Well, it’s been a busy and disturbing 2016 on many levels – I’ll stick mostly with the fiction, although the downturn of Trump and BREXIT are already marginalising the market of dystopian fiction.

I mean, how bad can it get, right?

***** all signals down ****

Of VERY good news at least is the formation of The African Speculative Fiction Society – kudos to Geoff Ryman for leading on this – and nominations are already open for the Nommo Awards – for novels, short fiction, comics/graphic novels and novellas. Nominations are due to close the end of March 2017.

Geoff Ryman’s series of lectures on 100 African SFF writers at TOR has been moved on to Strange Horizons, with the next episode (3) covering South African resident SF writers.Episode 2, which focuses on UK resident writers, includes an interview with me amongst others and will stay available on TOR.

For comic and graphic novel lovers, I’ve posted an Overview on South African Comics under my SF in SA Series (number 28!)

As for my own work, I was pleased to see AZANIAN BRIDGES make a few ‘Best SF of 2016’ summary sites and most especially in The Guardian and Best SF Books.

ROSEWATER by Tade Thompson was released by Apex Books late in 2016 and my 5 starred review of this book is here: So go – Read It!

Wole Talabi, himself a talented author – he’s posted his own Hugo Award eligibility here: – published a 2016 Best African Short SFF list here, which included my 2016 short story in OMENANA, ‘Dream-Hunter’.

As for 2017, I’m working on a near future novel looking at WATER – for a great series of short stories on this theme, go to Short Story Day Africa: I’m also part of a series of lectures on AFRICAN SFF at SOAS, the University of London. (More details to be added.) So if you’re in London on 22nd February 2017 please pop in and say hello after my talk on South African Speculative Fiction.

Finally, here’s to standing together and facing up to the rise of fascism with strength and renewed vigour in our fiction!

Nick Wood
January 2017