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bluepigeon's review
5.0
Deji Bryce Olukotun's follow up to Nigerians in Space, After the Flare, is a fast-paced mystery that successfully weaves the ancient with the new, space age with iron age, and magical with scientific. Drawing from the rich ethnics and tribal cultures of the regions in and around Nigeria, Olukotun's story starts with a solar flare that wipes power to most of the world, leaving only a few countries capable of technological ambitions; one such ambition, fueled by the African and national pride of Bello (a character who we met in Nigerians in Space), is to build a rocket to rescue a stranded astronaut from a falling space station. The mission, from the start, is cursed, it seems. There's a pool of blood where a worker disappears into thin air while attempting to steal an ancient piece of pottery from the spaceport dig, and the mystery only grows more with every passing day. Soon, Kwesi Brackett, the man responsible for building the huge pool for space simulations, is not only trying to overcome those pesky problems that money can solve (like finding more water to fill the giant pool), but also trying to solve the magical curse that is distorting spaceport readings and attacking him in his trailer and overcoming the growing threat of the newest incarnation of the violent Boko Haram.
While the plot explores ancient cultures and futuristic technologies ranging from cybernetic phones to intelligent money, the story focuses on trauma, violence, and revenge, and the resilience and self-forgiveness that enables us to move on. That technology, ancient or new, can empower the oppressed is a strong theme, one that weaves itself throughout the novel, from the nationalistic pride of Bello in dragging Nigeria into the space age all the way to the women of an ancient nomadic peoples hunting down Boko Haram to take back their children. Music is the element that really brings the seemingly disparate technologies together, where special acoustics and ancient tonal songs work together to allow the space mission to succeed in very different ways.
In the end, some things prove much harder than rescuing a stranded astronaut from space, like taking back the children, healing trauma caused by rape, violence, and torture, or like overcoming the prejudices amongst the many ethnicities, tribes, races and religions. But Olukotun promises optimism and hope, not just as a consolation, but as a driving force, a galvanizing power for resilience and forward motion.
After the Flare is a great novel that many with different interests and tastes will enjoy. Recommended for those who like archeology, meteorites, insects, geckos, soap operas, Nollywood and music.
While the plot explores ancient cultures and futuristic technologies ranging from cybernetic phones to intelligent money, the story focuses on trauma, violence, and revenge, and the resilience and self-forgiveness that enables us to move on. That technology, ancient or new, can empower the oppressed is a strong theme, one that weaves itself throughout the novel, from the nationalistic pride of Bello in dragging Nigeria into the space age all the way to the women of an ancient nomadic peoples hunting down Boko Haram to take back their children. Music is the element that really brings the seemingly disparate technologies together, where special acoustics and ancient tonal songs work together to allow the space mission to succeed in very different ways.
In the end, some things prove much harder than rescuing a stranded astronaut from space, like taking back the children, healing trauma caused by rape, violence, and torture, or like overcoming the prejudices amongst the many ethnicities, tribes, races and religions. But Olukotun promises optimism and hope, not just as a consolation, but as a driving force, a galvanizing power for resilience and forward motion.
After the Flare is a great novel that many with different interests and tastes will enjoy. Recommended for those who like archeology, meteorites, insects, geckos, soap operas, Nollywood and music.
pestocks's review
2.0
I loved the premise of this book. A solar flare wipes out all the electricity on the planet except for an area around the equator. Nigeria now has the capability of a Space program. Then it falls apart with a lot of mumbo jumbo around past ghosts and tribal issues. Bad way to end my reading year.
hookineye's review
4.0
Loved this! Fairly sterile and precise hard sci fi that surprises you with a magical, ancient alien vibe. Might lack some character development but such an enjoyable read. Writing felt elegant and effortless.
kjcharles's review
Great premise--a solar flare has wiped out much of earth's tech except in certain bands protected by shadow. Nigeria is thus left as technological leader while the West falls apart. Near-future shabby-tech feel as an escaped Nigerian American works for a rickety space programme trying to bring a stranded astronaut home, and collides with some of that sufficiently advanced tech that is indistinguishable from magic, also with corruption, Boko Haram, and the intersectional complexities of tribe, race and nationality.
Ambitious but for me didn't quite coalesce into the sum of its parts. (There's a lot of parts, it feels like the author put all his plot bunnies into one book.) The sf/magic blend is a feature of Afrofuturism, thinking of Binti and The Prey of Gods, both of which do it perfectly, but this didn't click together the same way, and the MC lacked enough narrative drive to make him compelling. Interesting, ambitious, rammed with great ideas and subjects, but needed a more ruthless editor to get a stronger grip on the plot.
Ambitious but for me didn't quite coalesce into the sum of its parts. (There's a lot of parts, it feels like the author put all his plot bunnies into one book.) The sf/magic blend is a feature of Afrofuturism, thinking of Binti and The Prey of Gods, both of which do it perfectly, but this didn't click together the same way, and the MC lacked enough narrative drive to make him compelling. Interesting, ambitious, rammed with great ideas and subjects, but needed a more ruthless editor to get a stronger grip on the plot.
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