What do you think?
Rate this book
Convergence Problems
Convergence Problems is a new short story collection from award-winning, Nebula-nominated Nigerian author Wole Talabi
Containing brand-new stories, rewrites of early work, and a few previously published pieces, Wole Talabi’s new collection, Convergence Problems , consists of sixteen short stories and one previously unseen novella. All of the stories in this collection are set in, or relate to, Africa, and investigate the rapidly changing role of technology in our lives as we search for meaning, for knowledge, for justice; constantly converging to our future selves.
In Lagos, Nigeria, a roadside mechanic volunteers to undergo a procedure that will increase the electrical conductivity of his skin by orders of magnitude. On Mars, a woman races against time and a previously undocumented geological phenomenon to save her brother. In Nairobi, a tech support engineer tries to understand what is happening when an AI system begins malfunctioning in ways that could change the world.
Containing brand-new stories, rewrites of early work, and a few previously published pieces, Wole Talabi’s new collection, Convergence Problems , consists of sixteen short stories and one previously unseen novella. All of the stories in this collection are set in, or relate to, Africa, and investigate the rapidly changing role of technology in our lives as we search for meaning, for knowledge, for justice; constantly converging to our future selves.
In Lagos, Nigeria, a roadside mechanic volunteers to undergo a procedure that will increase the electrical conductivity of his skin by orders of magnitude. On Mars, a woman races against time and a previously undocumented geological phenomenon to save her brother. In Nairobi, a tech support engineer tries to understand what is happening when an AI system begins malfunctioning in ways that could change the world.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 13, 2024
45 people are currently reading
5,017 people want to read
About the author
Wole Talabi
53Ìýbooks179ÌýfollowersWOLE TALABI is an engineer, writer, and editor from Nigeria. He is the author of the novel SHIGIDI AND THE BRASS HEAD OF OBALUFON (DAW books/Gollancz, 2023). His short fiction has appeared in places like Asimov’s Science Fiction, Lightspeed Magazine, Tor.com and is collected in CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS (DAW books, 2024) and INCOMPLETE SOLUTIONS (Luna Press, 2019). He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and Nommo awards, as well as the Caine Prize for African Writing. He has edited five anthologies including a 2-volume translation anthology in Bengali, AFRICANFUTURISM (Brittlepaper, 2020) and the forthcoming MOTHERSOUND: THE SAUÚTIVERSE ANTHOLOGY (Android Press, 2023). He likes scuba diving, elegant equations, and oddly shaped things. He currently lives and works in Malaysia. Find him at wtalabi.wordpress.com and at @wtalabi on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Tiktok.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
March 28, 2025
Happy Publication Day!
One year, one month later, I finally read and write my review of this amazing collection of science fiction fantasy stories that can collectively be called Afrofuturism, as Talabi is a renowned and award nominated Nigerian author. I first encountered this author with his amazing novel, which I very much enjoyed, but have been sitting on this Netgalley ARC for way too long, as I have been struggling with the short story format for too long now.
How wrong I was to allow this collection to be laid aside! So many of these stories were simply excellent, in my opinion, and all of them exhibited Talabi's talent with the written word. My favorites include "Lights in the Sky" and "Ganger", one of the shorter and longer of the stories, respectively.
I look forward to Wole Talabi's continued talented writings. Kudos on a great collection!
One year, one month later, I finally read and write my review of this amazing collection of science fiction fantasy stories that can collectively be called Afrofuturism, as Talabi is a renowned and award nominated Nigerian author. I first encountered this author with his amazing novel, which I very much enjoyed, but have been sitting on this Netgalley ARC for way too long, as I have been struggling with the short story format for too long now.
How wrong I was to allow this collection to be laid aside! So many of these stories were simply excellent, in my opinion, and all of them exhibited Talabi's talent with the written word. My favorites include "Lights in the Sky" and "Ganger", one of the shorter and longer of the stories, respectively.
I look forward to Wole Talabi's continued talented writings. Kudos on a great collection!
January 23, 2024
This is an excellent short story collection about grief, family, sense of self and artificial intelligence. The stories were all great (16 in total, some longer and some shorter), though there were some definite standouts.
My favorites were:
- Saturday's Song, about seven mysterious siblings named after the days of the week who chronicle humanity's stories and also about the story Saturday asks them to tell, which is about grief and revenge and duty and the terrible things we do for them.
- Ganger, one of the longer stories in this collection, this is alternates a Yoruba folktale about an old hunter who gains the power to transform into a jaguar and the story of Laide, a young woman in a dystopian society where everything is provided for her but where basic freedoms are denied, who finds meaning in her life when she gains the ability to transfer her consciousness in the body of a robot.
- A Dream of Electric Mothers. The last story in this collection, this was nominated for a Hugo and a Nebula, and for good reason. A young minister pushes for the consultation of the "Electric Mothers", an intelligence comprised of all the consciousnesses of the dead citizens of her country, while she deals with the loss of her own mother.
These three were my favorites, but all the others were fantastic as well. Absolutely recommended!
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
My favorites were:
- Saturday's Song, about seven mysterious siblings named after the days of the week who chronicle humanity's stories and also about the story Saturday asks them to tell, which is about grief and revenge and duty and the terrible things we do for them.
- Ganger, one of the longer stories in this collection, this is alternates a Yoruba folktale about an old hunter who gains the power to transform into a jaguar and the story of Laide, a young woman in a dystopian society where everything is provided for her but where basic freedoms are denied, who finds meaning in her life when she gains the ability to transfer her consciousness in the body of a robot.
- A Dream of Electric Mothers. The last story in this collection, this was nominated for a Hugo and a Nebula, and for good reason. A young minister pushes for the consultation of the "Electric Mothers", an intelligence comprised of all the consciousnesses of the dead citizens of her country, while she deals with the loss of her own mother.
These three were my favorites, but all the others were fantastic as well. Absolutely recommended!
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
March 11, 2024
This book was SO GOOD. I enjoyed every short story in Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi. They’re afrofuturism sci fi. Some take place in the near future, and some are far from the present day. This collection grabbed me from the very first story, about AI making their own version of art that is different from ours. It had one of those really great endings that make you think I can’t wait to read more by this author. He writes beautifully, and he really knows how to end a story. With so many of them, I finished and thought, wow, that was just right.
There’s one story that’s only a handful of pages, but in that time it’s so intense and manages to crush your heart (Lights in the Sky). There are other stories that made me smile, or made me think. Make sure you read the author’s notes about each of the stories at the end. It was interesting. And I learned that some of my favorites have related stories that I need to seek out now.
This collection was so amazingly good that it’s hard to pick favorites. I mentioned the first story in the book (Debut). There’s one that has the seven days of the week all taking turns to tell a story (Saturday’s Song) that weaves in folklore. There are stories about love between family, siblings, and partners. There are stories about hard choices being made to survive or get by. There’s a story told in the form of comments on a patent application (Comments on Your Provisional Patent Application for an Eternal Spirit Core), which is so unique! There’s a story about what companies of the future could demand from workers that is quite frightening (Performance Review). And there’s the novella that left me hoping the author would turn it into a book, but also not, because the ending was *chef’s kiss* (Ganger).
