Ododo Press

We are a small press based in Uganda, founded in 2026 by Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22) We publish speculative fiction stories, particularly science fiction, fantasy, horror, and solarpunk. We also love folk tales and non-fiction works about the arts and cultures of African people, and you will find these on our sites.

Website: https://www.ododopress.com

Public Key

npub1g8hz3su5jldpslxn6cndtljvskjlhrwrvp089w7ghpnjv4888t4qx2mep0

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsyrm3gcw2f0ksc0nfavfk4lexgtf0m3hpkqhnjh0ytseex2nnn46sprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntqy28wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hsgw4yrn

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

relay.damus.io

relay.primal.net

Author Public Key

npub1g8hz3su5jldpslxn6cndtljvskjlhrwrvp089w7ghpnjv4888t4qx2mep0

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Last Notes

2026-07-21 14:13:15 CEST

This folk tale, from Angola, is grim, dark, and very weird. It reminds me of the perfect gentleman in Amos Tutuola's epic fantasy, The Palmwine Drinkard (based on folk tales), where a spirit borrowed body parts from several people so it could pass off as human in a market, but in this instance, several supernatural creatures take bits and pieces off a grandmother for various uses.
See more #OdodoStories
https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/two-young-men-and-their-grandmothers/
#folklore #books #bookstodon #writing #writingcommunity #sff

2026-07-18 14:18:45 CEST

"You know the failure modes that democracy can fall into: the formation of cliques that don’t share information, the hoarding of resources facilitated by positions of high prestige, the avoidance of accountability after decisions are made in secret. It’s a massive challenge to devise a system of full and equal participation, and a no less daunting one to keep it in healthy functioning condition."
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/03/book-microreview-blossoming-of-big-tree.html?m=1
Read the book
https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/
#books #bookstodon #bookreview

2026-07-12 22:32:26 CEST

Here is a new folk tale, and it's themed on one of the most popular topics in African folk lore, the world of the dead. Many Africans believed the dead continued to live in another country under the ground, and you could go there if you were unlucky. This is what happened to Mpobe, who was a hunter in Buganda.
See more folk tales like this #OdodoStories
https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/mpobe-the-hunter/
#folk #folklore #mythology #writing #writingcommunity #africa

2026-07-10 12:24:51 CEST

“This short story collection by Ugandan writer, Dilman Dila, is sheer entertainment with a thick seem of seriousness…. The beauty of these stories is that each in their own way shows a human side, of people who love, hate, fear and yearn. Dila’s wonderful imagination lifts this collection into an alien yet familiar space, where the ‘other’ is lampooned in a fantastical way.”
Available for Pre-Order
https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/
#book #books #bookstodon #sff #sciFi

2026-07-01 13:56:25 CEST

The next few months are going to be busy, as I work to bring out a lot of books, some of them are my own, which had gone out of print. Others are public domain works, which I've edited to remove problematic and racist works. But most will be new books, short story collections, for I have a lot of unpublished stuff just lying around. Get a sneak peak in this blog post.
https://www.ododopress.com/blog/coming-soon-books-to-expect-in-the-next-few-months/
#blog #writing #writingcommunity #books #bookstodon

2026-06-30 14:49:24 CEST

Our next book is up for pre-orders, with a release date of 1st September 2026. This is a reprint of my first collection of short speculative stories, A Killing in the Sun, which came out in 2014. The rights reverted to me after the publisher went burst and I begun to think of a small press to give books like this a second life.
There's possibly every genre in this collection, horror, aliens, robots, fantasy, and Sci-Fi
https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/
#books #bookstodon #writing #writingcommunity #sff

2026-06-29 22:23:30 CEST

A man set a trap, but it caught a bird that sung to him with a beautiful human voice. Still, he ignored the warning signs, and took it home to cook it, and eat it....
New folk tale is up, from the Lango people of Northern Uganda.
See more folk tales like this #OdodoStories
https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-enchanted-guinea-fowl/
#folklore #folk #writing #fantasy

2026-06-28 12:33:29 CEST

This #solarpunksunday take a look at a review of our novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree, coming out in two days, and the reviewers got the gist of the theme on power and decentralized governance. The review contains some mild spoilers, though.
https://vector-bsfa.com/2026/06/25/no-one-at-the-centre-reading-dilman-dilas-the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/
The book is available for pre-order, though if you buy from our site you can start reading it.
https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/
#review #reviews #bookreview #bookreviews #books #bookstodon
https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/827/250/717/443/163/original/1ccd8f4d4010e61b.png

2026-06-26 22:41:46 CEST

4 days to the release of this #solarpunk story, about an old woman who is struggling to fit in because her village has a tight sense of community, yet she doesn't like being in the company of other people, and so when the duty of coordinating the defense of their decentralized nation falls on her, she fears she won't make it.
Read a sample chapter and pre-order!
https://ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/
#books #book #sff #sciFi #bookstodon
https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/818/333/092/683/932/original/8667fc6042d9d500.jpg

