Nick Wood – April 2006

One final update before our brief venture into the South Island and then leaving these beautiful shores of Aotearoa New Zealand. I have an article entitled Some Thoughts On South African Science Fiction probably due for print publication later this year - the title hints at this as a personal reflection and not a comprehensive survey. I think Gail Brunette from Science Fiction South Africa may possibly have a broader article upcoming in 'Internova', although it may be a case of 'watch this space' for confirmation.

Secondly, I thought I'd mention some African spec-fic stories by an exciting, new-ish and pretty prolific writer with South African, Israeli and English (residential) connections: Lavie Tidhar. Lavie's website is at: www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~lavie/.

Tokolosh – appeared online at Whispers of Wickedness (www.ookami.co.uk) – About a man voyaging through a dreamland Africa, haunted by Tokoloshe, meeting N'kosi. The storyis available at: www.ookami.co.uk/html/tokolosh.html
Another story called Tokolosh appeared in a small press anthology called Wicked Little Girls. This story takes place in Alexandra and is about a girl, Sarafina, who seals a bargain with the Tokolosh
The Invasion of the Zog – this story appeared in issue 1 of
Apex Digest in America and Thrilling Wonder Stories 52. The Zog invade South
Africa.
The Pattern Makers of Zanzibar – appeared in a subscription-only,
short-lived UK e-zine, about the slave trade in Zanzibar, with aliens possibly doing
the trading.
Prophets of the City - set in post-apocalyptic Cape Town. This
appeared in a small press anthology, Fantasque 2004.
Malarial Nights, Blood-Poisoned Days – more of a prose poem about being sick with Malaria in Malawi, appeared online at The Dream People.
Lake of Stars – part of a 3-story cycle of which Pattern Makers is the second. This is the third – it's all about a secret history of African colonisation in which aliens are secretly running things. This one takes place on Lake Malawi and appeared in Jupiter Magazine. .
My Travels with Al-Qaeda - due out next year (2007)in an anthology edited by Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling in the US, Salon Fantastique. It takes place partly in Dar-es-Salaam and Nairobi, and concerns the Al-Qaeda attacks.

I have read several of Lavie's stories and they are well worth tracking down. Finally, I hope to eventually post up some pictures of our travels across the South Island of The-Land-of-The-Long-White-Cloud this coming week. My next update
will probably be from London, England. To good journeys as much as can be for all.