Here are 89 books that Where Rivers Go to Die fans have personally recommended if you like Where Rivers Go to Die. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Jackal, Jackal: Tales of the Dark and Fantastic

Eugen Bacon Author Of A Place Between Waking and Forgetting

From my list on Afrocentric short story collections in speculative fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a multi-award-winning African Australian writer, and have a deep passion for stories by people of colour, stories that engage with difference. I write across genres and forms, and my award-winning works are mostly Afrocentric. I am especially curious about unique voices in black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, diversity, climate change, writing the other, and betwixt.

Eugen's book list on Afrocentric short story collections in speculative fiction

Eugen Bacon Why Eugen loves this book

Tobi Ogundiran’s Shirley Jackson Award-winning collection puts new wine into old skins.

Jackal, Jackal is an assured assemblage for the reader prepared to be astonished. The highly-imaginative stories and invented worlds take fairytales that we know and boldly recast them in an African yet universal culture that woos a far-reaching readership. 

By Tobi Ogundiran ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Jackal, Jackal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Shirley Jackson award-nominated author Tobi Ogundiran, comes a highly anticipated debut collection of stories full of magic and wonder and breathtaking imagination!

In "The Lady of the Yellow-Painted Library" -- featured in Levar Burton Reads -- a hapless salesman flees the otherworldly librarian hell-bent on retrieving her lost library book.

"The Tale of Jaja and Canti" sees Ogundiran riffing off of Pinocchio. But this wooden boy doesn't seek to become real. Wanting to be loved, he journeys the world in search of his mother-an ancient and powerful entity who is best not sought out.

"The Goatkeeper's Harvest" contains echoes…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Caged Ocean Dub: Glints & Stories

Eugen Bacon Author Of A Place Between Waking and Forgetting

From my list on Afrocentric short story collections in speculative fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a multi-award-winning African Australian writer, and have a deep passion for stories by people of colour, stories that engage with difference. I write across genres and forms, and my award-winning works are mostly Afrocentric. I am especially curious about unique voices in black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, diversity, climate change, writing the other, and betwixt.

Eugen's book list on Afrocentric short story collections in speculative fiction

Eugen Bacon Why Eugen loves this book

Dare Segun Falowo is an unusual storyteller, writing with levity and a sense of humour, even for sombre topics.

Caged Ocean Dub is an inventively-structured collection of short stories tiered with African hue. It blends sudden fiction and novelette-length stories that are all dark and spellbinding in a dream-like lure that keeps the reader enthralled. For lovers of culturally-tinted speculative fiction. 

By Dare Segun Falowo ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Caged Ocean Dub as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

There are dragons in Lagos and witches who wear their sons’ skins, while a cabal of otherworldly beings are collecting intelligent life forms in the depths of the universe.

Nigerian author Dare Segun Falowo’s poetically precise language and spine-tingling plot twists are reminiscent of both Poe and Kafka as they tackle themes of belonging, abusive maternal relationships, and tragic love in an unforgettable literary adventure.

This collection features some of Falowo’s most notable previously published stories alongside new tales of magic and terror. Ngozi Ugegbe Nwa was longlisted for the 2021 NOMMO for short stories and Vain Knife was longlisted…


Book cover of Black Friday

Eugen Bacon Author Of A Place Between Waking and Forgetting

From my list on Afrocentric short story collections in speculative fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a multi-award-winning African Australian writer, and have a deep passion for stories by people of colour, stories that engage with difference. I write across genres and forms, and my award-winning works are mostly Afrocentric. I am especially curious about unique voices in black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, diversity, climate change, writing the other, and betwixt.

Eugen's book list on Afrocentric short story collections in speculative fiction

Eugen Bacon Why Eugen loves this book

Chery S. Ntumy’s Black Friday is an inventive genre-bending collection that reminds us of the power of the short story.

It casts intense characters with a deep passion for life, even in near-future dystopian worlds that are terribly ominous and uncannily reflective of disquieting events of our world today. In immersive writing that inspires immersive reading, the collection’s titular story, "Black Friday," is as inventive and thought-provoking as uncanny tales come. 

By Cheryl S. Ntumy ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Black Friday as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Cheryl S. Ntumy's fantasy and near-future sci-fi is powerful and unique. Black Friday: Short Stories from Africa is a collection of short stories exploring diverse themes ranging from rampant consumerism, corruption and oppression to community-building, faith, reclamation and healing, all with a speculative bent.

Explore solarpunk set in Ghana, cyberpunk set in South Africa and dystopian fiction set in Botswana. Robots and aliens. Butterflies and elephants. Wedding dresses that make brides happy and electrified dresses that hold queens hostage. Consumer culture and permaculture.

