Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: Issue 5
Olivia Kidula & Somto Ihezue, eds.
Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook
ISBN: 978-9914-37-320-2
Shilitza Publishing Group, January 2025, 280 pgs

Sometimes social media can be a wonderful place. It was on social media that I discovered Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: Issue 5 and immediately asked to see an early copy. Despite this being the fifth anthology (plus they did a magazine issue) I hadn’t heard of these books; checking some of my usual resources, it seems that the series has gone largely overlooked or ignored by the larger genre community. If the quality of the work in Issue 5 is any indication, I’d say that’s a real shame, because this is a great book with many excellent pieces on offer. I’ll discuss a handful of stories here, but I encourage readers to go to the publisher’s website (bit.ly/40kdFr6) and discover some of the seriously skilled writers they’ve published.

Rutendo Chidzodzo’s “I’m Home” is a brief exploration of transformation and grief wherein a child is taken by a njuzu. I would have loved to see it expanded into a larger narrative, especially since the writing is terrific. That said, it does what it does and it does it well. It can also potentially be read—via subtext—as a discussion of things such as the way we change when separated from home, and how we can no longer quite fit at home in the ways we once did. It is brief, yes, but many readers will find it to be powerful.

Gabrielle Emem Harry’s “Something Cruel” draws the reader deep into both perspective and tension right away, right from the first paragraph. The combination of sensory details and thoughts mixed in with story problem works tremendously. We meet Minika, who has a mission, but also has a powerful sense of foreboding about the mission, as well as the knowledge that she might not survive. One of the problems she faces is that she isn’t totally sure what form her quarry will take, but she knows it must be powerful. The story takes an unexpected turn, but Harry’s way with words is fantastic, making the tale an entertaining experience.

“The Market of Memories” by Azara Tswanya has a really interesting opening, made so by turns of phrase and perspective. If you are a fan of style and voice, taking in those initial lines, that first page, will excite you on a prose and story level. Zainab is in trouble: she lives in a society where people can (and do) sell their memories to make ends meet. The idea of transferring or someone taking memories is not necessarily new, but Tswanya renders a beautiful and engaging tale. This one also feels more personal than some: it feels more lived in, grounded in relationships and consequences, not to mention the divisions of class and wealth disparity. There were so many great lines, I often felt tempted to post quotes on social media; instead, I invite you to read the story and discover Tswanya’s work for yourself. The experience will be even better for encountering those lines in their proper context. But don’t just read it for the great lines: it’s a thoughtful, impactful, powerful story.

Matseliso Motsoane’s “Baby Potion” is an interesting ride, told in a compelling style. Lebo has been having trouble conceiving a child, and she goes to great lengths to figure out why. One thing she is pretty sure of: the problem is not with her body. A visit to the hair salon, where the best gossip happens, arouses suspicions in her: Are there things her husband isn’t telling her? Is her mother-in-law up to something? Or maybe a younger woman has gotten in the way and somehow messed with the biological aspects of the marriage? Something about the storytelling kept me reading; I was absolutely absorbed in the story. Where things go ends up being unexpected and intriguing, as well as fun, while also being thought provoking.

“The Sirangori Fey Market” by Ephraim N. Orji spends a fair amount of time in detailing the wonders and terrors of the market itself, which is what many stories about fey markets do. Orji’s vision has its innovations, however, and the style is an immersive one. Where many similar attempts might read as trite, this one is fascinating. Part of this is due to the layering in of a character with a problem: a member of an Order who must track down a murderous shaman. The storytelling is great and the details of the story, as it unfolds, add to everything, giving the read a nice momentum. Then, just when you think things are going quite well (as far as enjoying the story goes), Orji switches things up, changes gears, and the narrative gets even more captivating, before swinging into absolutely-propulsive-mode. I hope to read more from Orji, and that is probably the best compliment I can give a writer.

Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology: Issue 5 is worth your time and money. The editors have done fabulous work selecting pieces which will entertain, transport, and engage readers. I will be looking for some of these authors, eager to see what else they do; and I hope to read more anthologies by these editors in the future—they have good taste in fiction!