410. 3 African Short Films (or, Hey, It’s African SF!) — At the Movies
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-410-3-short-african-films/SandF_410_3_Short_African_Films.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSNew years, new shiny, and memories, oh my! Shaun Duke and Jen Zink dive into the exciding world of African short films with a look at three exciting projects from the last decade-ish — Afronauts (2017), Z: The Beginning (2019), and Pumzi (2009). Together, they explore their themes of dystopia and hope, their treatment of African culture and familiar ideas from SF, and just what makes these films so special! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
384. The 2020 Nommo Awards Short Story Short List! (Reading Rangers)
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/sand-f-384-2020-nommo-awards/SandF_384_2020NommoAwards.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS Concentrated sin, collective intelligences, and space cannibalism, oh my! Jen and Shaun are at it again (again) with another Reading Rangers format. This time, they explore the short story short list for the 2020 Nommo Awards! This one is a meaty podcast, folks. We’ve got a lot of stories to discuss, from tales of artificial intelligence to generation ship cannibalism, beings who consume the evil among us to haunted houses and their haunted tenants, and spiritual messengers and balancing acts to unusual powers and the trauma we hide. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!
Reading Rangers: Shorts #2 – The 2018 Nommo Award Finalist Short Stories
https://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/ReadingRangersShorts22018NommoAwardFinalistShortStories/ReadingRangersShorts2–2018NommoAwardFinalistShortStories.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSHello, Rangers! Time to get back into the saddle after too long a wait to highlight the wonderful short story finalists from the 2018 Nommo Awards! The Nommo Awards are hosted by the African Speculative Fiction Society and “recognise works of speculative fiction by Africans.” They mean “mean science fiction, fantasy, stories of magic and traditional belief, alternative histories, horror and strange stuff that might not fit in anywhere else.” Trish, Brandon, and Elizabeth sit down to discuss each of the short story finalists. Be sure to go read the stories, and then check out this discussion to get the interesting perspectives of our international team of short story fans! (We also highly encourage you to check out the long list of short story nominees for The Nommos). We hope you enjoy the episode!
Book Review: Rosewater by Tade Thompson
In the mid-21st century, the year 2066 to be precise, Kaaro has a number of jobs and ways to make ends meet in the conglomeration of humanity known as Rosewater, located in Nigeria. From foiling Nigerian bank scams to finding people and things, Kaaro’s unusual psionic abilities, his connection to the so called xenosphere, are a mixed blessing to be sure, but they are also a way to make ends meet. It is a living, for better and worse. Rosewater, too, is much like that, a welter of humanity that lives around the alien domed structure known as Utopicity. Every so often the dome opens, and people who are near the dome when it happens can be cured of their ailments, diseases and problems. This is, for better and worse, not always a smooth process for those chosen to be healed. Over a variety of time frames, we piece together not only Kaaro’s story, but the story of Rosewater as well, Kaaro’s crucial role in the creation of the alien dome, and the community around it. And we slowly get to unfold what its future, and the future of Kaaro, too, will be.
Shorty on Friday: Omenana
Omenana, a bimonthly speculative fiction magazine edited by Mazi Nwonwu and Chinelo Onwualu, includes short fiction, essays, and art by and about people from the African continent. Its debut issue appeared on November 30, and the stories within work very well together. Two are more traditional narratives, while two are more experimental; there are contemporary settings and futures near and far, nods to Nigeria’s literary legacy, and a love letter to Lagos. The essays are powerful and the art is lovely. The tl;dr of this column is that you should alter your weekend plans as necessary to read the first issue.