These are dark, sometimes bleak stories of war, grief and disillusionment, but also optimistic, wholesome tales of…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Cyberfunk!

Eugen Bacon Author Of Mage of Fools

From my list on afro-centric speculative fiction from Africa.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an African Australian writer and have a deep passion for black people's stories. I write across genres and forms, and my award-winning works are mostly Afrocentric. I have a master's degree in distributed computer systems, with distinction, a master's degree in creative writing, and a PhD in creative writing. I am especially curious about unique voices in black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, diversity, climate change, writing the other, and betwixt. I am an author of several novels and fiction collections, and a finalist in the 2022 World Fantasy Award. I was announced in the honor list of the 2022 Otherwise Fellowships for ‘doing exciting work in gender and speculative fiction’.

Eugen's book list on afro-centric speculative fiction from Africa

Eugen Bacon Why Eugen loves this book

Cyberfunk! Anthology extends a new conversation in black speculative fiction by offering cyberpunk with an Afrocentric flavour. Taking stories from Africa and the diaspora, this anthology integrates light and darkness, social justice, and inclusion in black hero/ines as you’ve never seen them before. Each story invites openness and expands the interpretation of black writing and the rising power of the black voice. Featuring stories from Hannibal Tabu, John Jennings, Balogun Ojetade, and edited by a keen-sighted pioneer author, editor, and publisher Milton J. Davis. Find out how to play the odds in a twisted world.   

By Milton Davis ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cyberfunk! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What is Cyberfunk? It is a vision of the future with an Afrocentric flavor. It is the Singularity without the Eurocentric foundation. It's Bladerunner with sunlight, Neuromancer with melanin, cybernetics with rhythm.
Nineteen amazing Black Speculative Fiction authors have come together to share their visions on the pages of this book. Prepare to be mesmerized by their stories.

Featuring stories by Eugen Bacon, Zig Zag Clayborne, Gerald L. Coleman, Ashleigh Davenport, Milton J. Davis, Minister Faust, Donovan Hall, John Jennings, Ronald Jones, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Kyoko M, Carole McDonnell, Violette Meier, T.C. Morgan, Balogun Ojetade, Hannibal Tabu, Jarla Tangh, Napoleon…


Book cover of The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki Author Of Bridging Worlds: Global Conversations on Creating Pan-African Speculative Literature In A Pandemic

From my list on introduce you to African speculative short fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an African speculative fiction writer who had long hoped to see the development of African speculative fiction being embraced by the larger SFF community, it was a joy to see all these anthologies showcasing the works of Africans and platforming them for a larger audience to see. And it's been a joy as well to contribute to this growth both as an award-winning writer and editor of African speculative short fiction. 

Oghenechovwe's book list on introduce you to African speculative short fiction

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki Why Oghenechovwe loves this book

It's the first of its kind, the first installment in a line of Year's Best African Speculative Fiction anthologies meant to spotlight the works of African writers and writers of African descent. Year's Best anthologies have been a genre thing for over 5 decades. This is an important installment in the development of African speculative short fiction. It was published by the editor as well in a small press he founded, Jembefola Press. The anthology made him the first African editor to be a Hugo award best editor finalist and a Locus award best editor and best anthology finalist.

By Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER BEST ANTHOLOGY, WORLD FANTASY AWARDS

“You are bound to be wonderstruck.”—Lightspeed Magazine
“A must-read.”—Locus Magazine
“Highly recommended.”—The British Fantasy Society


The world's first ever “year’s best” anthology of African speculative fiction. Edited by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction collects twenty-nine stories by twenty-five writers, which the press describes as “some of the most exciting voices, old and new, from Africa and the diaspora, published in the 2020 year.”

The anthology includes stories from Somto O. Ihezue, Pemi Aguda, Russell Nichols, Tamara Jerée, Tlotlo Tsamaase, Sheree Renée Thomas, Tobias S. Buckell, Inegbenoise O. Osagie, Tobi Ogundiran,…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Convergence Problems

Eugen Bacon Author Of The Nga'phandileh Whisperer

From my list on Afrofuturistic books in speculative fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a multi-award-winning African Australian writer, and have a deep passion for stories by people of colour, stories that engage with difference. I write across genres and forms, and my award-winning works are mostly Afrocentric. I am especially curious about unique voices in black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, diversity, climate change, writing the other, and betwixt.

Eugen's book list on Afrofuturistic books in speculative fiction

Eugen Bacon Why Eugen loves this book

Lovers of Afrocentric collections of short stories will savour Wole Talabi’s second collection of short stories, following the Yoruba mythology in his first collection, Incomplete Solutions.

