And I wanted to particularly explore with the authors how climate and ecological concerns are addressed in this anthology. I wanted to find out more about how Africanfuturism, Africanjujuism, and Afrofuturism stories had evolved from the beginning to now. In the book’s introduction, we’re told: “As the origin of humanity and home to the world’s oldest civilizations, Africa is the origin story of storytelling.” For anyone into reading stories set around the world, this is such a powerful statement and propelled me to read more (as if the beautiful cover alone hadn’t already impressed me to discover the stories inside the book). Created in the legacy of the award-winning anthology series Dark Matter, Africa Risen celebrates the vibrancy, diversity, and reach of African and Afro-Diasporic SFF and reaffirms that Africa is not rising-it’s already here. This month we talk with Sheree, Oghenechovwe, and Zelda about their experiences working together to create this anthology as well as their seminal work to help raise Black speculative fiction voices and stories.
Adam Kirsch, The Global Novel: Writing the World in the 21st Centuryįrom award-winning editorial team Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and Zelda Knight comes an anthology of 32 original stories showcasing the breadth of fantasy and science fiction from Africa and the African diaspora: Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction ( Tordotcom, November 2022). The local gains dignity, and significance, insofar as it can be seen as a part of a worldwide phenomenon. Life lived here is experienced in its profound and often unsettling connections with life lived elsewhere, and everywhere. In this way, it is faithful to the way the global is actually lived-not through the abolition of place, but as a theme by which place is mediated. The global novel exists, not as a genre separated from and opposed to other kinds of fiction, but as a perspective that governs the interpretation of experience.
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