It’s no surprise that this author’s work has been nominated for numerous awards. I absolutely need to read more by him! I highly recommend this book. Thank you to DAW Books for the review copy! I loved it.
There’s one story that’s only a handful of pages, but in that time it’s so intense and manages to crush your heart (Lights in the Sky). There are other stories that made me smile, or made me think. Make sure you read the author’s notes about each of the stories at the end. It was interesting. And I learned that some of my favorites have related stories that I need to seek out now.
This collection was so amazingly good that it’s hard to pick favorites. I mentioned the first story in the book (Debut). There’s one that has the seven days of the week all taking turns to tell a story (Saturday’s Song) that weaves in folklore. There are stories about love between family, siblings, and partners. There are stories about hard choices being made to survive or get by. There’s a story told in the form of comments on a patent application (Comments on Your Provisional Patent Application for an Eternal Spirit Core), which is so unique! There’s a story about what companies of the future could demand from workers that is quite frightening (Performance Review). And there’s the novella that left me hoping the author would turn it into a book, but also not, because the ending was *chef’s kiss* (Ganger).
It’s no surprise that this author’s work has been nominated for numerous awards. I absolutely need to read more by him! I highly recommend this book. Thank you to DAW Books for the review copy! I loved it.
March 1, 2024
16 afrofuturistic science fiction short stories exploring and providing commentary on the potential challenges we might face in either the near future or in alternate realities. I was blown away by so many of the stories but most especially:
Saturday’s Song (7 god-like siblings chronicling an entirely human tale and learning from it), and
A Dream of Electric Mothers (Nebula-nominated novella featuring border disputes, a sentient AI formed from the collective consciousness of the deceased citizens of the country.)
(+) Nigerian author, Black cast of characters, some stories featuring QPOC characters
Saturday’s Song (7 god-like siblings chronicling an entirely human tale and learning from it), and
A Dream of Electric Mothers (Nebula-nominated novella featuring border disputes, a sentient AI formed from the collective consciousness of the deceased citizens of the country.)
(+) Nigerian author, Black cast of characters, some stories featuring QPOC characters
September 2, 2024
THIS is what I mean when I say that we need more person-first science fiction. All of these stories have cool technology or new ideas, but at the core they are focused on characters, interpersonal relationships, and emotion. Characters grab me so much more than scientific ideas. I was also very pleasantly surprised that a male sci-fi author has so many multifaceted, truly well-written female characters. And not just as love interests. Women in this book are leaders, scientists, lovers, villains, gods, and often just ordinary citizens doing their best. Talabi even acknowledges the struggles that women often face in the world. His characters reflect on their own gender and the difficulties that they have to deal with because of it. Women chase pleasure as much as men. There were even a few lesbians! That may feel like the bare minimum, but it is actually so rare in sci-fi written by men. Some of these stories were hopeful but most were bleak. With great characters, sharp endings, and interesting set-ups, I think this collection deserves so much more international attention.
Read
March 10, 2024There are some books that turn your mind inside out, push your thoughts past limitations, expand and broaden what you know, what you think you know, and what you are still struggling to comprehend. That's the kind of collection this is, and I suggest everyone to pick this one up whether you are a fan of sci-fi or stories that explore humanity and science/evolution through a philosophical lens while never losing the emotional core of the characters. I have so many thoughts after reading this collection that it'll take me a while to gather them all together, but the full review will be forthcoming!
Favourites:
"Ganger" � novella
"Performance Review" � short story
"Comments on Your Provisional Patent Application for an Eternal Spirit Core" � experimental format short story
"A Dream of Electric Mothers" � novelette
Favourites:
"Ganger" � novella
"Performance Review" � short story
"Comments on Your Provisional Patent Application for an Eternal Spirit Core" � experimental format short story
"A Dream of Electric Mothers" � novelette
October 9, 2023
CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS takes you from future Nigeria, to Mars, by asking the questions we're not always comfortable encountering. His stories are tight and pack a lot of thought with a light-handed wry realism that doesn't lose the message for the world, and the story for the message. The Nebula-nominated "Dream of Electric Mothers" is a clear favourite, and I also loved "Ganger", a story about the difference between surviving, adapting, and thriving; and "Nigerian Dreams". Excellent collection, and a powerful follow-up to Talabi's SHIGIDI.
March 12, 2024
Very rarely does a collection by a single author maintain the clarity and quality Talabi manages in Convergence Problems. From the very clever and very worthy theme embodied in the title of the collection, to the engineering detail and uncanny application of just enough detail that unfamiliar places and concepts feel real, this is a masterwork. Too often authors take all the short fiction they have, toss it into a book with a table of contents and send it into the world without direction. This book has a constant theme running throughout... futures and societies where things that seemed so close to perfect, or correct, are not quite accurate, or are violently skewed by the application of reality.
I have some clear favorites in this collection:
"Saturday's Song," offers a group of storytelling siblings finding new ways to reach old truths in a series of very interesting, intertwined tales. "Gangers" confronts a slew of psychological and societal issues, while peeling back the sometimes-stubborn onion we call freedom a layer at a time.
“Nigerian Dreams� is a story that, and I assume this to be at least part of the purpose, sent me down a small rabbit hole of research on the history of that country, trying to get a full grasp on the two very separate opinions on what would constitute the Nigerian Dream.
Some of the works, like “A Dream of Electric Mothers,� need no new comment from me, but I was both amused and somewhat concerned for the world while reading "Debut," where - very similar to the misconception authors have previously presented - that aliens, if they visited Earth, would communicate with us as we do with one another, visits the notion that if AI ever actually created something unique and meaningful, it would not be so to us - but would be targeting other forms of AI.
This is a powerful collection. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the talented Ben Arogundade, who was the perfect voice, cultured and smooth and able to lend the proper emotion, while perfectly comfortable with the engineering and technical aspects of the prose.
Highly recommended.
I have some clear favorites in this collection:
"Saturday's Song," offers a group of storytelling siblings finding new ways to reach old truths in a series of very interesting, intertwined tales. "Gangers" confronts a slew of psychological and societal issues, while peeling back the sometimes-stubborn onion we call freedom a layer at a time.
“Nigerian Dreams� is a story that, and I assume this to be at least part of the purpose, sent me down a small rabbit hole of research on the history of that country, trying to get a full grasp on the two very separate opinions on what would constitute the Nigerian Dream.
Some of the works, like “A Dream of Electric Mothers,� need no new comment from me, but I was both amused and somewhat concerned for the world while reading "Debut," where - very similar to the misconception authors have previously presented - that aliens, if they visited Earth, would communicate with us as we do with one another, visits the notion that if AI ever actually created something unique and meaningful, it would not be so to us - but would be targeting other forms of AI.
This is a powerful collection. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the talented Ben Arogundade, who was the perfect voice, cultured and smooth and able to lend the proper emotion, while perfectly comfortable with the engineering and technical aspects of the prose.
Highly recommended.
March 16, 2025
Wow, what a cool collection of stories. Really interesting premise both overall and for each story. I wish a few of them were longer and some characters more developed, but the whole collection was such a fun and wholly interesting read (even though it became eerie to finish setting up a new phone while also finishing a book about our technological overlords)
Favorites: Debut, Ganger, Abeokuta52, Dream of Electric Mothers
Favorites: Debut, Ganger, Abeokuta52, Dream of Electric Mothers
January 18, 2025
Superb SciFi stories! Not too hard, not too soft!
