The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021)

by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (Editor)

Overview

WINNER BEST ANTHOLOGY, WORLD FANTASY AWARDS

“You are bound to be wonderstruck.”—Lightspeed Magazine
“A must-read.”—Locus Magazine
“Highly recommended.”—The British Fantasy Society

The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021), edited by the award-winning Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, is not just a book; it's a gateway to the diverse and rich world of African speculative fiction. This anthology, a winner of the Best Anthology at the World Fantasy Awards, is a groundbreaking collection that brings together twenty-nine extraordinary stories by twenty-five talented writers from Africa and its diaspora. These stories represent some of the most exciting voices in the genre, both old and new, offering readers a journey through imaginative landscapes filled with wonder, insight, and a deep understanding of the human and beyond-human experience.

The anthology is a celebration of African speculative fiction, marking a significant moment in the genre. It is the first of its kind, highlighting the breadth and depth of talent that exists within the African speculative fiction community. The collection includes tales from a range of authors, including Somto O. Ihezue, Pemi Aguda, Russell Nichols, Tamara Jerée, Tlotlo Tsamaase, and many others, each contributing their unique voice and vision. The stories navigate themes of identity, culture, and the complexities of the human spirit in ways that are both universal and deeply rooted in African experiences.

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, the editor, is not only a skilled anthologist but also a celebrated author in his own right. His work has received multiple accolades, including the Nommo award and recognition as a Nebula and Hugo award finalist. In editing this anthology, Ekpeki has opened a door to a realm of stories that challenge, entertain, and provoke thought, offering a vital platform for voices that are often underrepresented in the global speculative fiction landscape.

This anthology is more than just a collection of stories; it is a testament to the power of speculative fiction to transcend boundaries and explore new horizons. It is highly recommended for anyone looking to delve into a world where the speculative meets the vibrantly diverse tapestry of African storytelling. Whether you're a long-time fan of speculative fiction or new to the genre, The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction (2021) is bound to leave you wonderstruck and eager for more​​​​.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647100742
Publisher:	CAEZIK
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Series:	The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction
Pages:	350
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x (d)

About the Author

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is an African speculative fiction writer, editor, and publisher in Nigeria. He has won the Nommo award twice, and an Otherwise and British Fantasy award. His novelette “02 Arena” won the Nebula award, and is a Hugo award finalist, making him the first African to be a Nebula best novelette winner and Hugo best novelette finalist. The thought-provoking piece was also a finalist for British Science Fiction, British Fantasy and Nommo awards. He edits The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction anthology series, of which he's the first African Hugo award best editor finalist for Volume One. He’s the first BIPOC to be a Hugo award finalist in the fiction and editing categories in the same year, and The Year's Best African Speculative Fiction Volume One anthology he edited and published is also a Locus, British Fantasy and World Fantasy award finalist. His works of fiction and non-fiction have appeared, and are forthcoming, in Asimov's, Tordotcom, Uncanny Magazine, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine, Galaxy's Edge, and more. He co-edited the Dominion anthology, Africa Risen anthology, and is a guest of honor at the forthcoming 2022 Cancon and 2023 International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA).

Editorial Reviews

"If these aren’t “your stories,” you are bound to be wonderstruck by the combined powers of Tobi Ogundirun, Tlotlo Tsamaase, Craig Laurance Gidney, Sheree Renée Thomas, T.L. Huchu, Tobias S. Buckell, ’Pemi Aguda, and the many other skilled storytellers in this book. This is an absolute “Must Have” for anyone who enjoys short fiction."—Lightspeed Magazine

"The ephemeral stories in here are some of the most magical, too. “The Friendship Bench” by Yvette Lisa Ndlovu places generational trauma under the lens of “there’s a gizmo for that!” with a totally unexpected, even darker twist at the very end. “Penultimate” by ZZ Claybourne shows what happens when someone discovers a pen that can alter the world. And Sheree Renee Thomas’s “The Parts That Make Us Monsters” seems to chronicle slave experiences and colonization from the perspective of beings worried about their own status as monsters, in a hauntingly lyrical story I couldn’t help but reread as soon as I finished. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg for this anthology, which includes past favorites of mine by C.L. Clark and Marian Denise Moore, among a host of other amazing fiction. It took far too long for a volume like this to exist, but it has staked its claim among the industry’s Best Of anthologies and set a new bar for others to reach."—Black Gate

"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!"—Runalong The Shelves

"YBASF is an eclectic mix of stories from a group of talented and varied writers that will transport you to a world at once familiar but, at the same time, wonderful and new. With so many tales there are going to be some that won’t land for you, but that is to be expected. Even those that weren’t quite my cup of tea, will definitely have an audience out there. The YBASF will intrigue and delight any lover of short fiction and I would recommend it."—Ginger Nuts of Horror

"I enjoyed this collection, full of imagery from another culture that we don’t see represented enough in Western culture. Many of the stories had a musical quality, almost like poetry rather than prose, and each one deserved reprinting. Highly recommended."—The British Science Fiction Society

"If you are a fan of speculative fiction or a reader looking to expand your world, The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction is a must-read. If the names of the writers look unfamiliar, all the more reason to get this, and strap-in for a journey that makes its way through stories descended from a different literary ancestor that you’re used to, and a storytelling tradition that is at once, both contemporary and ancient. Could this anthology have been better? I think so, yes. Given that this is the very first Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction, an introduction to African speculative fiction and the choices made while putting together the book and how it came to be would have helped, especially when you consider that this anthology is possibly going to be the first African speculative fiction anthology for many readers. Another noticeable lack is the omission of Ekpeki’s 2020 Otherwise Award winning novella, “Ife-Iyoku, The Tale of Imadeyunuagbon”, also published in Dominion. These would’ve made the anthology better, but that’s not to say this lack diminishes it in anyway per se. Given everything, The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction is quite possibly the best version of itself as it stands."—Locus Magazine

"The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction Volume One is a good general representation of the state of SFF in Africa and the diaspora, worth recommending both to people familiar with African and diaspora writing, and to those who are hoping for an introduction to its current trends and concerns. The book is well put together, with a diverse range of high-quality stories by both well-known and less-familiar writers. One can certainly hope Volume Two continues this trend."—The British Science Fiction Association

From the Publisher