The preorder link for Nigerian author Mazi Nwonwu’s speculative fiction story collection How to Make a Space Masquerade is now live on Narrative Landscape Press. The book will be out later this year. Go check it out and give it some love!

Nwonwu’s debut collection blends speculative fiction with Igbo cosmology, seamlessly merging the earthly realm with a dystopian world. According to the synopsis, it explores the complexities of the human spirit and the intersection of the two worlds.

The twelve stories in the collection demand readers to redefine their understandings of self-discovery, human connection and traditions. The stories include the following – a girl facing erasure for carrying a virus defies the government to save her life through a trial cure; a space engineer must explain the existence of his human love child resulting from a one-night stand with a robot; and more.

Check out the video below of Nwonwu describing his collection:

Many renowned authors have praised Nwonwu’s collection. Dilman Dila remarked, “Mazi packs a big punch in these stories about the future, conjuring beautiful images with a writing style that will keep you reading.”

Meanwhile, Iquo DianaAbasi added that Nwonwu’s “immersive world-building”, “keen sensitivity to human conditions”, and “seamless blend of futuristic sci-fi with African lore and myths” makes this collection a “worthy first book.”

Chiagozie Fred Nwonwu who writes under the pen name Mazi Nwonwu is a Nigerian writer, curator and editor. He attended the Government College, Kaduna (now Barewa College) then moved on to Nnamdi Azikiwe University to study Linguistics. He co-founded Omenana Magazine in 2014 with Chinelo Onwualu.

Preorder How to Make a Space Masqueradehere!