Wole is too talented, damn it!
I read a few in the virtual realm (Second Life Book Club Island #2 I think?) =
Wole is too talented, damn it!
I read a few in the virtual realm (Second Life Book Club Island #2 I think?) =
February 28, 2024
I have a new favorite writer... review to come. 🥰
April 16, 2024
This was an incredible set of short stories focused primarily on Afrofuturistic sci-fi, but with some fantasy elements also. Several stories resonated with real-world problems so well that I felt like Wole was developing solutions in his stories. In An Arc of Electric Skin, the pain of a people who have been beaten down from within the systems is felt, and the anger surrounding this shines through the main character’s decisions.
“He’d realized then that he’d been so focused on surviving the system that he hadn’t ever truly been alive, that he was doing nothing but dying slowly and had been doing so for a long time.�
Saturday’s Song strikes so many good emotional notes and is a sequel to a previous short story that he wrote for another collection that I really need to track down now.
“The look of someone who had seen the worst of the world had stared into the dark heart of humanity but had survived and resolved to live, love, and laugh freely despite it.�
Ganger, the longest of the stories contained within COnvergence Problems, captured a bit of how I’m sure a lot of us feel sometimes about the world:
“The opposite of happiness isn’t sadness or anger. It’s hopelessness. It’s feeling like your life has no meaning.�
After reading Greatest Hits by Harlan Ellison, I wasn’t sure when I would be reading sci-fi/fantasy short stories again, yet here we are and I feel like Wole Talabi is able to not just write as well or better than Harlan Ellison, but he is able to put even more emotion and impact into his words.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS
The stories are so damn good and I’m glad that DAW Books was so kind as to send me a copy!
“He’d realized then that he’d been so focused on surviving the system that he hadn’t ever truly been alive, that he was doing nothing but dying slowly and had been doing so for a long time.�
Saturday’s Song strikes so many good emotional notes and is a sequel to a previous short story that he wrote for another collection that I really need to track down now.
“The look of someone who had seen the worst of the world had stared into the dark heart of humanity but had survived and resolved to live, love, and laugh freely despite it.�
Ganger, the longest of the stories contained within COnvergence Problems, captured a bit of how I’m sure a lot of us feel sometimes about the world:
“The opposite of happiness isn’t sadness or anger. It’s hopelessness. It’s feeling like your life has no meaning.�
After reading Greatest Hits by Harlan Ellison, I wasn’t sure when I would be reading sci-fi/fantasy short stories again, yet here we are and I feel like Wole Talabi is able to not just write as well or better than Harlan Ellison, but he is able to put even more emotion and impact into his words.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS
The stories are so damn good and I’m glad that DAW Books was so kind as to send me a copy!
December 4, 2024
9 Wole Talabi is now confirmed (with this, his second collection) to be one of my favourite (if not the favourite) short story SF-author. We live in an age where there is an abundance of great short fiction available, and even more enjoyable: short fiction not only from the US and the UK, but from all over the world. I love reading anthologies with stories from other cultures and continents. So far, I find I like the African SF (a broad term of course) most. And Wole Talabi is a great example of that new (and old) tradition, that has in it the power of rejuvenate the SF genre (and speculative literature as a whole). I hope to discover many more authors like Talabi and stories like these.
What makes these stories so good? Well, they're well written of course. They're not overly complicated and not verbose, but the author plays with his style and with the structure of his stories, in some stories featuring a group of story tellers named for the days of the week, in another story comparing and contrasting a SF-tale with a folk story and writing stories in surprising shapes: like a blog post or a patent application (with comments). The joy of story telling is on show here. But also as an engineer Talabi gives these stories a great technical background. The futures he describes feel plausible and like the best of 'old SF' most stories are about a technological innovation and its consequences. In a way I feel Talabi manages to combine the old school hard SF with a very modern approach and I like that. This also takes care that the stories do not devolve into 'slice of life' stories or observations of character without plot. (Which is not wrong, as many people love these stories in a more literary style - I think of Lavie Tidhar for example, but it's just not my preference). But - and an important but - Talabi makes the stories about the characters anyway. Technology is not enough - it's always about its effect on people - and here we are not talking about the hyper individualized people of some western SF-stories, living solitary lives, searching for pleasure and not wanting to be bound by responsibility (I of course generalize). Here we have people being part of complex social structures: families, communities, countries, belief systems. These people still have a sense of belonging to something that is larger than them. The traditions past on by previous generations, while sometimes keeping them repressed (as in the story where a mother wants to get her grieving son to her pastor), at other times give them power to resist dehumanization - as in the very powerful story 'Ganger'. I find it refreshing that in these stories religion is not something to be derided or made fun of - as it is in many western SF-stories - but it is seen as an important part of the identity of communities. The world is not simply a mechanism running down, but it has a spiritual life of its own. And whether or not the gods are really there, they are important to tell stories about, because we are stories. And when we tell stories that are too small, that are just about individual wish fulfillment and not about meaning and purpose, we ourselves will become too small. Reading these stories I feel like I'm reading stories that are realy about important things. Stories that remind me what it is to be human. That all makes it sound too grandiose. I also simply enjoy these stories for being at the forefront of technology and still being well told by a master storyteller. I for one will look forward to new short stories by Wole Talabi and I hope more readers will find these collections and enjoy them as much as I have.
What makes these stories so good? Well, they're well written of course. They're not overly complicated and not verbose, but the author plays with his style and with the structure of his stories, in some stories featuring a group of story tellers named for the days of the week, in another story comparing and contrasting a SF-tale with a folk story and writing stories in surprising shapes: like a blog post or a patent application (with comments). The joy of story telling is on show here. But also as an engineer Talabi gives these stories a great technical background. The futures he describes feel plausible and like the best of 'old SF' most stories are about a technological innovation and its consequences. In a way I feel Talabi manages to combine the old school hard SF with a very modern approach and I like that. This also takes care that the stories do not devolve into 'slice of life' stories or observations of character without plot. (Which is not wrong, as many people love these stories in a more literary style - I think of Lavie Tidhar for example, but it's just not my preference). But - and an important but - Talabi makes the stories about the characters anyway. Technology is not enough - it's always about its effect on people - and here we are not talking about the hyper individualized people of some western SF-stories, living solitary lives, searching for pleasure and not wanting to be bound by responsibility (I of course generalize). Here we have people being part of complex social structures: families, communities, countries, belief systems. These people still have a sense of belonging to something that is larger than them. The traditions past on by previous generations, while sometimes keeping them repressed (as in the story where a mother wants to get her grieving son to her pastor), at other times give them power to resist dehumanization - as in the very powerful story 'Ganger'. I find it refreshing that in these stories religion is not something to be derided or made fun of - as it is in many western SF-stories - but it is seen as an important part of the identity of communities. The world is not simply a mechanism running down, but it has a spiritual life of its own. And whether or not the gods are really there, they are important to tell stories about, because we are stories. And when we tell stories that are too small, that are just about individual wish fulfillment and not about meaning and purpose, we ourselves will become too small. Reading these stories I feel like I'm reading stories that are realy about important things. Stories that remind me what it is to be human. That all makes it sound too grandiose. I also simply enjoy these stories for being at the forefront of technology and still being well told by a master storyteller. I for one will look forward to new short stories by Wole Talabi and I hope more readers will find these collections and enjoy them as much as I have.
