Scan barcode
A review by chmccann
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
2.0
Such a strong start, and such a compelling idea! Aliens come to Lagos for first contact. As Okorafor says, other places might have had an organized, government-led response. But in Lagos, the aliens can reach out to regular people, mix among them, and both wonder and chaos ensue.
But then, this devolved into just more and more chaos. The closest thing to a plot is that the main characters think the alien ambassador needs to talk to the president of Nigeria. This involves uploading YouTube videos of the alien doing alien things, wading through unrest in the streets, sitting in traffic jams, etc. It's all very quotidian. Presumably if aliens wanted to talk to the president, they could have just raised their ship out of the ocean, broadcast a message, and sat back and waited.
There's no in-world explanation of why they don't do that. I'm guessing the real explanation is that Okorafor wants the opportunity to show readers the tapestry of life in Lagos. And actually, I did like learning about Lagos and Nigeria from someone with strong ties and firsthand knowledge of the place.
I would even have enjoyed the introduction of Nigerian gods and folklore figures, if it had felt like an organic, meaningful part of the story. Instead, it was like Okorafor crammed in a hasty pastiche of [b:American Gods|30165203|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462924585l/30165203._SY75_.jpg|1970226]. It's too bad, because I'd love to read a full novel by a writer of African descent using that idea! But here it's just a few sentences here and there, and doesn't connect much with the rest of the story.
I saw enough cool stuff here that I want to check out her other books. I just don't think this came together as a story. It's a sci-fi excuse for a love letter to Lagos.
But then, this devolved into just more and more chaos. The closest thing to a plot is that the main characters think the alien ambassador needs to talk to the president of Nigeria. This involves uploading YouTube videos of the alien doing alien things, wading through unrest in the streets, sitting in traffic jams, etc. It's all very quotidian. Presumably if aliens wanted to talk to the president, they could have just raised their ship out of the ocean, broadcast a message, and sat back and waited.
There's no in-world explanation of why they don't do that. I'm guessing the real explanation is that Okorafor wants the opportunity to show readers the tapestry of life in Lagos. And actually, I did like learning about Lagos and Nigeria from someone with strong ties and firsthand knowledge of the place.
I would even have enjoyed the introduction of Nigerian gods and folklore figures, if it had felt like an organic, meaningful part of the story. Instead, it was like Okorafor crammed in a hasty pastiche of [b:American Gods|30165203|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462924585l/30165203._SY75_.jpg|1970226]. It's too bad, because I'd love to read a full novel by a writer of African descent using that idea! But here it's just a few sentences here and there, and doesn't connect much with the rest of the story.
I saw enough cool stuff here that I want to check out her other books. I just don't think this came together as a story. It's a sci-fi excuse for a love letter to Lagos.