The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2023

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Chinaza Eziaghighalaby, Nalo Hopkinson, Tananarive Due, P. Djèlí Clark, Tobias Buckell, Tendai Huchu, Wole Talabi, Kemi Ashing-Giwa, Makena Onjerika, Adelehin Ijasan, Amanda Ilozumba, Michelle Iruobe, Gabrielle Emem Harry, Chisom Umeh, Dennis Mugaa, Vuyokazi Ngemntu, Chukwu Nwaka, Suzanne van Rooyen

This is the third volume in this highly praised series (the first won the World Fantasy Award). Previous works have been praised for their eclectic mix of stories, offering a panorama of themes and styles. For instance, the 2021 edition included a story about a woman struggling with her identity and relationship in the face of a thought-recording device, a tale of a man fostering a rapidly evolving robot, and an adventurous narrative about a sentient robot dog engaging in space piracy. These stories not only explored advanced technologies and speculative scenarios but also delved deep into human emotions, relationships, and societal issues. Themes of personal struggles, such as dealing with depression, anxiety, and feelings of alienation, were also prominent. These were manifested through unique and powerful metaphors, like a woman whose detachable body parts symbolized her sense...