Comments on: IS AFRICA READY FOR SCIENCE FICTION? http://africasacountry.com/2009/10/07/is-africa-ready-for-science-fiction/ Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:10:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Greg http://africasacountry.com/2009/10/07/is-africa-ready-for-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-181 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:46:42 +0000 http://africasacountry.com/?p=1936#comment-181 Lauren Beukes’ ‘Moxyland’ is a spirited attempt at Afrofusion cyberpunk. Unfortunately, it’s set in Cape Town, not Johannesburg, which instantly trivialises it; worse yet, the copy I saw had a puff by Andre Brink comparing it to A Clockwork Orange ‘with all the hallmarks of a cult classic’, which is embarrassing. That said, I can’t think of a more sciencefictiony South African science fiction.

(I don’t know if you’ve encountered Ivan Vladislavic — I found his latest fiction ‘The Exploded View’ to be distinctly Ballardian, an accomplished evocation of the non-places of Johannesburg. His insight into the psychology of South African Tuscan vernacular cluster housing alone justifies a read.)

]]> By: Lara Pawson http://africasacountry.com/2009/10/07/is-africa-ready-for-science-fiction/comment-page-1/#comment-180 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:49:04 +0000 http://africasacountry.com/?p=1936#comment-180 From what I have read here, it sounds as though there is a rather limited idea of SF here. Africans on a spaceship, terminator in West Africa etc.. I thought SF was simply that until I started to read the good stuff. There’s a lot more to it than the stereo-type understanding most of us have. I began with M John Harrison’s work, and would recommend his short stories as an excellent starter. He is famous as an SF writer, which is – say many of his fans – why he’s not won the Booker. SF being the dirty word in the literary world.

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