Call number
Genres
Publication
London : Hodder & Stoughton, 2014.
Pages
306
Description
"It's up to a famous rapper, a biologist, and a rogue soldier to handle humanity's first contact with an alien ambassador--and prevent mass extinction--in this novel that blends magical realism with high-stakes action. After word gets out on the Internet that aliens have landed in the waters outside of the world's fifth most populous city, chaos ensues. Soon the military, religious leaders, thieves, and crackpots are trying to control the message on YouTube and on the streets. Meanwhile, the earth's political superpowers are considering a preemptive nuclear launch to eradicate the intruders. All that stands between 17 million anarchic residents and death is an alien ambassador, a biologist, a rapper, a soldier, and a myth that may be the size of a giant spider, or a god revealed"--… (more)
Awards
British Science Fiction Association Award (Shortlist — Novel — 2014)
Otherwise Award (Honor List — 2014)
The Kitschies (Finalist — 2014)
Nommo Award (Long list — 2017)
Illinois Reads (9-12 — 2017)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014
Physical description
306 p.; 8.2 inches
ISBN
9781444762761
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member thesmellofbooks
There is a lot of good about this book, much to stimulate thought and so on. However I stopped reading it a number of chapters in because I am tired of books where the bad guys (in this case, to my delight, NOT the aliens) are so unidimensionally bad, where they are caricatures instead of
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characters, and where we get to simply despise them instead of seeing them as infuriating but human beings. Show Less
LibraryThing member RobertDay
Science fiction is about encountering the other; and in this novel, First World readers get a taste of what that is really like, as it's set in Lagos (Nigeria) - and that's going to unsettle people before you even get into the science fictional bit. Aliens splash down offshore from Lagos and emerge
This is written in short chapters; indeed, I understand it started life as a film treatment. This may account for the characters being fairly broadly drawn. As for the setting; I have met and worked with a number of people of Nigerian heritage over the years, and whilst I cannot say this is accurate, it has an atmosphere that I could imagine as 'Nigerian'. It also possesses a wit that I wasn't expecting.
We write our science fiction to suit what we know. Western science fiction is highly technocratic - the aliens land in spaceships, they have super-science and they have a tendency to think like us, even when the author is trying hard to make them Alien. Okorafor does exactly the same; by being herself of Nigerian heritage, she taps into West African ideas, society, folkways and myth. Her aliens shapeshift, and manipulate water, and tap into specifically African themes and concerns. Some of the establishment brand the aliens 'witches', though this word means something a bit different in an African context. Many make a distinction between 'witchcraft' - a natural ability, often not necessarily under the control of the individual, that is a force of nature that can only be mitigated, not defeated - and 'sorcery' - a learned magical discipline, applied deliberately against people you wish to target. So by branding the aliens "witches", Okorafor sets them into a particular place.
The description of the shape-shifting feels science-fictional and unusual. Equally unusual is the use of Pidgin English and a smattering of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba words that the user is left to figure out for themselves (until they find a limited glossary at the back of the book, so they can check their answers). Some might see this as making no concessions to Western readers; I took this as further evidence of science fictionality. The ending is positive, with Nigeria about to take its place in world affairs as the nation that made First Contact - after all, why should we assume that the aliens will land on the White House lawn every time?
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from the sea. They look like us - when they want to. When they don't, that's when the problems start.This is written in short chapters; indeed, I understand it started life as a film treatment. This may account for the characters being fairly broadly drawn. As for the setting; I have met and worked with a number of people of Nigerian heritage over the years, and whilst I cannot say this is accurate, it has an atmosphere that I could imagine as 'Nigerian'. It also possesses a wit that I wasn't expecting.
We write our science fiction to suit what we know. Western science fiction is highly technocratic - the aliens land in spaceships, they have super-science and they have a tendency to think like us, even when the author is trying hard to make them Alien. Okorafor does exactly the same; by being herself of Nigerian heritage, she taps into West African ideas, society, folkways and myth. Her aliens shapeshift, and manipulate water, and tap into specifically African themes and concerns. Some of the establishment brand the aliens 'witches', though this word means something a bit different in an African context. Many make a distinction between 'witchcraft' - a natural ability, often not necessarily under the control of the individual, that is a force of nature that can only be mitigated, not defeated - and 'sorcery' - a learned magical discipline, applied deliberately against people you wish to target. So by branding the aliens "witches", Okorafor sets them into a particular place.
