This was so good! Having really enjoyed Suyi Davies Okungbowa’s Nameless Republic novels, I was very excited to see a novella from him and am happy to say that I’ve enjoyed it a lot. 

Lost Ark Dreaming is set in a high-rise in post-flood Lagos; water has risen dramatically with climate change, flooding the city and leaving only the highest buildings habitable. This one is sharply stratified, with the ‘lowers’ toiling in poor conditions while the highest floors are reserved for elites and the ‘midders’ are, of course, in between. The story is told from three different POVs – three characters, three class positions – who converge when what first appears to be a routine mission to inspect a repair goes in unexpected directions. There is a lot packed into a short page count here – compelling character development, an exciting plot, and political and social commentary that feel highly relevant but never didactic or overdone. Definitely recommend, & will be waiting impatiently for whatever Suyi Davies Okungbowa publishes next. 

Content warnings: murder, death, classism, violence, police brutality, confinement, blood (nothing especially graphic/gory), grief