February 24, 2025
I am not a sci-fi guy, but am floored by this short story collection. Rarely do I read a collection of short stories where I love every one. I wish “Gange� was a whole book.
April 24, 2024
An absolutely fantastic varied and exciting collection of SF and Fantasy tales. Lots of interesting ideas and situations explored - strongly recommended
Full Review -
Full Review -
March 18, 2024
Scifi short stories at their peak, from an up-and-coming African author with a distinctive voice.
"People are made of stories too, but only the versions of their stories that they tell themselves."
Meet the women of Wole Talabi's science fiction crew:
Ng'endo, high-ranking tech supervisor, who discovers AI is making art by itselves.
The unnamed doctor, who teaches her lover to channel lightning.
Saturday, whose stories are told through the voices of her siblings (with a nod to Shigidi from Talabi's first book).
The mother & daughter whose memories fuel Kalu, the soldier in the story "Lights in the Sky," written uniquely in second-person point of view.
Folake, a scientist monitoring Mars from her orbital space station, desperately trying to understand if being a hero or being family is more important.
"Gamma: Love in the Age of Radiation Poisoning" and the unnamed narrator who tells her brief love story.
Laide, with brain technology and societal interference, that cause her some... difficulties. And a scathing satire of Apartheid.
"Sometimes the only way to be free is to go deeper into the prison."
Stella, the scientist mother who inspires an alien investigation.
Lagos, and the city, she who is alive and dying and reborn.
Nneka, experiencing on-the-job pressure and experimentation.
B, the giver and receiver of Silence.
Tinuke, the astronaut at Europa Exploration Station.
Emeko, inventor of eternal spirit memory electronics, whose documents with her brother tell a chilling story.
Dolapo, the government committee military leader whose REM sleep journey into thoughtspace.
"People are made of stories too, but only the versions of their stories that they tell themselves."
Meet the women of Wole Talabi's science fiction crew:
Ng'endo, high-ranking tech supervisor, who discovers AI is making art by itselves.
The unnamed doctor, who teaches her lover to channel lightning.
Saturday, whose stories are told through the voices of her siblings (with a nod to Shigidi from Talabi's first book).
The mother & daughter whose memories fuel Kalu, the soldier in the story "Lights in the Sky," written uniquely in second-person point of view.
Folake, a scientist monitoring Mars from her orbital space station, desperately trying to understand if being a hero or being family is more important.
"Gamma: Love in the Age of Radiation Poisoning" and the unnamed narrator who tells her brief love story.
Laide, with brain technology and societal interference, that cause her some... difficulties. And a scathing satire of Apartheid.
"Sometimes the only way to be free is to go deeper into the prison."
Stella, the scientist mother who inspires an alien investigation.
Lagos, and the city, she who is alive and dying and reborn.
Nneka, experiencing on-the-job pressure and experimentation.
B, the giver and receiver of Silence.
Tinuke, the astronaut at Europa Exploration Station.
Emeko, inventor of eternal spirit memory electronics, whose documents with her brother tell a chilling story.
Dolapo, the government committee military leader whose REM sleep journey into thoughtspace.
October 31, 2024
Ted Chiang is my favorite author, so I am always in search of other diverse speculative short story collections. While CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS fits the bill, it lacks a little something extra that would elevate it into an emotionally moving and memorable read for me.
First, the good. I love the Nigerian-ness of this collection. Many of Talabi’s stories are set in a future Nigeria that explore how global developments in AI, technology, climate change, and human migration will affect Africans/Nigerians. I particularly liked stories that felt like they could only have happened to Nigerians or Africans, such as:
- “G²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ùâ€�, a novelette about an AI-run super-city that houses millions of refugees of environmental disaster but in a way that kills free will and individualism
- “Nigerian Dreams�, a simple yet powerful story about how, sadly, the dream of all Nigerians is and continues to be to leave Nigeria forever in search of better jobs, healthcare, environment, and education
The stories that played with form were also enjoyable for me, in particular “A²ú±ð´Ç°ì³Ü³Ù²¹52â€�, a subtly chilling story that plays out in a blog post and the comments underneath.
Unfortunately, I did find CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS somewhat lacking as a cohesive collection. 16 stories is a lot to fit into a 300-page book. Many of the shorter ones (under 10 pages) did not feel like they did anything new or memorable with the genre. I understand that this book collects stories that Talabi has published elsewhere, but I really wished there had been fewer stories, and the stories that were included more fleshed out. There were a lot of good ideas that were only briefly shown before we were moving on to the next one. Unlike with Chiang’s collections, and even Ken Liu’s, I had more difficulty understanding who Talabi is as a writer and thinker, and what concepts and values matter most to him.
I’d still recommend CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS to lovers of speculative fiction, short stories, and diverse reads. I think I just went in with my expectations too high.
First, the good. I love the Nigerian-ness of this collection. Many of Talabi’s stories are set in a future Nigeria that explore how global developments in AI, technology, climate change, and human migration will affect Africans/Nigerians. I particularly liked stories that felt like they could only have happened to Nigerians or Africans, such as:
- “G²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ùâ€�, a novelette about an AI-run super-city that houses millions of refugees of environmental disaster but in a way that kills free will and individualism
- “Nigerian Dreams�, a simple yet powerful story about how, sadly, the dream of all Nigerians is and continues to be to leave Nigeria forever in search of better jobs, healthcare, environment, and education
The stories that played with form were also enjoyable for me, in particular “A²ú±ð´Ç°ì³Ü³Ù²¹52â€�, a subtly chilling story that plays out in a blog post and the comments underneath.
Unfortunately, I did find CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS somewhat lacking as a cohesive collection. 16 stories is a lot to fit into a 300-page book. Many of the shorter ones (under 10 pages) did not feel like they did anything new or memorable with the genre. I understand that this book collects stories that Talabi has published elsewhere, but I really wished there had been fewer stories, and the stories that were included more fleshed out. There were a lot of good ideas that were only briefly shown before we were moving on to the next one. Unlike with Chiang’s collections, and even Ken Liu’s, I had more difficulty understanding who Talabi is as a writer and thinker, and what concepts and values matter most to him.
I’d still recommend CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS to lovers of speculative fiction, short stories, and diverse reads. I think I just went in with my expectations too high.
July 10, 2024
3,5 stars.
I loved Incomplete Solutions, and that's why I'm a bit harsh critic here: I was expecting similar greatness from Convergence Problems, but the book didn't deliver. It was good, but in this case "good" is a disappointment. I didn't pick up this book to read a "good" collection of stories! I wanted to read an all-stars collection without any misses! Like Incomplete Solutions!
But unfortunately, there were quite many misses. Especially in the first half of the book there were several stories that felt like they were second drafts: yes, you could publish them, but they didn't feel quite done yet. They were too short, too rushed, the central idea wasn't interesting enough.
