When I wrote Portentum: Africa Reborn, I wrote it out of an appreciation of heritage and also the fact that there are not many fictional/fantasy/science fiction books out for the Motherland.
The central theme of the book explores many of the issues that are being faced right now in Kenya. I had no clue that the events that take place in the book would be a reflection of what is inflicting the country now. Even though the settings in Portentum are ficitious they are loosely mimicked from Kenya and Eldoret, where many of the central problems are occurring concerning the protests.
The issues that are conveyed in the book, which currently vex the region, are governmental influences that control too much and offer the people no alternative for peace.
Greed, corruption, race, poverty, oppression are the actual antagonists as opposed to the evil characters that are listed throughout the book. The characters are an embodiment of those characteristics of society.
The book is based on how fragile democratic systems actually are and how a few may influence a whole country and for that matter a whole continent and eventually the entire planet.
Africa is rich in heritage but poor in a vision of the future. That problem can be solved as Africans have proven to be resilient when faing oppression and hatred. However Africans can easily be misguided by outside forces.
It is my hope that things change for the better as too many people are dying.
Brent Mason
Author of Portentum: Africa Reborn
