‘David Mogo, Godhunter’: African Urban Fantasy and the Gods Among Us

As you know if you follow the BNP Lit Instagram account, I do most of my reading on flights. Some books are best savored in the isolation of a red-eye. I devoured David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa in a cross-country flight, just me and a cup of bad coffee, squeezed between a stranger and my kid. David Mogo took me so far away, that I didn’t even notice how much I hate flying. David Mogo, Godhunter author Suyi Okungbowa Nigerian Science Fiction Carefully crafted, David Mogo, Godhunter fits together in three parts. It is a journey of self-discovery for David, the son of…well who his parents are is part of the mystery of the first 3rd of the book. For someone better versed in the pantheons of West Africa, the answer to the question of his parents may be easy to guess; there are plenty of clues. I totally fell down on the job and was totally surprised. The streets of Lagos, Nigeria come to dynamic life in the book, only it is in reverse — a tragedy called “The Fall” has emptied the streets. We only know about the energy of the city by how much it has changed. This is an interesting approach to describe a city by its ruins, the presence by a progressively bleak absence. In “The Fall” the gods have come to earth, resulting in a crater in the middle of the city and a plague of restless spirits haunting districts and empty spaces. This has utterly unbalanced the government and social structures, leaving regular folks to call on David Mogo when they have troubles. Mogo…