Those include but are not limited to: mythological beings of Nigerian (Yoruba) folklore and religion, religious leaders of evangelical background, the privileged as well as the poor, members of the political and military arena, the aquatic life, a road, a LGBT group, and the aliens themselves. It’s really interesting as these function almost as vignettes since beyond the three more or less central characters aforementioned, there is also a plethora of other characters from different arenas, walks of life, circumstances. There is a decentralised aspect of the narrative because the viewpoint changes from short chapter to short chapter. Abu is a soldier, a man with strong moral and ethical conviction whose recent confrontation with fellow soldiers probably means his – and his family’s – impending doom. Anthony is a famous rapper, a man who can use words effectively and who is imbued with a strong sense of connection to the land under his feet. Three people are just about close enough to not only witness the event but to become entangled in the ensuing happenings:Īdaora is a competent, successful marine biologist (or a marine witch, depending) who is undergoing a difficult moment in her marriage to Chris, a man she has known all her life but whose recent religious conversion is proving to be a matter of great concern. It’s a story of first contact, which starts when a massive object crashes into the ocean off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria. The first thing to be said about Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor is that it is infused with this great, chaotic energy running through it – both in terms of narrative form and in actual story content. How did I get this book: Review copy from publishers Lagoon expertly juggles multiple points of view and crisscrossing narratives with prose that is at once propulsive and poetic, combining everything from superhero comics to Nigerian mythology to tie together a story about a city consuming itself.Īt its heart a story about humanity at the crossroads between the past, present, and future, Lagoon touches on political and philosophical issues in the rich tradition of the very best science fiction, and ultimately asks us to consider the things that bind us together – and the things that make us human. When a massive object crashes into the ocean off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous and legendary city, three people wandering along Bar Beach (Adaora, the marine biologist- Anthony, the rapper famous throughout Africa- Agu, the troubled soldier) find themselves running a race against time to save the country they love and the world itself… from itself.
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