The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes out now, and book trailer!

South African author (and Apex Book of World SF 2 contributor) Lauren Beukes's hotly-anticipated new novel, The Shining Girls, is now out! And here is the trailer!

Monday Original Content: Africa in Science Fiction, by Nick Wood

Africa in Science Fiction By Nick Wood Late November, 'Africa Si-FI' season featured visual images by Kofi Allen flickering across the large screen in the Queen Elizabeth Hall forum on London's South Bank: http://kamarazikofiallen.weebly.com/ Stylish, futuristic images, with (black) men and women in exotic clothes that alternatively shroud - or shine with shocking power -...

South African writer Sarah Lotz sells new novel to Hodder

South African author Sarah Lotz has signed a major new deal with UK publisher Hodder. We have previously reported on Sarah selling her Deadlands novels (zombies in South Africa!) to Constable & Robinson, and reprinted her story Maun of the Dead. She also contributed to our 2011: South African SF/F in Review. Congratulations, Sarah! From...

Introducing AfroSF: Science Fiction by African Writers anthology

Apex Book of World SF 2 contributor Ivor Hartmann has edited the first anthology of speculative fiction by African writers, AfroSF: Science Fiction by African Writers. It covers writers from both Africa and the African diaspora. It will be released in December 2012 in an ebook edition first and later a print edition, published by StoryTime....

Read Lauren Beukes’ “Branded” From the Apex Book of World SF 2!

Over at io9, we have Lauren Beukes's short story, Branded, available to read - one of the 26 stories now available in The Apex Book of World SF 2. Check it out and consider buying the anthology - direct from the publisher or via Amazon or Amazon UK! We were at Stones, playing pool, drinking, goofing...

Charlie Human’s Apocalypse Now Now Coming to UK

South African writer (and World SF Blog contributor) Charlie Human has been sitting on this news for a while (and so have we!) but, well, here's the official announcement: Charlie’s debut novel APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, plus an untitled follow-up, has sold to Jack Fogg at Century for a very healthy five-figure sum in a deal negotiated by John...

Five Continent Reading in Second Life

Michael Iwoleit got in touch recently to tell us of an incredibly cool thing he's organising - a virtual book reading in the world of Second Life, by 5 science fiction authors each from a different continent! Michael writes: On May 5th an event will take place in Thorsten Küper’s and Kirsten Riehl’s steampunk location...

2011 South African SF/F in Review

2011 - A Year South African Speculative Fiction Gathers Momentum By Sarah Lotz, Nick Wood and Tanya Barben   2011 has been a bursting year for South African speculative fiction, as it gathers further pace and push from the heralding, punchy impact of Lauren Beukes's first two novels. (2011 being split almost mid-year by the...

Maurice Broaddus interviews Ekaterina Sedia

Maurice Broaddus interviews Apex Book of World SF 2 contributor Ekaterina Sedia (author of the fantastic The Secret History of Moscow and the recent The House of Discarded Dreams): 2.  Is African folklore an interest of yours?  What made you decide to explore this for a fantasy novel?  With themes of the lingering effects of colonialism...

Monday Original Content: Interview with South African Author Tom Learmont

Nick Wood in conversation with South African author Tom Learmont. Interview with Tom Learmont - 14th November 2011; in a nondescript pub, Mill Hill, London, by Nick Wood I picked Tom Learmont up from Finchley Central tube station in North London and we made our way to a nearby pub for a conversation. Tom asked...