In general, I found the shorter stories in this collection to be on the weaker side. Like "Nigerian Dreams", a five-page story about a man wanting to emigrate from a future Nigerian supercity. It was... okay, but the SF setting didn't really bring anything new to this story, you could've written this as a contemporary literary fiction instead, and the SF elemens felt tacked on.
But on the other hand, I don't think this book had any really bad stories, either. Even the worst stories were "okay". The best (like "Lights in the Sky" or "A Dream of Electric Mothers") were really good. If this was the first book I read from Talabi, or would've lwft me intrigued to read sinne more from him. Alas, I read the better collection first, so the experience was downhill for me.
I loved Incomplete Solutions, and that's why I'm a bit harsh critic here: I was expecting similar greatness from Convergence Problems, but the book didn't deliver. It was good, but in this case "good" is a disappointment. I didn't pick up this book to read a "good" collection of stories! I wanted to read an all-stars collection without any misses! Like Incomplete Solutions!
But unfortunately, there were quite many misses. Especially in the first half of the book there were several stories that felt like they were second drafts: yes, you could publish them, but they didn't feel quite done yet. They were too short, too rushed, the central idea wasn't interesting enough.
In general, I found the shorter stories in this collection to be on the weaker side. Like "Nigerian Dreams", a five-page story about a man wanting to emigrate from a future Nigerian supercity. It was... okay, but the SF setting didn't really bring anything new to this story, you could've written this as a contemporary literary fiction instead, and the SF elemens felt tacked on.
But on the other hand, I don't think this book had any really bad stories, either. Even the worst stories were "okay". The best (like "Lights in the Sky" or "A Dream of Electric Mothers") were really good. If this was the first book I read from Talabi, or would've lwft me intrigued to read sinne more from him. Alas, I read the better collection first, so the experience was downhill for me.
February 13, 2024
In his introduction to this collection, Wole Talabi writes that in mathematical modelling, convergence is “bringing an approximate (simplified) solution close enough to a true solution, within a given tolerance during an iterative procedure;� he notes that while this is often needed, “there are often difficulties in converging to a solution.� Convergence Problems, then, is a collection of stories about problems that arise in imagined futures, even apparently desirable ones; Talabi notes that such problems are not always bad and can “expose poor logic or inconsistent assumptions.�
Inevitably with a short story collection, some stories will stand out to each reader more than others. For me, “Saturday’s Song,� “An Arc of Electric Skin,� “Abeokuta52,� and “A Dream of Electric Mothers� are all standouts, but there is no filler here � this is a fantastic, thoughtful, wide ranging collection. I averaged out the star ratings I gave to each individual story and came out with a number over four, and I’m more than happy to round up. The inclusion of Author Notes at the end situating the influences and publication of each story is a nice inclusion. I definitely recommend this collection.
Content warnings: homophobia, war, violence, gun violence, accidental injury, fire injury, classism, terminal illness, suicide attempt, death, murder
Inevitably with a short story collection, some stories will stand out to each reader more than others. For me, “Saturday’s Song,� “An Arc of Electric Skin,� “Abeokuta52,� and “A Dream of Electric Mothers� are all standouts, but there is no filler here � this is a fantastic, thoughtful, wide ranging collection. I averaged out the star ratings I gave to each individual story and came out with a number over four, and I’m more than happy to round up. The inclusion of Author Notes at the end situating the influences and publication of each story is a nice inclusion. I definitely recommend this collection.
Content warnings: homophobia, war, violence, gun violence, accidental injury, fire injury, classism, terminal illness, suicide attempt, death, murder
March 25, 2024
I consider Wole Talabi a master of literary futurism. Perhaps because of his background as an engineer, and certainly because he was an early reader of sci-fi, his work is conceptually dense with wonderful, very believable ideas—like, in one of the stories in this collection, Debut, AI makes art on its own. And although I’m not a fan of African fantasy, Talabi may make a believer of me yet; as he has said, he doesn’t feel constrained by genre when he writes, and many of his stories are a blend—a “continuum of the fantastic� (see this fantastic talk with Gary K. Wolfe ).
Convergence Problems is a collection that displays Talabi’s literary philosophy to full effect. Apart from the enchanting Debut, included in the collection is the wonderful, and yes, dreamy, Hugo- and Nebula Award-nominated novelette, A Dream of Electric Mothers, which blends African belief in consulting ancestors with technological means of doing so, in an imagined alternate African future. But Talabi is not all about imagined futures; he keeps his eye firmly on the present, too, with stories like the excellent Nigerian Dreams, which examines migration, and Abeokuta52, where Nigerian citizens pay a high price for Nigerian development (hints of neocolonialism here). Abeokuta52 is my favourite of the two hermit crab stories in the collection; the other story is Comments on your Provisional Patent Application for an Eternal Spirit Core. Ganger imagines a post-apocalyptic Nigeria with people divided by class into arcologies and villas under a dome; I look forward to reading the eventual novel about revolution.
There’s much more in the collection, including Saturday’s Song, which references the nightmare god Shigidi from Talabi’s wonderful BSFA-nominated and Nebula Finalist debut novel, Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, and the Gravity (movie)-esque The Million Eyes of a Lonely and Fragile God. And the heartbreaking Embers, another of my favourites in this collection, about a man stranded in time when the world moves on from oil. Although I will rate Talabi as one of my favourite African writers, he is properly placed on the world stage as one of today’s most exciting SF writers.
Thank you to DAW books and to NetGalley for early access.
Convergence Problems is a collection that displays Talabi’s literary philosophy to full effect. Apart from the enchanting Debut, included in the collection is the wonderful, and yes, dreamy, Hugo- and Nebula Award-nominated novelette, A Dream of Electric Mothers, which blends African belief in consulting ancestors with technological means of doing so, in an imagined alternate African future. But Talabi is not all about imagined futures; he keeps his eye firmly on the present, too, with stories like the excellent Nigerian Dreams, which examines migration, and Abeokuta52, where Nigerian citizens pay a high price for Nigerian development (hints of neocolonialism here). Abeokuta52 is my favourite of the two hermit crab stories in the collection; the other story is Comments on your Provisional Patent Application for an Eternal Spirit Core. Ganger imagines a post-apocalyptic Nigeria with people divided by class into arcologies and villas under a dome; I look forward to reading the eventual novel about revolution.
There’s much more in the collection, including Saturday’s Song, which references the nightmare god Shigidi from Talabi’s wonderful BSFA-nominated and Nebula Finalist debut novel, Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, and the Gravity (movie)-esque The Million Eyes of a Lonely and Fragile God. And the heartbreaking Embers, another of my favourites in this collection, about a man stranded in time when the world moves on from oil. Although I will rate Talabi as one of my favourite African writers, he is properly placed on the world stage as one of today’s most exciting SF writers.
Thank you to DAW books and to NetGalley for early access.
February 27, 2024
3.5 rounded up
A series of short stories that range from absolutely compelling and thought-provoking to those more difficult to stay immersed and invested in.
There’s no denying that Talabi can write, and has deep insights about where our society is going in the future with AI, climate crisis, and how our lives and archives of knowledge and meaning might morph with the changes in technology. I think, maybe this just verged too far into lofty sci-fi for me when I’m more of a speculative fiction/dystopian fan grounded in a near-future. When things go to space and aliens I tend to lose interest and have a harder time relating to the lives of characters. That’s absolutely a me issue, so if you love all facets of sci-fi equally this will absolutely blow you away.