The description of the shape-shifting feels science-fictional and unusual. Equally unusual is the use of Pidgin English and a smattering of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba words that the user is left to figure out for themselves (until they find a limited glossary at the back of the book, so they can check their answers). Some might see this as making no concessions to Western readers; I took this as further evidence of science fictionality. The ending is positive, with Nigeria about to take its place in world affairs as the nation that made First Contact - after all, why should we assume that the aliens will land on the White House lawn every time?
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LibraryThing member ScoLgo
A cool premise and some decent characterization but ultimately did not work for me. The story went in all sorts of directions and ended up somewhat incoherent. Characters come and go - some return while others are not heard from again. I feel like Okorafor almost wrote a strong novel but may have
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lost focus at a few critical junctures. For a short book there was a lot here to like. It just didn't fulfill the promise of the early chapters. Show Less
LibraryThing member nmele
Maybe it's the West African setting and characters, for which I feel nostalgia though I never lived in Nigeria, but I found myself very happy reading this novel. Okorafor writes tellingly of Nigeria's problems and failings but is also hopeful for its future and compassionate toward her characters
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even while satirizing stereotypical ones. This is a creative first contact story that is unique even while Okorafor echoes Octavia Butler and Nancy Kress. She leaves room for at least a sequel, and I hope to read it soon. Show Less
LibraryThing member Course8
Nnedi Okorafor is one of my favorite authors and so I really, really wanted to love Lagoon, her recent novel. It features a strong women protagonist, Nigeria as the setting and a realistic rendering of that country's culture. But I found this book to be confusing and disjointed. Some of the many
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themes include urban angst, religion, LGBTQ issues, male-female relationships, mythology, political corruption, environmental issues, internet fraud and other stuff which are jumbled together without clear integration. There are many characters but many of their stories are scant and unresolved. There is no explanation of the aliens' background or purpose for coming to Earth. Most of the conversations between the Nigerians and the aliens are either mysterious or not described because the key characters can't remember what actually happened. There is also a dismaying amount of graphic violence which seems to be gratuitous. While the ending is inspirational there is little foundation established for the magical expectation that everything will work out just fine. This book feels like an edited version of a longer and more detailed work but critical chunks of the text were cut without much effort make sense of the remaining text. Show Less
LibraryThing member dougcornelius
In interesting take on alien arrival on earth. The aliens arrive in Lagos Nigeria. The tale is, at times, more like an African folk tale.
The audiobook is well produced using two readers, one who takes the role of the female protagonist.
The audiobook is well produced using two readers, one who takes the role of the female protagonist.
LibraryThing member Gwendydd
Most first contact stories have aliens landing in New York or some other big city, and making contact with world leaders. Lagoon starts with the intriguing premise that aliens land on the coast of Nigeria and intentionally make their first contact with a small, poor country.
Unfortunately, the
I really wanted to like this book, but the story seemed to be a great big muddle, and it was ultimately unsatisfying.
Unfortunately, the
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premise was the only part of this book that I found intriguing. It was interesting reading about Nigerians' pride in their country, despite the corruption and the poverty, but other than that, the story really fell flat. Despite a lot of big action scenes, the story never seemed to go anywhere, and the aliens' purpose in coming to earth was never clearly revealed to the reader. There were a lot of characters for a relatively short book, which meant we never really got to know the characters well. The three main human characters all share strange magical abilities, but it is never explained where those abilities come from or how they are connected to the aliens. I really wanted to like this book, but the story seemed to be a great big muddle, and it was ultimately unsatisfying.
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LibraryThing member Lindoula
Just couldn't get into this. Too many side plots, side characters, etc. that contribute little if any to the plot or setting. And then there's a really weak resolution, to boot.
