Rosewater (Thompson novel)

Lore & Background

The novel is set in a world altered by the 2012 arrival of an alien named Wormwood in London. By the 2050s, Wormwood creates an impenetrable dome in Rosewater, Nigeria, and exudes a fungus called xenoforms that interact with human nervous systems. A small number of humans, called sensitives, can use the xenoforms to access an information network known as the xenosphere. The story follows Kaaro, a sensitive, across different decades of his life. As a teen, he uses his psychic abilities for thievery, is caught, escapes, and later works on the black market before being recruited by the Nigerian government. In the 2050s, he trains with S45, a secret government branch, and is tasked with tracking down anarchist revolutionary Oyin Da. Kaaro and Da travel to the future site of Rosewater and speak with Wormwood. S45 agents follow and shoot at Wormwood, but Kaaro saves him. Wormwood then creates the dome to separate from most humans; Da stays inside, Kaaro does not. In 2066, sensitives begin dying of an unknown illness. Kaaro encounters a mysterious woman named Molara in the xenosphere, who reveals she is the embodiment of the xenosphere and that the creation of sensitives was an unintended consequence of alien information gathering. She attempts to kill Kaaro, but he is rescued by Wormwood. Kaaro learns that aliens are replacing human DNA over generations. He and his girlfriend Aminat, an undercover S45 agent, continue their lives uncertain how to combat humanity's end.

Reader's Guide

Rosewater is significant for its inversion of typical science fiction power dynamics: after Wormwood lands in London, the United States goes dark and becomes isolated, while Nigeria becomes the story's center. This mirrors the emergence of more science fiction writers of African descent and critiques the isolationist policies of American president Donald Trump. The novel explores human connection through sensitives' access to the xenosphere, paralleling modern internet and social media addiction. Unlike white western cyberpunk, characters are connected by family and friendship networks. Homosexuality remains illegal in 2060s Nigeria, forcing Kaaro's gay foster parents to disable tracking signals despite the all-connecting xenosphere. The alien invasion trope is used to examine global power structures and pervasive technologies. The novel was first published by small press Apex Publications before being acquired by Orbit Books. It received critical praise as a genre mashup including Africanfuturism, cyberpunk, biopunk, Afropunk, zombie-shocker, and a love story. Reviewers praised Thompson's ability to juggle disparate elements, his evocative descriptions, physical writing style, strong female characters, and references to Yoruba culture. One reviewer called it a worthy winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award and placed Thompson among leading proponents of contemporary Afrofuturism alongside N. K. Jemisin and Colson Whitehead.

Did You Know?

• The novel won the inaugural Nommo Award and the 2019 Arthur C. Clarke Award.
• The alien Wormwood appears in London in 2012, altering the world's geopolitical landscape.
• Sensitives access an information network called the xenosphere through a fungus called xenoforms.
• Kaaro's gay foster parents must disable their tracking signals because homosexuality is illegal in 2060s Nigeria.