6 best African sci-fi and fantasy books to read this holiday

By Carl Death, Gibson Ncube, Nedine Moonsamy, and Peter J. Maurits Science fiction, fantasy, horror and other forms of speculative fiction are breathing new life into African writing. International awards, TV deals, new publishing imprints, a growing fanbase and academic studies are adding to the interest. So what are the best sci-fi and fantasy novels, short stories and anthologies to add to your wishlist? We asked six scholars who specialise in African sci-fi and fantasy to pick. Avenues by Train by Farai Mudzingwa Gibson Ncube Reading Zimbabwean writer Farai Mudzingwa’s Avenues by Train (2023), one cannot help but think of those moments when we find ourselves suspended between stations, neither here nor there, watching the passing scenes through the windows of a carriage that may or may not reach its destination. This coming-of-age novel captures the peculiar stagnation of contemporary Zimbabwe, where the promises of independence have given way to a landscape of never-ending transitions. Jedza, the protagonist, is convinced that his life is haunted. First, by the guilt of being accidentally responsible for the death of a childhood friend who was run over by a train. Second, by the disappearance of his sister in Harare. The novel operates at...