Blog: January to July 2018

I have ‘finished’ WATER MUST FALL, which has turned out to be almost as long as my PhD thesis (94K), so a respectable size, without being overwhelming. Now the edits, though, and trying to whip it into a shape good enough to find a publisher. One of the most difficult parts of the whole writing process, I find. WATER MUST FALL’s central conceit: In a world of disappearing water, who gets to drink?

Cape Town’s narrowly averted DAY ZERO almost threatened to take over the book earlier this year!

Other published news:

An interview with me last year by Rob Malan of the (linked) Sci-Fi and Fantasy Network.

Writing for the Science Fiction Writers of America on (linked) Supporting Disability within SF. This was connected to a longer themed SF in SA Essay (29th) post on my site here.

For those foodies amongst you, EATING AUTHORS – on Lawrence M Schoen’s (linked) Blog.

And a review of AZANIAN BRIDGES by (linked) Black Girl Nerds earlier this year.

On African SF:

The indomitable Geoff Ryman continues his magnificent (BSFA-winning) trawl through (linked) African SFF

Tade Thompson takes his brilliant alien invasion ROSEWATER to new heights – Nigerian in situ, but only initially – and is interviewed by Liz Williams via the BSFA here.

A beautiful short story collection by Cat Hellisen, Learning How to Drown from the wonderful NewCon Press.

And the inuagural Nommos Awards for African SFF are anounced at the Ake Literary Festival in Nigeria, with Nnedi Okorafor et al.

And, if you happen to be an African writer of Speculative Fiction in its broadest sense, why not contact the (linked) African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS)?

Nick Wood
August 2018