The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021) Volume One edited by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

I would like to thank the editor for an advance copy of this anthology in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Jembefola

Published – 28/9

Price - £5.04 Kindle eBook

Ever increasingly the genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror are not being dominated solely be writers from the UK or US – this is long overdue. The growth of internet communication and the independent publishing/magazine markets in the genre allow for many authors to get into the spotlight. Every writer adds to the genre and also brings part of their own upbringing culture and heritage with them – see Tolkien, Pratchett, and Le Guin. Finding new authors though is always tricky and short story collections are a great way to identify the new voices of the twenty first century. In the excellent Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction Volume 1 the award-winning author Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki has curated twenty-nine great short stories published last year compiling a fine selection of African writers in the genre to entice.

This is a fantastic collection with excellent stories all deserving of their place provides us with a host of delights to thrill, scare, pause, or even sadden you. Amongst the collection particular highlights for me are

Where You Go by Somto O. Ihezue – A genre crossing tale of a future Nigeria where Lagos has been destroyed by food, an ancient people turned to water and a woman is grief-stricken by the loss of her daughter and stepdaughter. This is a wonderfully unpredictable tale mixing environmental changes, magic, and gods with a powerful emotional theme about never giving up. It delivers a truly epic tale in short story form and rightfully gives the collection a fine start.

Things Boys Do by Pemi Aguda – Moving the collection into horror is this unsettling tale of three men who find their new-born child (who they all call Jonny) arrives and takes over their entire life. Is this just the perils of becoming a parent or something nastier? The unsettling atmosphere and sense of something organising their torment is delicious horror to savour.

Giant Steps by Russell Nichols – A wonderful story about staying true to who you are. Dr Jenkins goes on a solo trip to a Moon around Saturn to answer a question. This is a tale about determination and answering who you are and the questions you want. It fittingly doesn’t give all the answers away as this is very much about the character’s own journey of discovery.

The ThoughtBox by Tloto Tsamaase – A smart slice of Black Mirror-esque science fiction. A struggling couple face more issues as the boyfriend of our narrator decides a device that allows each to share the thoughts of the other but clearly, he is keeping something back. A fascinating tale of toxic relationships, deception and ultimately how to escape with a few unexpected developments to take on board too.

Scar Tissue by Tobias S Buckell – a more heart-warming tale awaits the reader in this tale of an amputee deciding to get some extra cash to agree to effectively babysit a robot with a developing AI. This tale mixes how parenthood can be both a source of stress and joy, but it is also about acceptance and becoming comfortable with who you are. One of my favourite stories.

A Love Song for Herkinal as composed by Ashkernas amid the ruins of New Haven by Chinelo Onwualu – Another tale crossing genres with an alternate Africa with spirits and people with superheroes and yet has a lo-fi plot about something terrible happening in a hotel room. A haunting magical atmosphere mixed with a whole world you’d love to explore made this is a fascinating tale to enjoy.

A Mastery of German by Marian Denise Moore – A tale of scientific breakthroughs, memory and dealing with the past and ethics. A great lead character and another story to explore as it develops the story – it will make you think.

When the Last of the Birds and the Bees Have Gone on by C L Clark - a fascinating tale of two halves. The first half is almost a poem of life instructions to someone who is clearly not human living in a world that is not ours and then it shifts into a tale of a messenger being chased on a post-apocalyptic world to try and save something precious for the world to keep. Gorgeous language and imagery

Desiccant by Craig Laurance Gidney – a creepy tale of a building that is lowly killing its inhabitants. Love the sense o description and the use of poor housing standards for the poor to also become a modern monster for the lead character to battle

Disassembly by Makena Onjerika – probably my favourite story in the collection. A woman who has the ability to take her body apart. We watch her grow and stumble though life and every time this ability haunts her. A tale that cleverly examines mental health and also importantly recovery in a unique but very perceptive way.

Egoli by T L Huchu – an elderly grandmother in her remote village awakens early to look at the night sky. A really intelligent tale of exploring how the world changes in just one lifetime. We see the changes of technology from a radio talking about moon landings to the next level of space travel. Really impressive and a reminder of how change takes place slowly but if you look back you see a long distance travelled.

The Friendship Bench by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu – a quick but smart tale of the dangers of losing your pain. Has a disquieting sting in the tale too.

And This is How to Stay Alive by Shingai Njeri Kagunda – this powerful and sorrowful tale of time travel, suicide, the treatment of a child who is gay and grief is bittersweet. While there is a thread of hope in this tale it’s a reminder not everyone gets saved when they should be.

The Front Line by W C Dunlap – a young woman often attacked by her doctor for her weight actually is a powerful superhero with a key purpose with who she saves. Timely, smart, and surprising for all the right reasons. Another favourite.

Elsewhere there are tales of space revolutions, gods, parenthood, monsters in nightclubs and robots in spaceships. This is a truly excellent collection which will take you to the far future, past and inside the human heart. Prepare to take note of many new authors who you’ll want to know far more about also including tales from great authors such as Sheree Rene Thomas, Suyi Davies Okungbowa and Eugen Bacon. My dear readers you need this in your lives – go get it!