LibraryThing member nwhyte
seemed to me entirely eligible; it is perhaps an intersection of genre between alien invasion and magical realism (the carnivorous road, for instance, has no scientific basis that I can see) but the sf element is part of the core of the story, so as far as I am concerned we can rule it in. I also
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liked the politics, and the sexual politics. I did find the writing a bit clunky in places near the beginning, but that may have been just getting used to the style, and I'd be interested to see that others think. Show Less
LibraryThing member ElleGato
So let's get this out of the way: I loved this book. Reading the joyous thoughts of a giant swordfish made me cry.
As readers of SF/F I think we become used to series. We see stories as spread out over pages and time, expansive with plenty of room to breathe and unfurl. I think we forget what a
And beyond the characters, Okorafor's Lagos is a wonder. You feel the wet visceral love in every word: how love is possible for a city violent and dangerous and yet beautiful and hopeful and upsurging. The city is integral to this story and that's something, I think, fantasy and sci fi need more of: place. A sense of place, the place as a character, as a necessary character. Lagos, its gods and roads and people are absolutely 100% necessary to the existence of this novel and Okorafor has done this so well it's stunning.
Everything Okorafor builds in this book is important and connected but never contrived. It's messy but always controlled. It's bloody but always with purpose. I'm so happy to have experienced this book, to have experienced these characters and the raw, bleeding love that they feel for their city, for their country, for each other.
As readers of SF/F I think we become used to series. We see stories as spread out over pages and time, expansive with plenty of room to breathe and unfurl. I think we forget what a
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single book can do but this book reminded me. The people Nnedi Okorafor created exist in this relatively slim volume but they are as real and enduring as any characters that span over triologies. You feel them; they crawl up into your brains and into your guts and heart and carve out spaces--you question them, you question yourself and you understand. Each character is so deftly woven, so carefully and precisely written you're sure you've known them for far longer than this book.And beyond the characters, Okorafor's Lagos is a wonder. You feel the wet visceral love in every word: how love is possible for a city violent and dangerous and yet beautiful and hopeful and upsurging. The city is integral to this story and that's something, I think, fantasy and sci fi need more of: place. A sense of place, the place as a character, as a necessary character. Lagos, its gods and roads and people are absolutely 100% necessary to the existence of this novel and Okorafor has done this so well it's stunning.
Everything Okorafor builds in this book is important and connected but never contrived. It's messy but always controlled. It's bloody but always with purpose. I'm so happy to have experienced this book, to have experienced these characters and the raw, bleeding love that they feel for their city, for their country, for each other.
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LibraryThing member junerain
I liked this book, but I wanted to like it more than I did. Ultimately, I think that this book is trying to do too much and doesn't settle on one thing that it's trying to do.
Lagoon opens up several different themes including the corruption of organized religion, the way that religious leaders
Lagoon was originally conceived as a reaction to District 9 and it's stereotypical portrayal of Nigerians. I think this explains why the book reads like part screenplay, part folklore. The scenes are choppy and the cast of characters is huge for how short a book this is. It can be difficult to keep all the characters and relationships straight, especially through the first two acts, simply because there are so many of them.
I did enjoy reading this book. I wanted to figure out what happened and am glad I read it, but I did not savor the experience of reading it.
Lagoon opens up several different themes including the corruption of organized religion, the way that religious leaders
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disenfranchise women, the difficulty of mixing class and ethnic tensions in Lagos, what responsibility a woman has to her husband (if any), what responsibility a man has to his wife/wives (if any), and political corruption. Unfortunately, since the book is dealing with so much in such a short narrative, I'm not sure these themes get explored fully and the conclusions of plot threads often feel appropriate but thin.Lagoon was originally conceived as a reaction to District 9 and it's stereotypical portrayal of Nigerians. I think this explains why the book reads like part screenplay, part folklore. The scenes are choppy and the cast of characters is huge for how short a book this is. It can be difficult to keep all the characters and relationships straight, especially through the first two acts, simply because there are so many of them.
I did enjoy reading this book. I wanted to figure out what happened and am glad I read it, but I did not savor the experience of reading it.