My favourite stories in this collection were “Debutâ€� about AI learning how to create art; “Saturday’s Songâ€� the creation of a story by some group of god-like entities; “Gammaâ€� about two children playing together and falling in love amidst a nuclear catastrophe; “Performance Reviewâ€� which is a look at life if every metric measured for work performance included actual brain scans. There was also an extended almost novella length story called “G²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ùâ€� which could have been its own book about a suicidal woman looking for meaning in a society under a dome where everything is controlled, everything a data point.
I was very into some of these stories but a lot more I just didn’t connect with. But, the writing never faltered. Highly recommend for anyone into sci-fi.
The narration was also great, but sound wise it dipped sometimes which I found really annoying.
A series of short stories that range from absolutely compelling and thought-provoking to those more difficult to stay immersed and invested in.
There’s no denying that Talabi can write, and has deep insights about where our society is going in the future with AI, climate crisis, and how our lives and archives of knowledge and meaning might morph with the changes in technology. I think, maybe this just verged too far into lofty sci-fi for me when I’m more of a speculative fiction/dystopian fan grounded in a near-future. When things go to space and aliens I tend to lose interest and have a harder time relating to the lives of characters. That’s absolutely a me issue, so if you love all facets of sci-fi equally this will absolutely blow you away.
My favourite stories in this collection were “Debutâ€� about AI learning how to create art; “Saturday’s Songâ€� the creation of a story by some group of god-like entities; “Gammaâ€� about two children playing together and falling in love amidst a nuclear catastrophe; “Performance Reviewâ€� which is a look at life if every metric measured for work performance included actual brain scans. There was also an extended almost novella length story called “G²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ùâ€� which could have been its own book about a suicidal woman looking for meaning in a society under a dome where everything is controlled, everything a data point.
I was very into some of these stories but a lot more I just didn’t connect with. But, the writing never faltered. Highly recommend for anyone into sci-fi.
The narration was also great, but sound wise it dipped sometimes which I found really annoying.
July 3, 2024
3.5 stars
The first third of this book is a little stale. The stories weren’t holding my attention and I almost DNF’d. Then it started to pick up and then I got to the Novella “G²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ùâ€� which was incredible. And then from there on I loved pretty much all of the remaining stories. This collection is almost 300 pages long and I think it would have been a solid 4 stars if they had cut some of the earlier stories and kept it at 200ish. If you start this and it’s not for you I’d recommend to keep going. It’s all sci-fi with Nigerian characters. So you’re exposed to a lot of Nigerian culture as well as just great sci-fi stories.
The first third of this book is a little stale. The stories weren’t holding my attention and I almost DNF’d. Then it started to pick up and then I got to the Novella “G²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ùâ€� which was incredible. And then from there on I loved pretty much all of the remaining stories. This collection is almost 300 pages long and I think it would have been a solid 4 stars if they had cut some of the earlier stories and kept it at 200ish. If you start this and it’s not for you I’d recommend to keep going. It’s all sci-fi with Nigerian characters. So you’re exposed to a lot of Nigerian culture as well as just great sci-fi stories.
February 21, 2024
If was the first book I read by Wole Talabi and this anthology was a good introduction to this talented authors.
There's different themes, characters and Africa is the common trait.
I liked the storytelling and want to read a novel to have a better idea of this author
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
There's different themes, characters and Africa is the common trait.
I liked the storytelling and want to read a novel to have a better idea of this author
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
December 2, 2024
The stories in this collection range from a few pages to novella length works. I thought the shorter ones were more effective, on average; the longer ones tended towards being obvious. But they were all enjoyable reads.
April 26, 2024
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I had read Talabi's Hugo and Nebula nominated novelette A Dream of Electric Mothers in and loved it but was disappointed by , so I went into this collection with some trepidation but I really enjoyed it!
In Convergence Problems, Talabi explores the rapid change of technology, especially as it relates to Africa. There are stories that explore colonialism both historically and in the space age, identity, AI, grief, family, and so much more. Talabi's prose is excellent and his ideas are inventive and engaging. There are several stories that play with form in such a fun way, and I would love to see more of that! I think I will give Talabi's next full length novel a chance but where his work has worked best for me is in the short form.
Standouts to me were:
An Arc of Electric Skin
Nigerian Dreams
Performance Review
Comments on Your Provisional Patent Application for an Eternal Spirit Core
A Dream of Electric Mothers
I had read Talabi's Hugo and Nebula nominated novelette A Dream of Electric Mothers in and loved it but was disappointed by , so I went into this collection with some trepidation but I really enjoyed it!
In Convergence Problems, Talabi explores the rapid change of technology, especially as it relates to Africa. There are stories that explore colonialism both historically and in the space age, identity, AI, grief, family, and so much more. Talabi's prose is excellent and his ideas are inventive and engaging. There are several stories that play with form in such a fun way, and I would love to see more of that! I think I will give Talabi's next full length novel a chance but where his work has worked best for me is in the short form.
Standouts to me were:
An Arc of Electric Skin
Nigerian Dreams
Performance Review
Comments on Your Provisional Patent Application for an Eternal Spirit Core
A Dream of Electric Mothers
April 25, 2024
I remember devouring short sf way back then got out of the habit until recently. If something inside me was waiting, it was for this book. Talabi fills a treasure chest of imagination with bold ideas and insights, and my only problem with it was my own greed for more. I should have paused for a day after each delicious, fulfilling story. Let it sink in. Let myself savour. Be changed.
On the other hand, slipping from orbit around Mars to a science lab in Lagos to a future city created to [no spoilers] and beyond? The sum itself is a marvel.
I look forward to rereading and revisiting. Very highly recommended.
Be changed.
On the other hand, slipping from orbit around Mars to a science lab in Lagos to a future city created to [no spoilers] and beyond? The sum itself is a marvel.
I look forward to rereading and revisiting. Very highly recommended.
Be changed.
December 11, 2023
This collection contains 1 novella, 3 novelettes, and 12 short stories (6 of them under ~1500 words), with 14 sci-fi and two fantasy, with one (“Saturday’s Song�) featuring the title character from Talabi’s novel, Shigidi and the Brass Head of Olabufon, and the other leaning more to the weird.
Three of these are original to this collection, with 13 published elsewhere, four of which I’d read before. It’s a mild disappointment that my favorite was one I’d previously read, but it was always going to be difficult to unseat the exceptional Hugo/Nebula finalist “A Dream of Electric Mothers.�
Overall, the collection was remarkably consistent, with the weird fantasy (“Tends to Zero�) only okay, “A Dream of Electric Mothers� exceptional, and the rest ranging from “good� to “very good.� I don’t usually find that stories under 2000 words or so tend to stick with me, but the six here were all either thought-provoking or emotionally engaging. Will I remember them for years? Probably not. But they were good reads in the moment, and that’s about all I can ask at that length.