2026-06-24 19:38:26 CEST

Cover reveal! Here, I talk about the inspiration for the cover of my novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree, and the process of making it.
I know, it's weird to change the cover six days before release, but I thought I should give it a new look, as the earlier version had a plainer background. I hope you enjoy this one, and hope it's not confusing since you are used to seeing the green stuff.
https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/
#books #bookstodon #solarpunk #sciFi #sff #writing #writingcommunity #blog

2026-06-17 18:19:16 CEST

RE: https://mograph.social/@dilmandila/116765555339595828
So as we prepare to start delivering audio books, we did a test with a short story, and I'm now looking for feedback on what it actually sounds like, if it is technically competent, and if the narration style is okay for something that will go on sale? See the link in the original post. :-)
#note140h…fq3a

2026-06-14 21:12:35 CEST

About two weeks to release our first novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree, a #solarpunk story about an old woman who has to coordinate the defense of her decentralized nation when a colonizer invades. We are running campaign for reviewers on NetGalley, but if you are not on it and would like to give the book a review, send a DM!
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/837516
If you are a reader, it is available on pre-order
https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/
#books #bookstodon #sff
#bookreview #bookreviews

2026-06-11 12:34:23 CEST

I got distracted with making a short film, but now back to sharing African folk lore, and this time it's an article about Yakan, a movement that swept through these parts in the early 1900s, mixing religious beliefs and military action against colonizers, for it used magic water that protected rebels from bullets. This has given me fodder for some of my stories, and those who write #fantasy might find it useful.
https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-magic-water-inspired-anti-colonial-rebellions-in-east-africa/
#folklore #blog #writers #writing #writingcommunity

2026-05-08 18:25:15 CEST

This is a periodic reminder that our first novella is on pre-order, and it's the story of a 70yr old autistic woman who would rather grow her beans in peace, but a superpower is threatening her decentralized country and she has to coordinate their defense, though they don't have an army, or even weapons.
You can check out a sample chapter on our website, or on major stores.
https://ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/
#book #books #bookstodon #writers #writing #writingcommunity #solarpunk #sff #sciFi
https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/539/843/932/132/342/original/7e5ebcf2330efd02.jpg

2026-05-08 15:17:31 CEST

Hare returns in another tale from the Nandi, and still their deeds are mischievous and very dark, but there seems to be a morale to the stories: never trust a stranger with your child.
Enjoy this and other folk tales from Africa via #OdodoStories
https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/the-baby-sitter/
#folklore #folktale #blog #writing #writingcommunity #horror

2026-05-03 11:42:46 CEST

Are you a reviewer? This May we run a campaign for our novella, The Blossoming of the Big Tree, about a 70yr old woman with social anxiety, struggling to fit in a village with a tight sense of community. She has to coordinate the defense of her decentralized nation when a colonizer invades to steal the tech that makes them a #solarpunk utopia. You can request a copy on #NetGalley or DM us.
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/837516
#book #books #bookstodon #review #reviews #writingcommunity #solarpunksunday

2026-05-02 21:00:42 CEST

Some best friends are not what they seem. In this re-telling of a folk tale from the Nandi, in Kenya, a once happy relationship takes a very grim and very dark turn after a pet cow gives birth.
We regularly share folk stories from African cultures via #OdodoStories and we hope you enjoy this one!
https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/primal-feast/
#folklore #folktale #blog #writing #writingcommunity #africa #kenya

2026-04-30 15:04:27 CEST

A sultan's son and his best friend go on an adventure in the high seas, but they get shipwrecked. The sultan's son and a slave are the only survivors, and their fortunes change.
This folk tale from Zanzibar kicks off our quest to bring back long dead stories via #OdodoStories The title, 'An Indian Tale', reflects Zanzibar's unique history as it hosted many African and Asian people. It was once the capital of Oman.
https://www.ododopress.com/african-folk-tales/an-indian-story/
#folklore #blog #writing #writingcommunity #folktale

2026-04-24 18:26:03 CEST

- reply

The final script in this collection of short screenplays is Saving Mugisha, which was a film made in collaboration with a civil society organization. It's about a boy suffering bullying because he wets his bed. You can watch the film here
https://tv.dilstories.com/w/rpTMrphEZv3ndvXs4RBSob
But it's always nicer to read the screenplay, so get your free copy here.
https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/
#film #movies #screenplay #books #bookstodon

2026-04-23 13:39:23 CEST

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Next #screenplay is Her Fearing Friend, which I wrote in 2012. At that time the Ugandan Parliament was proposing a heinous law ("Kill the Gays bill") so some artists created works about #LGBTQia This short script is a boarding school romance between two girls. 'Fearing friend' is how they referred to secret lesbian relationships in the 80/90s, public enemies, secret lovers. This never got produced, but enjoy a free copy here!
https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/
#worldbookday #lgbtq #books #bookstodon

2026-04-15 18:21:52 CEST

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Angels in the Sun Beam is the story of a 10yr old girl and her plot to take her older brother, who is bedridden with a severe disability, to school. It is a sweet story, with a happy ending for the both children, and if the film is ever made perhaps it will bring a tear or two to your face.
Download this free eBook, a collection of short screenplays, from here
https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/
#free #book #bookstodon #screenwriting #writers #writing #writingcommunity