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LibraryThing member pwaites
A mysterious object crashes off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city. Three people – Adaora, a marine biologist; Anthony, a hip hop artist; and Agu, the solider – are inexplicably drawn to Bar Beach, where they are the first people to encounter the aliens. Lagoon interweaves many
I would not call Lagoon a plot based book. Instead of sticking closely to a single group of characters and story line, it prefers to give a wide perspective of how Lagos reacts to the arrival of aliens. We see from the point of views of a large number of characters, some of whom have only one appearance. We follow everyone from the main three characters to a street prostitute who witnessed the original event to an evangelical church lead by a conman to a student LGBTQ organization to a mentally handicapped boy.
The only problem I had with the organization of Lagoon was it felt like the the thread following the LGBTQ group was dropped when I didn’t know if the characters were still alive or not,given that we last saw them being beaten on the street. Also, the group was mainly seen from the perspective of a straight transvestite who’s story line ended with him getting shot when his friends found his dresses. If you’re going to include queer characters and issues of homophobia, why the heck do you kill them all off or forget about them?
Lagoon also combines some of the local mythology and folklore of Nigeria, especially closer to the end as the land itself changes with the presence of the aliens. It’s not a hard science book and is much less focused on the “how?” than the “what if?.” There’s krakens and chapters from the POV of a bat and road monsters and living mythological figures.
As soon as the news about the aliens breaks out, there’s chaos in Lagos. There’s violence on the street, sexual assault and people getting killed. I think the violence and chaos was believable for the situation but be aware that Lagoon goes into some dark places. It also deals some with domestic abuse.
Lagoon is probably the most original first contact story I’ve ever read. After all, why is it that aliens always seem to land in New York? Why not Lagos? It was a breath of fresh air. It’s a complex book but ultimately a valuable one that I would recommend.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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different threads, but ultimately it is a portrait of Lagos and a story about change.I would not call Lagoon a plot based book. Instead of sticking closely to a single group of characters and story line, it prefers to give a wide perspective of how Lagos reacts to the arrival of aliens. We see from the point of views of a large number of characters, some of whom have only one appearance. We follow everyone from the main three characters to a street prostitute who witnessed the original event to an evangelical church lead by a conman to a student LGBTQ organization to a mentally handicapped boy.
The only problem I had with the organization of Lagoon was it felt like the the thread following the LGBTQ group was dropped when I didn’t know if the characters were still alive or not,
Lagoon also combines some of the local mythology and folklore of Nigeria, especially closer to the end as the land itself changes with the presence of the aliens. It’s not a hard science book and is much less focused on the “how?” than the “what if?.” There’s krakens and chapters from the POV of a bat and road monsters and living mythological figures.
As soon as the news about the aliens breaks out, there’s chaos in Lagos. There’s violence on the street, sexual assault and people getting killed. I think the violence and chaos was believable for the situation but be aware that Lagoon goes into some dark places. It also deals some with domestic abuse.
Lagoon is probably the most original first contact story I’ve ever read. After all, why is it that aliens always seem to land in New York? Why not Lagos? It was a breath of fresh air. It’s a complex book but ultimately a valuable one that I would recommend.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member allison_s
Fantastic as usual from Okorafor. I'm not usually a fan of alien invasion novels but this was so different and well-done. A startlingly large cast of characters, brisk pace, and nice, short chapters. Chilling at times, warming at others.
LibraryThing member m_mozeleski
O
M
G
So I'm kind of on a Nnedi Okorafor binge right now, because reading Akata Witch opened up a new world for me. I picked up a used copy of Lagoon at a used bookstore and dove right in. I do not regret taking my time to finish this book. I loved the setting, and the characters, and the
M
G
So I'm kind of on a Nnedi Okorafor binge right now, because reading Akata Witch opened up a new world for me. I picked up a used copy of Lagoon at a used bookstore and dove right in. I do not regret taking my time to finish this book. I loved the setting, and the characters, and the
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possibilities that the book explores. I highly recommend this to all. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
Agu, Anthony, and Adaora never knew each other before the fateful night an alien ship landed in the water off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria, and a wave brought them out to the ocean. Now back on land with the ambassador, Ayodele, they need to attempt to get in touch with the president. Will this
Really inventive science fiction from one of my go-to authors. I enjoyed the premise, and the writing style incorporating a lot of points of view including a spider, a road, and a swordfish in addition to several human characters. I read impatiently to find out what would happen to the characters, and found this an all-around satisfying read.