Apart from Electric Mothers, the most notable piece here is the new novella: Ganger. The dystopia isn’t necessarily ground-breaking for the genre—though it’s sufficiently well-executed to be a good read for fans of dystopian fiction—but it’s paired with snippets of a classic Yoruba folktale that parallels elements of the plot and really adds another dimension to the tale.
It’s certainly not the only dystopia, as unfeeling governments and businesses are a common theme found throughout the collection, whether approached as classic dystopia (“G²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ùâ€�), bad office job (“Performance Reviewâ€�), found document tale (“Abeokuta 52â€�), or reflection on Nigeria and the unhealthy elements of its culture (“Nigerian Dreamsâ€�).
Another I found especially noteworthy was a new novelette, “Embers,� which tells the story of a once promising young man struggling as his industry goes under and his life spirals out of control. Very much not a happy tale, but a perspective I don’t see portrayed in such a heartfelt manner too often.
First impression: 15/20. Full review to come at
Three of these are original to this collection, with 13 published elsewhere, four of which I’d read before. It’s a mild disappointment that my favorite was one I’d previously read, but it was always going to be difficult to unseat the exceptional Hugo/Nebula finalist “A Dream of Electric Mothers.�
Overall, the collection was remarkably consistent, with the weird fantasy (“Tends to Zero�) only okay, “A Dream of Electric Mothers� exceptional, and the rest ranging from “good� to “very good.� I don’t usually find that stories under 2000 words or so tend to stick with me, but the six here were all either thought-provoking or emotionally engaging. Will I remember them for years? Probably not. But they were good reads in the moment, and that’s about all I can ask at that length.
Apart from Electric Mothers, the most notable piece here is the new novella: Ganger. The dystopia isn’t necessarily ground-breaking for the genre—though it’s sufficiently well-executed to be a good read for fans of dystopian fiction—but it’s paired with snippets of a classic Yoruba folktale that parallels elements of the plot and really adds another dimension to the tale.
It’s certainly not the only dystopia, as unfeeling governments and businesses are a common theme found throughout the collection, whether approached as classic dystopia (“G²¹²Ô²µ±ð°ùâ€�), bad office job (“Performance Reviewâ€�), found document tale (“Abeokuta 52â€�), or reflection on Nigeria and the unhealthy elements of its culture (“Nigerian Dreamsâ€�).
Another I found especially noteworthy was a new novelette, “Embers,� which tells the story of a once promising young man struggling as his industry goes under and his life spirals out of control. Very much not a happy tale, but a perspective I don’t see portrayed in such a heartfelt manner too often.
First impression: 15/20. Full review to come at
July 29, 2024
Wide range of thoughtful, well-written speculative fiction. Also for me, a crash course in several West African cultures, or at least a taste of them.
January 30, 2024
BOOK: CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS
AUTHOR: WOLE TALABI
PUB DATE: FEBRUARY 2024
ðŸÊµðŸÊµ
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ðŸÊµðŸÊµ
This book filled with short stories, different characters, and cultures is the first I've ever read. I love, love the infusion of Nigerian, African culture with sci-fi, something that's not popularly seen. I loved his reimagination of Nigeria. I loved through the sci-fi journey, there was no Western countries. I liked the places in Nigerian I saw, the familiar lingo and names. I love the author's writing. He's a wonderful writer, wowing me in the different stories. I didn’t like all the stories in the book, but I liked most of them. The author's imagination is out of this world.
ðŸÊµðŸÊµ
1. DEBUT: At first, I didn’t understand this at first. I stopped it and went back to it. But, i liked the Nigerian futuristic setting, some African characters, and its unusual ending
2. AN ARC OF ELECTRIC SKIN: This was wonderful. I could definitely relate considering Nigeria's history of corruption in the past. I understood Akachi's decision. I loved the superhero act. Even though I didn’t read his POV
3. SATURDAY'S SONG: This short story was two in one, and I learned a lot of things. I learned some Hausas worship small gods and about Shigidi. I liked the entirety of the storyline and the ending. I liked the Days of the Week POV. It was really nice.
4. LIGHTS IN THE SKY: I loved this too, the storyline and the setting. It was emotional and raw and relatable. A favorite.
5. BLOWOUT: This was good, too. I liked the insertion of the familiar places. I liked Folake's story and her reunion with her brother. It was nice
6. GAMMA (OR: LOVE IN THE AGE OF RADIATION POISONING): Short but poignant and sad. Had a dystopian setting, and I liked it. Had young characters, too. A favorite
7. GANGER: My least favorite, it was the longest, and I was very confused when I started it. Consequently, I liked the setting, which is very dystopian. I didn’t like the ending, too.
8. ABEOKUTA 52: I liked this too. It was the most relatable story. but it ended way too soon. I was familiar with the lingo and the place. It was very good. I didn't like the ending, though.
9. TENDS TO ZERO; I didn’t really like this one because of the main character. But I liked the magical realism part. I liked the realistic Lagos setting.
10. NIGERIAN DREAMS: I could relate to this because the main character wanted to 'japa', some thing many Nigerians want to do. I could also relate to the Nigerian dream that was in the book.
11. PERFORMANCE REVIEW: This had just two scenes, and I was able to understand the fmc's situation. I liked it and the sci-fi genre.
12. SILENCE: Short and poignant story of love. I liked it. A favorite.
13. EMBERS: A sad story borne out of the desperation of the mmc. I didn't really like this because of the ending. I loved the Kawashida power supply, though.
14. THE MILLION EYES OF A LONELY AND FRAGILE GOD: I didn't really like this too, but it was probably because of how realistic it was. It packed a punch, though.
15. COMMENTS ON YOUR PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION FOR AN ETERNAL SPIRIT CORE: I didn’t really like this. It was confusing, but I later got the gist.
16. A DREAM OF ELECTRIC MOTHERS: I didn't really like the story line, but I loved the setting. Odua republic led by a Yoruba king, the re imagination of Babalawos. I liked it.
ðŸÊµðŸÊµ
I liked this book and the author's writing. You might not like all the stories, but you'll love most of them. You'll be blown away by the author's writhing and imagination. A must-read.
AUTHOR: WOLE TALABI
PUB DATE: FEBRUARY 2024
ðŸÊµðŸÊµ
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ðŸÊµðŸÊµ
This book filled with short stories, different characters, and cultures is the first I've ever read. I love, love the infusion of Nigerian, African culture with sci-fi, something that's not popularly seen. I loved his reimagination of Nigeria. I loved through the sci-fi journey, there was no Western countries. I liked the places in Nigerian I saw, the familiar lingo and names. I love the author's writing. He's a wonderful writer, wowing me in the different stories. I didn’t like all the stories in the book, but I liked most of them. The author's imagination is out of this world.
ðŸÊµðŸÊµ
1. DEBUT: At first, I didn’t understand this at first. I stopped it and went back to it. But, i liked the Nigerian futuristic setting, some African characters, and its unusual ending
2. AN ARC OF ELECTRIC SKIN: This was wonderful. I could definitely relate considering Nigeria's history of corruption in the past. I understood Akachi's decision. I loved the superhero act. Even though I didn’t read his POV
3. SATURDAY'S SONG: This short story was two in one, and I learned a lot of things. I learned some Hausas worship small gods and about Shigidi. I liked the entirety of the storyline and the ending. I liked the Days of the Week POV. It was really nice.