Convergence Problems brings its own vein of African-hued stories with an eye to the future and how technology and belief can shape our lives.

By Wole Talabi ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Convergence Problems as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

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…


Book cover of Songs for the Shadows

Eugen Bacon Author Of The Nga'phandileh Whisperer

From my list on Afrofuturistic books in speculative fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a multi-award-winning African Australian writer, and have a deep passion for stories by people of colour, stories that engage with difference. I write across genres and forms, and my award-winning works are mostly Afrocentric. I am especially curious about unique voices in black speculative fiction in transformative stories of culture, diversity, climate change, writing the other, and betwixt.

Eugen's book list on Afrofuturistic books in speculative fiction

Eugen Bacon Why Eugen loves this book

This book is a Sauútiverse novella set in Afrocentric universe of five planets and focusing on sound, music, language, cultures, and histories.

This lyrical story in chanting prose and the meditation of sound and silence encapsulates the reader in matters of time, life, and grief, as our protagonist Shad-Dari seeks to escape her past.

By Cheryl S. Ntumy ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Songs for the Shadows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Your feelings are of no consequence.

Shad-Dari has escaped her past, her dreams now in reach. An excavator of the valuable old sounds of Órino-Rin, she steals tiny, unheard fragments of the sacred songs to erase the painful echo of her home planet, Ekwukwe. In one rebellion too far, she sets off a chain of events that severs her from time itself, forcing her, without another way forward, to face her past.

“Set in the Sauúti universe and tightly packed with rich worldbuilding, Songs for the Shadows is crafted in beautiful prose and depth, meditating on silence and sound and…


Book cover of The First Woman

Sari Fordham Author Of Wait for God to Notice

From my list on by African women.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in Uganda and Kenya, and when I moved to the United States, I felt separated from myself. Learning how to be American was exhausting and so I disappeared into books. I’m now more settled, but I still travel through fiction. These days, I am reading fiction by African women. You should be, too! There is so much stunning literature out there. These five books are just the beginning, but they are novels I can’t stop thinking about.

Sari's book list on by African women

Sari Fordham Why Sari loves this book

The First Woman is perhaps the best novel you haven’t yet read. Kirabo has never known her mother and she is looking for answers at the same time as she is becoming a woman. She is guided first by the village’s blind witch Nsuuta, who has her own reasons for getting involved. Nsuuta tells Kirabo that women were once, “huge, strong, loud, proud, brave, independent. But it was too much for the world.” The writing in this ambitious novel is sometimes funny and sometimes poignant.

By Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The First Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'In Jennifer Makumbi, we have a giant of literature living among us.' Peter Kalu, Jhalak Prize Judge

Longlisted for the Diverse Book Awards, 2021

'Jennifer Makumbi is a genius storyteller.' Reni Eddo-Lodge

A SUNDAY TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY MAIL, BBC CULTURE & IRISH INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR

At once epic and deeply personal, the second novel from prize-winning author Jennifer Makumbi is an intoxicating mix of Ugandan folklore and modern feminism that will linger in the memory long after the final page.

As Kirabo enters her teens, questions begin to gnaw at her - questions which the adults in her…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Witchy Awakening

Denise Jaden Author Of Witchy Wednesday

From my list on cozy mystery books with witches.

Why am I passionate about this?

I lean toward being a skeptic of all things magic, and so when I wrote my first paranormal series, I wrote it from the point of view of an unbelieving sleuth. Because of this, I am drawn to books that really delve into the idea of a sleuth discovering her magic or abilities and coming to believe in them along with the reader. 

Denise's book list on cozy mystery books with witches

Denise Jaden Why Denise loves this book

This book is a fun, paranormal, cozy mystery with plenty of suspense and surprises along the way. I loved the main character, Jess, who had to return to her hometown to settle her mother’s affairs and her cat, Maestro. I’m a sucker for a cozy mystery with a loveable cat, and this book did not disappoint.

The two mysteries in this book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I really enjoyed the reveal of Jess’s witchy abilities. This is a great start to an entertaining new series, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

By C.A. Phipps ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Witchy Awakening as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discovering you're a witch because your cat talks to you isn't as fun as it sounds. After the sudden death of her mother, Jessica Lavender's mediocre life as a baker takes an unexpected turn.Forced to return to her home town to run her mom’s store, she must learn to harness her magical abilities while dealing with nosy neighbors.If that wasn’t enough, her snarky familiar insists she unearth and solve the suspicious death of the body in her garden!This paranormal cozy mystery will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about magic and murder!"A fun start to a new series...One…


Book cover of Jackal, Jackal: Tales of the Dark and Fantastic
Book cover of Caged Ocean Dub: Glints & Stories
Book cover of Black Friday

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