Womb City

Tsamaase debuts with a mind-bending and potent blend of Afrofuturist science fiction and horror. In a dystopian near future surveillance state, the bodies of minor criminals are “recycled” to allow old souls to reincarnate. Because of their past infractions, however, these former criminal bodies are microchipped, linking them to an AI server that monitors their every move. Nelah Bogosi-Ntsu is a body hopper, the third occupant in an infertile body that she was finally transferred into after her consciousness waited 15 years between life spans. Her husband is a police officer who has access to her memories through her microchip and monitors her every move. Even so, Nelah finds ways to hide the affair she’s having with another man. When one of her trysts ends in an accidental death at her hands, Nelah’s life spirals out of control as she goes to desperate lengths to hide the killing and save the life of her yet-to-be-born daughter who’s growing in one of the city’s Wombcubators. The body horror and sci-fi elements work together beautifully, melding into a thrilling and thought-provoking page-turner. Tsamaase is a writer to watch. Agent: Naomi Davis, BookEnds Literary. (Jan)