Chasing Whispers by Eugen Bacon
(Raw Dogs Screaming, 2022)
Reviewed by Phil Nicholls
This collection of 13 Afro-irrealist short stories by Eugen Bacon, an African Australian writer, is published by Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2022. The book includes a short introduction by American novelist and critic D. Harlan Wilson, who sets these stories in context within the current state of black speculative fiction.
A book of short fiction, even one from a single author, is even harder to categorise than a novel. Bacon includes only limited genre elements in many of these stories, but the overall effect is a magical re-imagining of modern life. Chasing Whispers fits neatly within the wider definition of magical realism, if the term can genuinely be applied beyond the work of South American writers.
The blurb on the back suggests “a deep and troubling sadness” as a recurring theme for the collection, but I was carried along by the recurring sense of wonder in these agile stories and the relentless determination of Bacon’s female characters. A range of obstacles face these women, not least the men in their lives. Yet the sisterhood supports and encourages these women who typically overcome adversity with style and attitude.
These sentiments are best captured in the story ‘Sita and the Fledgling’, an entertaining blend of humour, magic, corvids, Covid and African culture. A small band of ravens bicker and squabble trying to become the familiar of a witch doctor who treats an often surreal parade of villagers with an amusing mixture of humour and contempt. Covid is added to the mix, which brings a layer of satire into this already complex story.
Bacon’s voice threads powerfully through these stories, especially in the short piece ‘A Deep and Terrible Sadness’ which opens:
“You’re a traveller of the past, present, future. You arrive without land, without name. You have no mission, no affection. Yours is a goading that bares humanity’s uncertainties, the kind of fear that breaks mirrors lined on walls.”
Her poetic prose sparkles throughout the collection. The confessional nature of this story suggests Bacon is sharing her experiences with the reader, but it could just as easily be the mark of clever characterisation by the author.
My favourite story was ‘Namulongo and the Edge of Darkness’, one of the pieces with a strong genre element. This story is set in a post-apocalyptic water world where the central characters live on a submersible. Alongside these steampunk details, the characters learn ritual magic and chase aquatic spirits. The story ended too soon for me, but I loved the setting.
In his introduction, Wilson notes how Bacon is an exception to the formal writing style taught in most MFA programmes. This trait is very clear in these stories. Alongside the experimental use of genre tropes, Bacon also plays with language and formatting. Four stories in the collection use sub-headings in the text, often for different purposes. In ‘Industrial Pleasure’ the sub-headings seem to pick out elements of the story structure, while in ‘Neuter’ they indicate point of view. Other tales use them to highlight locations or even advance the plot.
Another experimentation is with italics, which Bacon uses in nine of the 13 stories. Most commonly, they are short comments or asides, but other stories use them for emphasis or even as longer dreamlike flashback sequences. Additional innovation is found with the use of the ‘sie’ pronoun in ‘Memories of the Old Son’, amusing footnotes in ‘Sita and the Fledgling’ and the occasional tinkering with text formatting in ‘Black Witch, Snow Leopard.’
Chasing Whispers challenges the reader both in form and content. Bacon speculates with the form of the short story just as much as the stories blend together African folklore and the modern world. SF readers are frequently travellers in the past, present and future. We are all invited to explore the uncertainties of humanity in this engaging collection of short stories from Bacon.
Review from BSFA Review 18 - Download your copy here.