Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
core novel 2023 Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
Record
| First published | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.64 (1,674 ratings, collected 2026-08-19) |
| Page count | 314 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780756418267 |
Synopsis
Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, published by Wole Talabi in 2023, follows Shigidi, a Yoruba nightmare god who works under contract for the Orisha Spirit Company, a supernatural corporation that has reduced the old gods' powers to a system of assignments and paperwork. Disillusioned with his diminished existence, Shigidi meets Nneoma, a succubus with her own reasons for wanting free of the corporate arrangements binding gods and spirits to human institutions, and the two begin plotting a break from their employer together. Their path out leads them into a dangerous heist targeting a powerful, magically significant artifact, the brass head of Obalufon, currently held in the British Museum, forcing the pair to rely on each other and on Shigidi's fading divine powers to pull off a theft that could finally win them their freedom.
Where it sits
- Universe: Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Wole Talabi
Awards (verified)
- Nebula Award (Best Novel), 2024: finalist; 59th Annual Nebula Awards (ceremony 2024, for 2023-published work); verified directly against nebulas.sfwa.org. Winner that year was The Saint of Bright Doors (already admitted to this canon).
Notes
- A Yoruba-mythology-based fantasy heist novel following the deity Shigidi. Talabi is primarily known as a science-fiction short-fiction author; no other work of his shares this continuity, so this stands as its own self-contained novel rather than part of a series.
Sources
- DAW Books / Penguin Random House (publisher)
- Wikipedia (English)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigidi_and_the_Brass_Head_of_Obalufon
- Nebula Awards (SFWA)
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