Award-winning fantasy and science fiction author Eugen Bacon’s new novella The Nga’phandileh Whisperer has been acquired by Stars and Sabers Publishing!

Set to publish in September 2025, this novella is part of the Sauútiverse, a collaborative world-buidling project rooted in African mythologies, languages, and cultures founded by a collective of African and diasporic writers.

Eugen Bacon has previously contributed several stories to the Sauútiverse, including “The Shadow Eater of Órino-Rin” which will also be published by Stars and Sabers in their upcoming anthology Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers. The British Fantasy Award winner and Philip K. Dick and Shirley Jackson Award finalist, shared her excitement about this new book, saying:

I sought to craft this novella to satiate my curiosity about the Nga’phandileh, creatures of unreality in the Sauútiverse. I also wanted to write a strong female protagonist into a Sauúti story, and found this in Chant’L—a young Guardian with an affinity to hive-minded beasts, unaware that she has more sound magic than she knows how to use. I am stoked and honored to entrust The Nga’phandileh Whisperer to Jendia Gammon and Gareth Powell, the power couple behind Stars and Sabers Publishing.

Stars and Sabers Publishing expressed their excitement at working with Bacon and being “enthralled by the immersive, dreamlike, imaginative, captivating, resonant, and mythic world and words” of her story.

“We can’t wait to share more of Eugen’s words with the universe!” they said — and we at Brittle Paper can’t wait to read them!