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first contact be peaceful, or tear the country apart?Really inventive science fiction from one of my go-to authors. I enjoyed the premise, and the writing style incorporating a lot of points of view including a spider, a road, and a swordfish in addition to several human characters. I read impatiently to find out what would happen to the characters, and found this an all-around satisfying read.
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LibraryThing member booksandliquids
Lagoon is an absolutely wild ride and I loved every bit of it.
I'm not big on comparisons, but "Doctor Who in Africa" is a really good one for this book, because of the wild mix of themes that you'd never think would go well together, and that Nnedi Okorafor pulls off anyway. It's funny,
What other book makes you cry overthe death of a side character and then laugh about the president of the country meeting an alien that takes the form of Karl Marx to make a point about his political aspirations ?
But although I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters, I would have liked the three main characters to be a bit more fleshed out, especiallyAnthony . Some of the side characters get more complexity, which I loved. Towards the end I think the scope got too big, the POVs too many and it all felt a bit rushed, although I do think I understand why the author made that choice. The book would have been a 5 star read for me it more of that time was dedicated to the charaters.
I'm not big on comparisons, but "Doctor Who in Africa" is a really good one for this book, because of the wild mix of themes that you'd never think would go well together, and that Nnedi Okorafor pulls off anyway. It's funny,
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entertaining, deep, informative, hopeful, sad and every once in a while it rips your heart out. For me, the best kind of science fiction is one with a base deeply routed in reality, and that's what Lagoon is. I feel like I learned a lot about Lagos and Nigeria in general, and at the same time I've enjoyed a very original and inventive science fiction story.What other book makes you cry over
But although I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters, I would have liked the three main characters to be a bit more fleshed out, especially
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LibraryThing member LibroLindsay
Well, if I was going to miss the initial outpouring over Prince's death this morning, I'm glad it was to finish this book. Lagoon was superb. I was fascinated with each scene. It totally feeds my love for futuristic/techno/Africa-is-the-next-world-power novels. I especially liked the interludes
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from other POVs and seeing some of our old friends from previous works by Okorafor. And the sea creatures. Oh, the sea creatures. I will forever be a sucker for a marine novel. She did a good job with balancing such a heavy cast of characters, though I did get a little lost somewhere in the middle trying to keep track of what was happening to whom. But that got clearer by the last third of the book. I am also simultaneously happy that this seems to be a stand-alone novel and bummed that I won't get to see all the crazy, wonderful stuff that happens past the close of the novel. This would make a brilliant graphic novel if it were given to an artist prepared to go all-out in psychedelic brilliance. Show Less
LibraryThing member Awfki
THIS BOOK IS NOT SCIENCE FICTION, IT IS CONTEMPORARY FANTASY (magic in the modern world) that happens to have some creatures called "aliens". There's nothing wrong with contemporary fantasy but I think I would have enjoyed this much more if I hadn't thought it was SciFi.
2015-11-27/15%: I'm having a
That's been fairly minor though, more annoying was the characters who were taken and when we next see them their back. I thought I'd skipped a chapter or there was one missing but the info got backfilled. It seems like a bad idea to confuse your readers unnecessarily.
Also, I really hate that these folks have been hanging with the alien for hours now and no one has got around to "why are you here?" and "what are your intentions?". WTF? I could get the author not wanting to blatantly answer those but if the characters are hanging out with the alien they at least need to be addressed.
2015-11-28/39%: Is it bad that I keep looking at the percent read and being disappointed that it's still not past 50%?
