Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi

Publisher – DAW

Published – Out Now

Price – £25 hardcover £11.83 Kindle ebook

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, knowledge, and 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.

There is nothing like a story that makes you both enjoy being taken on an imaginative journey but also just gives you a new perspective on a character, a subject; a way of life or the universe itself. It is one of the reasons I love this hobby of mine and in particular how science fiction, fantasy and horror for me deliver something fresh. In Wole Talabi’s excellent short fiction collection Convergence problems we are presented with a wonderful menu of delights to tuck into which for me was just a gorgeous reading experience.

In this collection we have: - 

Debut – Something weird is going on in Nigeria. An Arts Studio’s system restarts multiple times, printers go mad and bills are altered. The studio’s owners understandably get onto the phone to the IT helpdesk who are stumped and need the help of the resident genius to work things out. Now AI is all the rage and for many authors a bane, but Talabi has a fascinating spin about intelligence, creativity and exactly what does an AI think would be good art and who are they creating it for? Such a smart puzzle of an SF tale but also one of those ‘ooh’ moments of looking at things differently.

An Arc of Electric Skin – we are told the story of Akachi Nwosu who gained the power in various experiments to conduct electricity. What could be a simple superhero origin story though is filled with sorrow and poignance and touches onto wider themes of Nigeria’s corruption and can anyone ever make a difference? It’s a story that makes you feel this world and a decision as to can you do the right thing whatever the cost?

Saturday’s Song – Talabi here creates something mythic with Endless-style entities from outside of time and space telling each other part of a story. Fans of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon will be interested to see the younger version of everyone’s favourite Nightmare God but he’s more a side character as we see a young woman who escaped to find a life of her own and finds her girlfriend dead – killed by magic. A tale exploring the dangers of adhering to tradition and revenge. It also then reveals itself to have a tale to teach immense powers a clever lesson too. Told in seven very different parts its very elegant, impressive storytelling.

Lights In the Sky – Here we get a grim action-packed tale of a solider fighting a brutal alien war on another planet and then memories of another place. As well as reminding us that soldiers are often people who may not have other options in their lives it also makes you see the human not the battlesuit. It is also bizarrely seasonal!

Blowout – A mysterious explosion on the surface of Mars makes the orbiting spacecraft lose contact with the mining crew and for Folake she instantly worries about her brother on the surface. This tale provides a great action tale but also makes you care about the characters as we explore the sibling’s past; their tensions and the question of how much risk you have to accept to push yourself sometimes.

Gamma (or Love In The Age of Radiation Poisoning) - |Two young people meet in the wreck of a ruined world. A very short but tale that manages the hard task of being creepy, sweet and a touch tragic.

Ganger – This longer tale in the collection deals with difficult themes as we meet Laide just as she tries to kill herself and the city that she lives in sends in robots to save her life. But this tale is multi-layered. We find a city that is more of a gilded prison where everyone is constantly monitored vis scanning their thoughts 24/7 and they cannot leave. It’s a tale of trying to find an escape but we also don’t quite see how the mini-chapters relate to the interludes of a much older tale of a hunter who had got too old and was offered a magical power. But skilfully these two very different tales speak to each other in an inventive way. Nothing is ever easy particularly finding your own freedom.

ABEOKUTA52 – A series of newspaper articles, web comments and hyperlinks on potential alien technology being discovered creates a tale of future dystopia reminding us that the concept of progress often is on the backs of many casualties.

Tends to Zero – Out main character we meet wakes from a night of debauchery and then Lagos changes constantly around them. This tale explores grief, alternate worlds, and curses. It explores the power of a city to absorb you and take over your life and the risk of being lost in it. A sombre supernatural tale that haunts long after reading it.

Performance Review – our narrator is called into her new job’s performance review and the feedback is not that great and the approach for improvement is very sinister. A disturbing SF horror tale not just as we see our character is in trouble, but we realise their choices are hard and perhaps the best option is not the one about to be chosen. This explores the way some jobs want not just your time but your very soul.

The Million Eyes of a Lonely and Fragile God – another haunting tale of love that wasn’t quite enough and a disaster in space. Its subtle as we realise where this tale is heading and is the last action of our character the right thing to do.

Comments On Your Provisional Patent Application For An Eternal Spirit Core – A tale told int eh format of a invention patent application. The description of the invention is being edited with comments that tell us a bit more about the inventor and why our commenter is worried. It is a very creative in approach and in a few pages lands very effectively.

A Dream of Electric Mothers – The final story explores the power of the past to guide us. A nation of the brink of war uses an electronic memory of the leaders of the past to make decisions. It all sounds very grim, but it is also making points about how we earn from the past and grow. Its much more optimistic than it sounds!

As you may gather, I really loved this collection. The variety of tales, the inventiveness of the storytelling and the ability to make you see a different facet of the world and being human was just a joy to read. It is very strongly recommended!