans left develop powers. Much like ” The Unclean” we have the story of a woman and society. Like “Sleep, Papa Sleep,” we have the story of someone wanting something else different from their societal or familial responsibility.
Imade whose societal responsibility is to reproduce for the humans left turns this weighty responsibility down in her quest for personal freedom. Though we sympathize with her, we feel she’s selfish enough to watch her people suffer horribly. But as Imade rejects destiny, we are also made to question if societal purpose is more important than personal purpose. If her freedom isn’t tied to the survival of her people. The story closes out satisfactorily and realistically.
When she finished talking, one of the elders asked, “What of Ife-Iyoku and our sacred charge to survive? You are our last woman.”
She was silent until the silence became uncomfortable. Then she said, “Ife-Iyoku will be open to the world again. You will have a way to go out. The radiation and corruption will be dealt with. You shall meet women of other races and use them to fulfil your purposes of procreation and survival, if they so wish to be used. But I will not be used for that, anymore. I am Imadeyunuagbon. I will not fall to the expectations of the world.”
She turned and walked away as the heavens opened and the deluge of change poured forth.
This anthology is coming at a very important time in the literary world where there’s a growing concern about the westernization of the speculative fiction genre. This body of works encapsulate, at once, different kinds of stories that prove the possibilities of stories about characters we cannot pronounce their names. Shows again that writers, who Microsoft word underlines their names, have stories that are culturally sensitive and familiar.
Some stories touch on colonialism and neo-colonialism. Others explore societal and economic justice. Many of the stories reflect African cultural identity before concerning themselves with ecological change.
What this collection offers are unique and compulsive stories. There’s a lot to laugh about, a lot to haunt you, and surprise and suspense isn’t lacking. Something to keep you awake. A congregation of different interesting recipes. Just in thirteen stories. Just in a book.
List of Stories:
- “Trickin” by Nicole Givens Kurtz
- “Red_Bati” by Dilman Dila
- “A Maji Maji Chronicle” by Eugen Bacon (reprint)
- “The Unclean” by Nuzo Onoh (reprint)
- “A Mastery of German” by Marian Denise Moore
- “Convergence in Chorus Architecture” by Dare Segun Falowo
- “Emily” by Marian Denise Moore
- “To Say Nothing of Lost Figurines” by Rafeeat Aliyu
- “Sleep Papa, Sleep” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa (reprint)
- “The Satellite Charmer” by Mame Bougouma Diene
- “Clanfall: Death of Kings” by Odida Nyabundi
- “Thresher of Men” by Michael Boatman
- “Ife-Iyoku, the Tale of Imadeyunuagbon” by Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald
Dominion was edited by Zelda Knight & Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald
Hardcover: Aurelia Leo.
Pre-order the book here and here.
Enjoyed the review. Thought this was a solid short fiction collection.