WOMB CITY

Microchips and monitoring make for a safe society—but at what cost?

Botswana, many years in the future: Despite her successful career and marriage, Nelah Bogosi-Ntsu desperately wants a child and is willing to pay to make it happen. As a woman, and in possession of a body that was not originally hers, Nelah is monitored through a microchip that lets her husband comb through her memories for “undetected infractions.” And Nelah does have secrets, including an affair with the heir to a business empire. Despite her microchip, she’s managed to conceal her activities, until one night when things spin out of control. Now haunted by the specter of a young woman who believes Nelah killed her, Nelah must unravel the connections among the girl, Motswana beliefs, the government, and even the people closest to her before the ghostly girl kills again. Even as Nelah chafes against the restrictions placed on her by society, she contends with her own complicity within the system. The twists and turns are compelling, and the setting of future Botswana is intriguing yet grounded in reality, especially regarding global inequalities. The commentary is slightly one-note, fueled by monologues about how women should band together that rarely manifest in action. Nevertheless, Nelah’s frustrations ring true even as she displays her own significant complications.

Simplicity in theme is balanced by worldbuilding that seamlessly combines problematic technology with Motswana legend.