This week, with Gary in Oakland for the 2026 World Fantasy Convention, we’re delighted to welcome Wole Talabi back to Coode Street to discuss his new novel, The Fist of Memory, a fascinating blend of science fiction, African cosmology, political intrigue, and first contact.

We talk about bringing African spiritual traditions into conversation with science, and the ways Africanfuturism opens up new possibilities for imagining humanity’s future. We also explore what an encounter with an alien intelligence might reveal about ourselves and our place in the universe, and more.

As always, our conversation wanders where it will, but Wole has plenty to say about science fiction, culture, and the possibilities of the form. We hope you enjoy the discussion!

As we move into October and the end of the year begins to come into view, we sit down to talk about whether the SF ghetto still exists, especially after M. John Harrison’s The End of Everything has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and whether SF itself has become thoroughly integrated into the mainstream. We also discuss whether terms like space opera and epic fantasy have meaning beyond their utility in selling books, and just when it's OK to give up on reading a book. We also mention a few novels that we’ve been reading and recommending.

As we move into October and the end of the year begins to come into view, we sit down to talk about whether the SF ghetto still exists, especially after M. John Harrison’s The End of Everything has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and whether SF itself has become thoroughly integrated into the mainstream. We also discuss whether terms like space opera and epic fantasy have meaning beyond their utility in selling books, and just when it's OK to give up on reading a book. We also mention a few novels that we’ve been reading and recommending.