Black Friday: Short Stories From Africa by Cheryl S Ntumy

And now for a little counter-programming… (she says, having already bought a huge stack of gifts online.)

Subtitled Fantasy and Science Fiction from a Powerful African Voice (and with a foreword by Eugen Bacon,) this collection definitely functions as both a critique of capitalism and other exploitative systems, as well as a celebration of Ghana and of African speculative fiction. Exactly half of the eighteen stories here were published elsewhere first: the rest get their debut in this volume. Several of the stories are only vaguely speculative flavored. Unsurprisingly, those prove the weakest in an ultimately very strong collection (and are kept towards the back, so if you tire or need to go read something else, you won’t really be missing anything if you save the last handful of stories for a later date, IMO.)

The best thing about these short stories is the way they exemplify the strengths of the form. There isn’t a lot of fluff here as readers are plunged straight into worlds at once familiar and strange. From the folk horror of Lady Abra’s Butterflies to the solarpunk setting of The Feeding Ground, the vast majority of Cheryl S Ntumy’s worlds need little clarification, seeming to exist as naturally as thought. The only exceptions to this are The Way Of Baa’gh, set in a shared universe I was entirely unfamiliar with before reading this collection, and Dream State, which raises more questions than it answers in the persons of the Parfaits. Everything else is satisfyingly self-contained.

In fact, nearly every story here had me wanting more of the settings. Armour is perfect as is, but also feels like it could be the opening chapter to a terrific novel or series of same. Empathy, Easing In and The Storymage all feel like excerpts from established universes that deserve so much more exploration. As a sampler of Ms Ntumy’s rich imagination and creative prowess, this is a magnificent volume. Heck, just as a collection of speculative short stories, it’s a terrific book.

As always, Flame Tree Press does an exemplary job of ensuring that the physical item complements its contents, with a gorgeous foiled cover, sprayed edges and not one but two ribbon bookmarks. This is a fabulous tome to add to any bookshelf. And quite frankly, I feel that it’s essential reading for any modern fan of speculative fiction, especially if you’re looking to read more writing from Africa.

Black Friday: Short Stories From Africa by Cheryl S Ntumy was published April 15 2025 by Flame Tree Press and is available from all good booksellers, including