2015-11-28/66%: Yay! Finally past the half-way point. I'm going to finish this one, but only out of sense of obstinance. I want to like it, but it's just not working for me. The writing is good except the pidgin that's annoyingly hard to understand. Also, I thought I was reading a SciFi novel and it turns out that it's a contemporary fantasy novel. Sure, they're called "aliens", but these aliens do magic without visible technology and, more importantly, there are roads that are alive and the protagonists all had magic powers before the aliens arrived.
One item that was hugely annoying was Ayodele's reaction to being shot. This is a being that reads minds, and you'd think they'd have studied humans for a while, but lets assume they just decided to take over the first planet they arrived at and didn't bother to look around at all. She reads minds but she's apparently surprised when they shoot her? And it's implied that this is the first time she's experienced pain. And then there's the ultra-childish "I'll turn into a monkey so I don't have to talk to you". I really don't like these "aliens".
2015-11-30/100%: I think if I know this was contemporary fantasy going in I'd have enjoyed it more. I was expecting scifi and instead got Nigerian mythology and nonsense aliens. It was short enough, and good enough (barely) to push through and finish despite my annoyance but this just didn't do it for me. I hated the "aliens", who were just ancient wise spirits with a "space ship" and alternated between childish and all-knowing. I wouldn't have minded having Udide and Ijele and whoever else show up if this had billed as fantasy.
My overall opinion is that the book was too scrambled for me. I wanted a story about aliens (from space, with technology) showing up in Nigeria but by the end I was so tired of the silly "aliens" and the magic that I just didn't care about any of any more.
PS. Yes, I'm well aware of Clark's Third Law but that doesn't apply to human superheroes or mythological beings.
2015-11-27/15%: I'm having a
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number of problems with this. The pidgin English that I can barely make out is one. ... But it just occurred to me to go look in the book and there's a "Special Bonus Feature" that explains some of the pidgin English. That's been fairly minor though, more annoying was the characters who were taken and when we next see them their back. I thought I'd skipped a chapter or there was one missing but the info got backfilled. It seems like a bad idea to confuse your readers unnecessarily.
Also, I really hate that these folks have been hanging with the alien for hours now and no one has got around to "why are you here?" and "what are your intentions?". WTF? I could get the author not wanting to blatantly answer those but if the characters are hanging out with the alien they at least need to be addressed.
2015-11-28/39%: Is it bad that I keep looking at the percent read and being disappointed that it's still not past 50%?
2015-11-28/66%: Yay! Finally past the half-way point. I'm going to finish this one, but only out of sense of obstinance. I want to like it, but it's just not working for me. The writing is good except the pidgin that's annoyingly hard to understand. Also, I thought I was reading a SciFi novel and it turns out that it's a contemporary fantasy novel. Sure, they're called "aliens", but these aliens do magic without visible technology and, more importantly, there are roads that are alive and the protagonists all had magic powers before the aliens arrived.
One item that was hugely annoying was Ayodele's reaction to being shot. This is a being that reads minds, and you'd think they'd have studied humans for a while, but lets assume they just decided to take over the first planet they arrived at and didn't bother to look around at all. She reads minds but she's apparently surprised when they shoot her? And it's implied that this is the first time she's experienced pain. And then there's the ultra-childish "I'll turn into a monkey so I don't have to talk to you". I really don't like these "aliens".
2015-11-30/100%: I think if I know this was contemporary fantasy going in I'd have enjoyed it more. I was expecting scifi and instead got Nigerian mythology and nonsense aliens. It was short enough, and good enough (barely) to push through and finish despite my annoyance but this just didn't do it for me. I hated the "aliens", who were just ancient wise spirits with a "space ship" and alternated between childish and all-knowing. I wouldn't have minded having Udide and Ijele and whoever else show up if this had billed as fantasy.
My overall opinion is that the book was too scrambled for me. I wanted a story about aliens (from space, with technology) showing up in Nigeria but by the end I was so tired of the silly "aliens" and the magic that I just didn't care about any of any more.
PS. Yes, I'm well aware of Clark's Third Law but that doesn't apply to human superheroes or mythological beings.
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LibraryThing member kslade
Good story of various Nigerians and a guy from Ghana involved with extraterrestrials who come to bring good changes to Lagos but a lot of chaos happens first. This is my second from the author.