2026-04-14 18:33:56 CEST

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The next screenplay in this collection of short scripts, Adyeri, is a cheesy horror story about a man who hears voices of a woman he is infatuated with, leading him on to believe that she is in love with him, though when he approaches her the story is different and the result is more sad than terrifying. You can read this and other scripts in this free ebook, which has a diversity of genres. https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/
#horror #books #bookstodon #screenwriting #free

2026-04-12 01:18:13 CEST

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This collection has two versions of the screenplay of What Happened in Room 13, a first draft and the shooting draft.It's about an adulterous affair gone wrong. The woman ends up dead and the man has to hide the corpse.
It's a short film, a dark comedy and a thriller, with over 8 million YouTube views, but you can watch it on #PeerTube https://tv.dilstories.com/w/nN68boejMs8ENY78M1tjNo
Download a free copy of the script here
https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/
#book #bookstodon #film #filmmastodon #movies #screenwriting

2026-04-10 16:42:38 CEST

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The third #screenplay in this free ebook lends the collection its name, and is a story that started with the title. Home Is A Fine Place To Die. I asked myself what kind of tale would fit such a poetic line, and ended up with the drama of a family who are tired of becoming refugees every time they hear a gunshot; their husband and father wants to keep fleeing, though home might be the safest place!
Download a free copy https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/
#books #bookstodon #writing #writingcommunity #film

2026-04-08 13:54:10 CEST

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The second screenplay in this collection, which is free to download until the end of this month, is titled Under Sarah's Bed, and is set in the classic, perhaps cliche, genre of a monster under the bed. It was a script written to learn the basics of filmmaking, and you can laugh at the film here https://tv.dilstories.com/w/c8W7M9NxC5yNZab7EHEHGP
A copy of this book, is available here
https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/
#writers #writing #books #bookstodon #monster #sff #writingcommunity

2026-03-29 20:49:21 CEST

Cover Reveal! Here is our next book, which opens for pre-orders soon, and it is a reprint of what some scholars say is a landmark publication, the first single-author collection of speculative stories from an African author (based on the continent and in contemporary times, we believe). First published in 2014, it went out of print when the original publisher folded. We are proud to bring it back to life!
https://www.ododopress.com/blog/cover-reveal-a-killing-in-the-sun/
#books #bookstodon #sff #sciFi #writing #writingcommunity #blog
https://bookstodon-files.web.thunderhost.net/media_attachments/files/116/313/918/428/409/245/original/ef876405d1760d32.png

2026-03-28 15:16:57 CET

Want to read screenplays? Here is a link to a free book with 9 short scripts of diverse genres. The first, After The Silence, is the sad and melodramatic story of a woman who speaks out about the abuse she experiences in her home, but no one believes her. It is set in a small town of Uganda, and can be read as a handbook of what a victim of domestic violence would go through to get justice in a such a place.
https://www.ododopress.com/screenplays/home-is-a-fine-place-to-die/
#writing #writers #writingcommunity #books #bookstodon

2026-03-26 19:27:24 CET

In Malawi a being called Chiruwi is believed to haunt lonely places in the forest, carrying an axe. It has one eye, one arm, one leg, the other half of its body being made of wax. It challenges any person it meets to wrestle with it; if the person can overcome it then it offers to show them “many medicines” if they will let it go, and tells them the properties of the various trees and herbs. But if the person is thrown “they return no more to their village; they die.”
https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu/

2026-03-25 07:55:55 CET

The first review of our novella is here, and it gets a Nerd Coefficient of 8/10. The review describes the theme of the book and the governance model it fantasizes about, and adds that "There’s a sense in which The Blossoming of the Big Tree resembles classic hard SF, except this time it’s about finding a creative solution to a puzzle of political theory instead of rocket science."
Read review
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/03/book-microreview-blossoming-of-big-tree.html?m=1
Pre-order here
https://www.dilmandila.com/donate/wind-a-solarpunk-short-film
#books #bookstodon #writing #sff

2026-03-17 10:51:33 CET

Cover reveal! We've edited this book for modern readers. It's an important documentation of African cultures. The original, written 100yrs ago by a racist anthropologist, had a lot of problematic texts, misinformation, and hallucinations of colonialists. We had to weed all that out, and it was a hectic job that took so much longer that planned. Now we are done, the cover is here, and now we hope to release it in a few weeks. To get updates https://www.ododopress.com/newsletter/
#bookstodon #books #folklore
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2026-03-15 19:42:39 CET

Our first post should be an #introduction so here we go. We are a small press based in Uganda/East Africa, and we are passionate about speculative fiction. We publish #SciFi #fantasy #horror #solarpunk #afrofuturism and #africanfuturism books, and we also love #folklore so you should expect to see regular posts about African folk lore. This will be our only social media presence.
Here is our website.
https://www.ododopress.com/