Saturday, December 17, 2022

O2 Arena, by Donald Ekpeki Oghenechovwe

O2 Arena won the Nebula this year.  Possibly as encouragement because the story itself reads like a new author, one that will find his way but is early in his career.  Which Oghenechovwe is.  The setting is familiar--people fighting for their right to breathe--but brings Nigerian cultural perspective to it.  The story is often kind of on the nose with social justice, but then we keep that African perspective in mind--these things need saying.  What is unique and compelling here is how this is tied in with climate failure, and the overriding consciousness of the characters--they know that a world where you need supplemental oxygen to survive is one that doesn't have long anyway.  The law school backdrop of the story is cramming a 3 year course of study into 8 months because they simply don't have time.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

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