by Wole Talabi
First published 2019
In early 22nd century Lagos, an elderly woman receives a call to examine artificial intelligence constructed from her brilliant mother's consciousness. The testing reveals unexpected complications. Meanwhile, a young man banished from Earth for passionate crime struggles to survive on a barely livable prison planet while reconciling with his history. These stories anchor a collection that spans from Lagos streets to Jupiter's frozen moons. A Nigerian physicist leads an international team developing teleportation technology, but their breakthrough produces unexpected consequences. Another tale reimagines nursery rhymes and folklore while examining how stories work and why they matter. Talabi presents twenty narratives that question human identity amid advancing technology, varied beliefs, and boundless possibilities. The collection examines survival, exile, scientific ambition, and the power of narrative itself through distinctly Nigerian eyes.
Genres: short-stories, science-fiction, african-literature, technology, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Earth, Jupiter, Lagos, Nigeria
Period: Early 22nd Century
272 pages · Paperback · Luna Press Publishing