House of Margins

Praise for Tlotlo Tsamaase

“A fearless novel that probes ideas of surveillance, misogyny and class… . Tsamaase brilliantly tackles ideas of motherhood and autonomy. The author seamlessly blends a body-hopping ghost story about revenge with a narrative about the importance of memory. It’s such an original first novel, and I’ll be reading whatever comes next.” —The New York Times Book Review on Womb City

“House of Margins skillfully dissects bloody colonial history with a tale of sisterly devotion, righteous anger, and sacrifice too big for one person to shoulder. This will live with me for a long time. Make no mistake—Tsamaase pulls no punches.” —Vincent Tirado, author of You Should Have Been Nicer To My Mom on House of Margins

“With melodic prose that stares down post-colonial racism, the ‘true-crime’ commodification of missing and dead bodies, and the infantilization of Black authors, House of Margins is a brilliant work that gives the immersive feeling of being trapped in a nightmare. Interactive and deeply imagined, Tlotlo Tsamaase has crafted a stunning examination of abuse, cultural appropriation, and eternal hauntings.” —Tamika Thompson, author of The Curse of Hester Gardens

“Taking aim at colonization, Tsamaase masterfully utilizes the gothic genre to blend the unfolding horror of the house with the horror of a brutal regime that destroyed people, culture, and land in ways that reverberate to this day. A stunning commentary that balances atrocity with art, House of Margins is a must-read for fans of gothic horror the world over.” —Maria Tureaud, author of This House Will Feed

“The body horror and sci-fi elements work together beautifully, melding into a thrilling and thought-provoking page-turner. Tsamaase is a writer to watch.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW, on Womb City

“Captivating and valiant… . With both chilling precision and anguished passion, Womb City depicts a toxic future of cyber-reincarnation and authoritarian omniscience.” —Foreword Reviews, STARRED REVIEW, on Womb City

“This Afrofuturist novel’s twisty plot has a lot to say about inequality — and complicity.” —Los Angeles Times on Womb City

“Womb City pulsates with this gender-expansive feminist rage, propelling a narrative at breakneck speed—sometimes literally, for the characters—that leaves no one exempt from misogyny’s horrifying control.” —Los Angeles Review of Books on Womb City

“This Africanfuturist horror novel brings cyberpunk vibes, dystopian vibes, and ghost stories together for a great and unique read.” —Book Riot on Womb City

“Womb City is an Afrofuturist, cyberpunk, feminist, horror thrill ride and if that isn’t enough… I can’t help you.” —Book Culture on Womb City

“Enjoyably terrifying.” —New Scientist on Womb City

“Womb City is an introspective Africanfuturist horror for readers who love stories that take a swing at reductive views on gender and crime without hiding the awfulness those issues bring up.” —Lightspeed on Womb City

“A piercing critique of patriarchal power …Womb City is a gripping read for anyone interested in bringing down systems of oppression.” —Ancillary Review of Books on Womb City

“A fierce, furious, and fearless debut that has its finger on the pulse—no, the gushing wound—of our world’s most invasive cruelties.” —Daniel Kraus, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Shape of Water, on Womb City

“This beautifully written work haunts and upends expectations with its resurrected ghosts and gods and ancestors of Motswana cosmology. What an accomplished debut!” —T. L. Huchu, Caine Prize finalist and author of The Library of the Dead on Womb City

“Raw and unflinching, lyrical and bombastic.” —Cadwell Turnbull, award-winning author of No Gods, No Monsters, on Womb City

“This propulsive and brilliant page-turner is a searing indictment of the world in which we live… . Move aside, Philip K. Dick and George Orwell—Tsamaase is the new visionary of our time.” —Marisa Crane, author of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself on Womb City

Tlotlo Tsamaase (pronounced “toe-toe SA-mah-AYE-say”) is a Nommo Award-winning Motswana author. Longlisted for the British Science Fiction Award, her debut novel, Womb City, is an Ignyte, Nommo, and Locus Award finalist. Her novella, The Silence of Wilting Skin is a Lambda Literary Award finalist, and her short fiction has appeared in multiple best-of anthologies, Africa Risen, New Suns 2, Chiral Mad 5, and other venues. She received support from the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative. Originally from Botswana, she now lives in Nebraska.

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