Science fiction is all about imagining the future. But when an African writer picks up the pen, something magical happens. The story becomes more than spaceships and robots—it becomes a blend of our culture, spirituality, everyday experiences, and the dreams we have for tomorrow.
African sci-fi feels different because it carries our voice. It feels like home, even when the story is set 200 years ahead.
Here’s how to bring that magic to your writing: This guide will show you how to craft compelling African sci-fi that aligns globally while staying rooted in our heritage.
1. Start With a Strong “What If” Question
Every sci-fi idea starts with curiosity. For African writers, the best “what if” questions come from things we see around us.
- What if ancestors could speak to us through a device?
- What if our cities grew using wisdom passed down from generations?
- What if African spirituality powered future technology?
These questions help you write stories that feel original and rooted in home. They spark narratives that are both visionary and authentically African. As Wole Talabi notes in his essay on Africanfuturism, it reshapes how we imagine the future.
2. Create a Future That Still Looks African
Your future doesn’t need to look like New York or Tokyo. Let it look like Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Kigali—or your hometown. Imagine African futures shaped by African innovation.
- Use African languages, architecture, and social structures.
- Mix traditional designs with futuristic ideas.
- Show African innovation and cities leading the world.
Readers should see the future and still say, “Yes, this looks like us.” This makes your world relatable to African readers and refreshing to global audiences.
3. Blend African Spirituality and Cosmology With Technology
In African culture, the spiritual and physical worlds are connected. Your sci-fi can reflect that (Let Spirituality and Tech Live Together).
- Ifá divination reimagined as an algorithm.
- Ancestral wisdom stored in a “knowledge cloud.”
- Masquerade traditions function as advanced data carriers.
Afrofuturism thrives on merging African worldviews with futuristic tech. This fusion creates worlds where technology feels organic to African culture.
Don’t separate tech and spirit—let them blend naturally, the way we already live.
4. Give Folklore a Futuristic Twist
African myths are full of drama, power, humor, and mystery. Imagine them in the future:
- Anansi as a mischievous A.I.
- Mami Wata as a being who travels between dimensions.
- Shango’s lightning reimagined as an energy source.
Our folklore is a treasure—use it to fuel your imagination.
Writers are already exploring this—see FIYAH’s list of speculative fiction books inspired by African folklore.
5. Build Your Science From Real African Issues
The strongest sci-fi grows from real problems people face today.
- Water scarcity → smart purification technology
- Cultural loss → digital memory vaults
- Traffic and migration → advanced transport inspired by African movement patterns
This makes your world imaginative, yet believable.
6. Let African Characters, Culture, and Themes Shape Your Story
Write characters who feel real—people with our humor, struggles, dreams, and family pressures. Let them move through worlds inspired by African culture, identity, and history. Use themes like ancestry, community, resilience, and innovation to drive your story, and avoid copying Western sci-fi tropes. Instead, let Africa’s voice, originality, and worldview lead the way.
Afrofuturism is about rewriting narratives, not repeating them. As noted in The Rise of Afrofuturism, Black authors are reshaping speculative fiction by centering their own voices.
7. End with Hope
African sci-fi is about possibility. It’s about saying:
“We exist in the future, and we thrive in it.”
End your stories with hope—because hope is the most powerful technology of all.
Conclusion
Writing sci-fi as an African writer is about mixing who we are with who we can become. Your voice, your culture, and your memories—they all matter.
The future won’t imagine itself.
You have the pen.
Write the world you want Africa to have.
Written by Patience Cyril Iwuoha
Content Writer Intern BAC Growth