Posted on by aoyebanj

That Was the Year That Was

As we aim to close the books on 2022, I’m not going to lie: it’s been a rough year. Putin’s (re)invasion of Ukraine had a brutal effect on my day job, making the time for writing even shorter than usual – and frequently wiping it out altogether. But despite that a surprising amount got done on the writing front. Braking Day came out in April; A Quiet Teacher hit the shelves in November; Worlds Long Lost, the anthology to which I contributed the story, The Wrong Shape to Fly, was published in December; and I finally (finally!) finished my first draft of E________, to which I plan to return in the New Year, once the froth of it has settled out of my head.

Nor is that all. I HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR A LITERARY PRIZE! Which, let me tell you, never ever happens to me. Not even in school.

I am one of the finalists for the 100 Year Starship (100YSS) 2022 Canopus Awards for Excellence in Interstellar Writing in the published long form fiction category (novels and longish novellas). Canopus recognizes “the finest fiction and non-fiction works that expand our understanding of the challenges, opportunities, pitfalls, and rewards of interstellar space exploration.” Cool, right?

The complete long-form list is as follows:

What I’m really excited about is not just the nomination but the company I get to keep. These are real serious SF writers! And now I’m one of them!

Wow. Who’d ‘a thunk it?

Wait. There’s more! I made a few year’s-best-SF lists as well! I was particularly pleased to make the Library Journal’s “Best SF/Fantasy of 2022” (apologies in advance: the link is hiding behind the LJ paywall) and also the Track of Words website’s “Best SFF Books of 2022.” Track of Words always provide really thoughtful reviews, so it was really touching to read their year-end summary:

“A brilliant tale of deep-space travel upon the generation ship Archimedes, I’m actually tempted to say that this is the best book I’ve read all year (despite reading it way back in March). The premise is fantastic – a generation ship making preparations for finally slowing down as it approaches its destination, tensions rising within the stratified crew, and one young officer worrying that he’s going mad as he starts seeing impossible things. It’s a fascinating story full of wonderful characters exploring what life might be like for those who have only ever known the constraints of a starship. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a dichotomy of beauty and terror as I did reading Oyebanji’s portrayal of space and the fragility of life on board the Archimedes, but the world building is so clever and so vibrant that I still sort of wish I could experience it for myself! It’s also just a really smart plot, and if you have any interest in space-set sci-fi then I really can’t recommend this enough.“

It’s just so gratifying when something lands with someone the way you intended. I enjoy writing. But writing that brings enjoyment to others is a whole other level.

So, not such a bad year after all, maybe. And here’s wishing you all the best for 2023.