Where is African SCI-FI

African science fiction and the curse of cultural displacement

Eurocentric foreshadowing was based on the understanding of man in his form of physical evolution. The essential projections were a sure end. Their philosophical attitudes toward the future were more like Nieztsche’s Zarathrusta, toward and end physically or philosophically. Their sci-fi were more of secular versions of the religious Revelations.

America who were experiencing renewed vigour and unparalleled growth at this end times in Europe adapted a different course. They invented the UFO, a kind of life after death or the religious transfer of populations to heaven. Theirs was the possibility of life beyond our physical and historical end or evolution of humanity into an indestructible being beyond the elements so they could survive the end of man. So beyond an imminent end there could only be another world (aliens) or other humans (demigods, supermen, Spiderman etc).

The African case suffers from the curse of cultural transfer. Barbara Kimenye’s Moases and the man from Mars reads more like Roswell or Katama Mkangi’s Walenisi could sell as Utopia. I have not read many African Sci fi which could be a blunder on my part but allows me to qualify that African Sci fi is dead.

Could this lack of arrational literature that is supposed to inspire and provoke ideas, reflecting society back onto itself indicate lack of an identifiable personal growth of the African person? Is it that we are only capable of imagining evolution according to modernization theory and cannot strive to create new realities for ourselves?

And could this realization open up the explorations of the African oracle to re-discover premonitions and the infinite possibilities that sci-fi opens

Why Science Fiction is Important

Sci-fi are tales that span time, reality, the human condition, and much more. They are a kind of creative and arrational or free futuristic thinking. From this powerful genre we are able to draw a limitless understanding of how we see ourselves in the future. And this conscience can unlock human potential and effort as we head towards the last man or beyond.

Holywood sci-fi has in recent years produced classical forward thinking of future economic social and political state. Its ability to predict shift in the social order based on the precedent might of global economic systems that might see very powerful corporations conquering state power. For example Repo Men, In Time and recently Elysium show just how significant forward thinking is and its relevance in foreseeing possible challenges.

Can Africa open to unbridled forecast of its future? Can literature open the doors beyond predicable data sets or fact sheets and world bank projections of Africa Rising and present to us an image of Africa Risen.