Blog: March to May 2016

Just a brief update this time.

I’ve added another SF in SA (27) Essay, entitled: ‘One Language is Never Enough: On Both Harnessing and Resisting the Western Gaze.’ (With both a debt and thanks to a wonderful writer, Rochita Loenen-Ruizand ongoing warm wishes!)

I have a story, Dream-Hunter, in the latest edition of Omenana Magazine. But please read through the entire magazine, which has a wide variety of really good, really interesting African SFF, as well as an excellent article by Wole Talabi on ‘Why Africa Needs to Create More Science Fiction.‘  Wole also has a wonderful 2015 AfroSFF recommended short fiction list as well. Also on Omenana is a resource (again, kudos to both Wole and Geoff Ryman) dedicated to listing AfroSFF published throughout 2016 – please contact Omenana if you have something to add.

I’ve also added some links to my publisher NewCon Press for my debut novel AZANIAN BRIDGES – strictly speaking it IS a debut as my previous YA Novel, The Stone Chameleon, is under 30K and more novella than novel.

Speaking of novellas, the inimtiable Bookshy explores the novellas of AfroSFv2, including Tade Thompson and my ‘The Last Pantheon.’ Tade himself deservedly won the Golden Tentacle for Best Debut at the Kitschies for MAKING WOLF, against a strong competing field, including A. Igoni Barratt’s BLACKASS. (Tade will also be joining Maureen Kincaid Speller and Andrew Milner as presenters on the Tenth Science Fiction Foundation Masterclass in Science Fiction Criticism in June.)

And, talking of awards, Aliette De Bodard became the first person ever to win a double prize (both short AND Long forms) in the British Science Fiction Awards, 2016.

(No mean feat at all - well done Aliette!!)

Finally, for those interested in reading AZANIAN BRIDGES, several reviews are linked to: firstly, via the academic Mark Bould, secondly, Andy Sawyer at The Future Fire and (most recently) Eric Brown at The Guardian. And, to top it all off, I’ve just been alerted to an article by Paul Kincaidon books in Bull Spec, a US SF magazine, in which he has obviously enjoyed reading AZANIAN BRIDGES, alongside (in particular) Jenni Fagan’sThe Sunlight Pilgrims.

So, happy reading (and writing) all!

May 2016