BBC World Service: Is Science Fiction coming to Africa?

[Vertigo]

Just caught the tail end of this on the radio so I haven't actually listened to it yet:

Is science fiction coming to Africa? Or is it already here? Lauren Beukes, South African author and winner of the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction in 2011, investigates.

The iPlayer link is below. I'm not sure if non UK folk will be able to access it but you might as it was a World Service broadcast.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...ing_to_Africa/

[Connavar]

ACC award must first go to west African or any other African authors outside Brit South African authors like Beaukes who live in Australia. To me its seems like the opposite of postcolonial world to hail only white South Africans as SF in Africa.....

A Nigerian author did win World Fantasy recently though. Thats my trouble with literature from Africa, all the authors who are acclaimed from the continent work and live in the western countries like US,UK.

[Vertigo]

To be fair the bit of the program I listened to was definitely not exclusively about white authors, in fact one of the problems expressed was how hard it was for coloured Africans to break into SF.

One interesting thing that came up was they were talking to a Nigerian author, I didn't catch the name I'm afraid (it was 2:30am), and she said one of the problems for Nigerian authors is that they, naturally, would like their work read outside of Nigeria. But this presents problems in that there are many things about life in Nigeria that need to be explained for non Nigerian (or non West African) readers (the same is probably true of many other areas such as India, Asia, South America and, of course other African countries). If too much of this explaining is done then it makes it a pain for local readers who already know all that stuff and even makes the book seem like it is not written for them at all. She (the Nigerian author) stated that getting this balance right was a major problem for her in her writing.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by Vertigo

To be fair the bit of the program I listened to was definitely not exclusively about white authors, in fact one of the problems expressed was how hard it was for coloured Africans to break into SF.

One interesting thing that came up was they were talking to a Nigerian author, I didn't catch the name I'm afraid (it was 2:30am), and she said one of the problems for Nigerian authors is that they, naturally, would like their work read outside of Nigeria. But this presents problems in that there are many things about life in Nigeria that need to be explained for non Nigerian (or non West African) readers (the same is probably true of many other areas such as India, Asia, South America and, of course other African countries). If too much of this explaining is done then it makes it a pain for local readers who already know all that stuff and even makes the book seem like it is not written for them at all. She (the Nigerian author) stated that getting this balance right was a major problem for her in her writing.

Its not only SF where non-white african authors have problem. South African authors who are not white,english speaking complain how they dont get the same chances because of they dont write in english.

I get sick of how in here in Sweden publishing world publish so many crime fiction,mainstream fiction by europeen looking African authors. The many other cultures,languages dont get translated or get the same attention. Also the trouble of limiting the whole continent like its one country.

The trouble is African publishing world is light years after and the western publishers decide, have the power to publish what they see as African literature which is troubling to say the least....

There is no African SF like there is no European SF, there is only British SF,Russian SF,Swedish SF etc.....

[Vertigo]

All fair points Conn and probably equally valid elsewhere like the ubiquitous Latin American tag. Though sharing the same language (mostly) life's probably a bit earier for them.

[Ökuþórr]

Originally Posted by Vertigo

To be fair the bit of the program I listened to was definitely not exclusively about white authors, in fact one of the problems expressed was how hard it was for coloured Africans to break into SF.

One interesting thing that came up was they were talking to a Nigerian author, I didn't catch the name I'm afraid (it was 2:30am), and she said one of the problems for Nigerian authors is that they, naturally, would like their work read outside of Nigeria. But this presents problems in that there are many things about life in Nigeria that need to be explained for non Nigerian (or non West African) readers (the same is probably true of many other areas such as India, Asia, South America and, of course other African countries). If too much of this explaining is done then it makes it a pain for local readers who already know all that stuff and even makes the book seem like it is not written for them at all. She (the Nigerian author) stated that getting this balance right was a major problem for her in her writing.

I would have thought this a good thing for Sci Fi or Fantasy. I would expect readers of science fiction to be embracing of something new and different. These uniquely Nigerian things could be a great addition to the Sci Fi world and could add to the sense of alien (for non Nigerians) if writing a future or alternate society.

[Stephen Palmer]

The great thing is we're discussing Africa in the context of SF. I like.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Connavar

The trouble is African publishing world is light years after and the western publishers decide, have the power to publish what they see as African literature which is troubling to say the least....