4. LIGHTS IN THE SKY: I loved this too, the storyline and the setting. It was emotional and raw and relatable. A favorite.
5. BLOWOUT: This was good, too. I liked the insertion of the familiar places. I liked Folake's story and her reunion with her brother. It was nice
6. GAMMA (OR: LOVE IN THE AGE OF RADIATION POISONING): Short but poignant and sad. Had a dystopian setting, and I liked it. Had young characters, too. A favorite
7. GANGER: My least favorite, it was the longest, and I was very confused when I started it. Consequently, I liked the setting, which is very dystopian. I didn’t like the ending, too.
8. ABEOKUTA 52: I liked this too. It was the most relatable story. but it ended way too soon. I was familiar with the lingo and the place. It was very good. I didn't like the ending, though.
9. TENDS TO ZERO; I didn’t really like this one because of the main character. But I liked the magical realism part. I liked the realistic Lagos setting.
10. NIGERIAN DREAMS: I could relate to this because the main character wanted to 'japa', some thing many Nigerians want to do. I could also relate to the Nigerian dream that was in the book.
11. PERFORMANCE REVIEW: This had just two scenes, and I was able to understand the fmc's situation. I liked it and the sci-fi genre.
12. SILENCE: Short and poignant story of love. I liked it. A favorite.
13. EMBERS: A sad story borne out of the desperation of the mmc. I didn't really like this because of the ending. I loved the Kawashida power supply, though.
14. THE MILLION EYES OF A LONELY AND FRAGILE GOD: I didn't really like this too, but it was probably because of how realistic it was. It packed a punch, though.
15. COMMENTS ON YOUR PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION FOR AN ETERNAL SPIRIT CORE: I didn’t really like this. It was confusing, but I later got the gist.
16. A DREAM OF ELECTRIC MOTHERS: I didn't really like the story line, but I loved the setting. Odua republic led by a Yoruba king, the re imagination of Babalawos. I liked it.
ðŸÊµðŸÊµ
I liked this book and the author's writing. You might not like all the stories, but you'll love most of them. You'll be blown away by the author's writhing and imagination. A must-read.
February 17, 2024
Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi was absolutely stunning from start to finish. Every short story had the attribute of a possible expansion of 200 or more pages and I still cant believe they were all written by a Nigerian. The use of Nigerian lingo at the right time was refreshing and hilarious
I loved Blombos. I loved the story with Shock Absorber. The story with quotes like “The country happens to us all and the justice of political death. Nigeria is where the strong survive, A place where the government institutes policies to kill its citizens. I understood why Akachi had to kill some of the political class when he acquired superpowers. I am capable of such a deed as many of them don’t have sense.
Saura’s story was quite insightful. I liked the description style and It produced a feeling of fulfilled dissatisfaction as it was shorter and longer than I expected
I absolutely loved Gangar cause I related with quotes such as “fake sky, fake city, fake life� and “sometimes the only way to be free is to go deeper into the prison�
Gangar in itself can be made into a really cool dystopian movie and there is a joy in knowing that no non-Nigerian would be able to pronounce Isale and Loke as I did. Ingrained knowledge is a beautiful thing.
Abeokuta52 is believable in all regards. I’m a fan of Nairaland myself and it’s diversity of opinions. You read some comments and it is obvious that some people are idiots but they again they believe and can justify the rubbish they are saying so maybe you’re the idiot.
Performance Review brought with it a well known realization that your best is never good enough for management. They downplay your achievements and have something stupid to say in form of criticism. There is always some metric that you aren’t meeting . It is hard to maintain your individuality when the top of the food-chain wants you to be a drone. Harder still when you notice others are compromising themselves in the quest for financial gain and the twin bastards known as approval and recognition.
I sensed some resonance as soon as I started reading SILENCE. Some rage and anger from somewhere within. The tale of the mumu guy. Wtf is I don’t know? What kind of cliffhanger is that?
For sure, for sure I got angrier with every page that I read .She actually returned after he’d cut her off and she kissed him.
She actually kissed him. Utter shit.
I definitely did not like the happily ever after
Reading Embers came with the realization of broken dreams, shattered expectations, disappointment and despair. Wanting something does not mean you’ll have it even if you do all the right things. I really wanted the best for Uduak. I wanted a happy ending. I wanted the refinery to work and for him to be a hero.
I did not see that ending. I did not envision it at all. The story went sideways pretty fast.
Uduak’s goal had pushed him to murder and destruction.
Thumbs up and 5-stars to Convergence Problems. A black writing fantasy is cool. A black writing sci-fi is mind-blowing outstanding. I appreciate the fact that they were no western names or surnames in the entire work. Something like Funke Alexander and Ugo Milosevich. I hate the pandering wherein some black authors try to appeal to both audiences.
Wole Talabi made me proud.
I loved Blombos. I loved the story with Shock Absorber. The story with quotes like “The country happens to us all and the justice of political death. Nigeria is where the strong survive, A place where the government institutes policies to kill its citizens. I understood why Akachi had to kill some of the political class when he acquired superpowers. I am capable of such a deed as many of them don’t have sense.
Saura’s story was quite insightful. I liked the description style and It produced a feeling of fulfilled dissatisfaction as it was shorter and longer than I expected
I absolutely loved Gangar cause I related with quotes such as “fake sky, fake city, fake life� and “sometimes the only way to be free is to go deeper into the prison�
Gangar in itself can be made into a really cool dystopian movie and there is a joy in knowing that no non-Nigerian would be able to pronounce Isale and Loke as I did. Ingrained knowledge is a beautiful thing.
Abeokuta52 is believable in all regards. I’m a fan of Nairaland myself and it’s diversity of opinions. You read some comments and it is obvious that some people are idiots but they again they believe and can justify the rubbish they are saying so maybe you’re the idiot.
Performance Review brought with it a well known realization that your best is never good enough for management. They downplay your achievements and have something stupid to say in form of criticism. There is always some metric that you aren’t meeting . It is hard to maintain your individuality when the top of the food-chain wants you to be a drone. Harder still when you notice others are compromising themselves in the quest for financial gain and the twin bastards known as approval and recognition.
I sensed some resonance as soon as I started reading SILENCE. Some rage and anger from somewhere within. The tale of the mumu guy. Wtf is I don’t know? What kind of cliffhanger is that?
For sure, for sure I got angrier with every page that I read .She actually returned after he’d cut her off and she kissed him.
She actually kissed him. Utter shit.
I definitely did not like the happily ever after
Reading Embers came with the realization of broken dreams, shattered expectations, disappointment and despair. Wanting something does not mean you’ll have it even if you do all the right things. I really wanted the best for Uduak. I wanted a happy ending. I wanted the refinery to work and for him to be a hero.
I did not see that ending. I did not envision it at all. The story went sideways pretty fast.
Uduak’s goal had pushed him to murder and destruction.
Thumbs up and 5-stars to Convergence Problems. A black writing fantasy is cool. A black writing sci-fi is mind-blowing outstanding. I appreciate the fact that they were no western names or surnames in the entire work. Something like Funke Alexander and Ugo Milosevich. I hate the pandering wherein some black authors try to appeal to both audiences.
Wole Talabi made me proud.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.