Published in 2016, Rosewater is a science fiction novel written by Nigerian-British writer Tade Thompson. Apex Publication first published it before Orbit Books acquired the rights in 2018. It is the first installment of the Wormwood trilogy followed by The Rosewater Insurrection and The Rosewater Redemption. Set in Nigeria, the novel is part of the Afrocentric science fiction works by writers of African descent in recent years. It won the first Nommo Award in 2017 and Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2019.
The story takes place in 2066 in the fictional city of Rosewater, Nigeria, but it also tracks back to a few years before. It focuses on Kaaro, who acquired psychic abilities at a young age as a result of alien bacteria in Earth's atmosphere. Almost half a century ago, an alien named Wormwood made its way to Earth and created a dome that contains fungus-like organisms. The organisms form the xenosphere that cause sensitives—humans like Kaaro—to have a psychic link with the entity. As a young teen, he used his powers to conduct criminal activities but later changed his ways to work with the government. He becomes an agent of the secret branch dubbed S45 and conducted missions on behalf of the institution. Kaaro falls in love with a woman who reveals that she is an alien and explains the phenomenon behind the xenosphere. She discloses that it was an experiment to gather information and gradually turn the human race into an alien species. Since the sensitives were an unintended consequence of their research, their survival is being threatened.
The novel delves into the subject of human connection and the geopolitics of our modern society. The connection the “sensitives” have to the xenosphere alludes to the dependency on the internet in recent times. Furthermore, it highlights the paradigm shift in current politics and the lasting impact of colonialism.