In the mainstream that may well be true but fortunately there are some discerning publishers and editors who do provide some level of exposure of less well known African writers in English translation in addition to the better known 'literary' writers in the West like Naghuib Mahfouz, Chinua Achebe, Nardine Gordimer and J.M. Coetze. When I resurrect my World Lit thread it will be a good opportunity for us to explore this largely untapped reservoir even further. This will also inlcude African writers who specialize in SFF. Admittedly I don't have a vast supply of English translated SFF in particular but I do have a very good antholgoy entitled 'Dark Matter:A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora'. Admittedly it focuses on African American writers but still shines a light on many very good but poorly known writers of the past and present. I'm sadly not aware of a comprehensive anthology that offers translated works by SFF African writes living and working in Africa. Certainly I think it would interest SFF fans if one were to be published.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by GOLLUM

In the mainstream that may well be true but fortunately there are some discerning publishers and editors who do provide some level of exposure of less well known African writers in English translation in addition to the better known 'literary' writers in the West like Naghuib Mahfouz, Chinua Achebe, Nardine Gordimer and J.M. Coetze. When I resurrect my World Lit thread it will be a good opportunity for us to explore this largely untapped reservoir even further. This will also inlcude African writers who specialize in SFF. Admittedly I don't have a vast supply of English translated SFF in particular but I do have a very good antholgoy entitled 'Dark Matter:A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora'. Admittedly it focuses on African American writers but still shines a light on many very good but poorly known writers of the past and present. I'm sadly not aware of a comprehensive anthology that offers translated works by SFF African writes living and working in Africa. Certainly I think it would interest SFF fans if one were to be published.

Yeah I meant mainstream publishers because I have read broader selection of African general fiction author thanks to small publishers in UK,US(I don't use literary writers for serious general fiction authors).

I know of Dark Matter because of Charles.R.Sauners. Even afro-American authors are important in this when they write quality SFF. Saunders S&S based on real African history and myths is important reading for me since SFF like that by African authors are very rare. The authors in the continent seem to think you have write political books to be taken seriously and be published outside.

Again that's because of the lack of African consistent publishing. The authors are sadly listening to Penguins demand for new Chinua Achebe than anything else....

[Vertigo]

I shall be watching out for recommendations on African SFF then! Never really read any so it would be very interesting to try some.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Connavar

I know of Dark Matter because of Charles.R.Sauners. Even afro-American authors are important in this when they write quality SFF. Saunders S&S based on real African history and myths is important reading for me since SFF like that by African authors are very rare. The authors in the continent seem to think you have write political books to be taken seriously and be published outside.

Indeed. I have Saunders' collected S&S and it is of a high standard. That might be a good starting point for African SFF in particular when I update the World Lit thread. I'll personally need to revisit those stories first as it is a few years ago since I first purchased the Saunders stories.

@Vertigo: I can unreserverdly recommend both Saunders' S&S and the 'eye-opening' anthology Dark Matters, which won the World Fantasy Award for best anthology in the early 1990s....

[Vertigo]

Hmm, gee thanks, Gollum, so not just one but two books to add to my pile!

Do you know anything about the second book in the series:

Dark Matter: Reading The Bones

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Vertigo

Hmm, gee thanks, Gollum, so not just one but two books to add to my pile!

Do you know anything about the second book in the series:

Dark Matter: Reading The Bones

Other than it features more African American writers next to nothing. I'm probably not getting that one but I'm sure it's likely to be a quality anthology like the original collection.

I would stick with the Dark Matter anthology first and foremost and if you like that then either move on to Saunders or this second anthology.

[GOLLUM]

To add a little more to my answer here is a review of said anthology...

http://www.sfsite.com/01a/dm167.htm

[Vertigo]

You suggest you have Saunders' collected S&S but I'm struggling to find such a collection. I can find 4 novels by him (three in the Imaro series), some anthologies including his work but no collection of just his work (looking on several bookseller sites and also on fantastic fiction).

You added whilst I was typing I have looked at a couple of reviews of the second anthology and I suspect if I like the first (now ordered from Abe books) I shall probably like the second.

Any comments on his Imaro series of books?