Fiction

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Finalist, 2024 Wishing Shelf Book Awards

Finalist, 2025 Next Gen Indie Awards

Shortlist, 2025 Whistler Independent Book Awards

In the aftermath of yet another West African coup, two expatriates face a dangerous new world.

A struggling doctor. An ambitious diplomat. When their lives become entangled with the aspirations of a fleeing war widow and her brother, good intentions meet uncomfortable realities. Meanwhile, under the eye of a military government that mistrusts the West, tension escalates at home, in the hospital, and on the streets of Bamako, in a clash of cultures that threatens both their safety and their precarious relationship.

Set in the tumultuous, conflict-torn Mali of 2022, Malipolitan is a vivid snapshot of post-colonial Bamako: a West African metropolis of dust and hustle, where modern sensibilities meet ancient ones. What follows is a deconstruction of the so-called white savior; a story of obsession, and the cosmopolitan dreams that lead to acts of desperation and violence.

Set at the intersection of medical and political fiction, Malipolitan will appeal to healthcare professionals, those interested in international affairs, and those with affinity for the African continent and culture. 

"A character-driven, drama-filled delve into Malian culture. Complex, thought-provoking, and utterly satisfying...a complex story of old customs within a complex culture."

- The Wishing Shelf Awards

"Christopher Dainton effortlessly transports the reader into West Africa’s incendiary geopolitical landscape in Malipolitan, his highly charged and darkly mesmerizing tale of desperation, delusion, and ambition driven by the emotionally introspective Paul. Written with sharp sophistication and vivid insight, Malipolitan is a fascinatingly good read." 

- IndieReader

"Libraries and readers will find Malipolitan replete with unforgettable impact and moments that demand the reading go slowly, so as to thoroughly absorb Mali’s lessons on place, people, and love. Malipolitan’s literary, historical, and cultural reflections make it a thoroughly engrossing exploration that will leave readers considering their own vision of Africa, world relationships, and rethinking their inherent prejudices about the continent and Mali in particular."

- Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwestern Book Review 

Bronze medal winner, 2023 Wishing Shelf Book Awards

Finalist, 2024 Foreword Indies Book of the Year
 

In a future controlled by an artificial intelligence known as the Djinn, Sevan leads an isolated life on Earth. But when his childhood friend Miah vanishes while stationed on America’s dystopian Venus colony, he must risk a dangerous journey to save her.

Miah, a diplomat for the African-led Humanitarian Service, is abducted by a power-hungry Venusian nationalist named Orion. Her fate becomes intertwined with that of the Venusians, whose American occupiers seek to civilize them and neutralize the Djinn. While Miah becomes Orion’s pawn, Sevan becomes entangled with American elites and missionaries, and both their lives and loyalties hang in the balance as they navigate an alien culture, an irrational bureaucracy, and the looming Venusian uprising no one expected.

In his debut novel, author Christopher Dainton draws on his personal experience of humanitarian aid in West Africa and beyond. Fans of A Memory Called Empire will applaud the clash of cultures in this anti-colonial science fiction adventure.

"This creative interstellar sci-fi thriller is rich with lore and atmosphere. The novel presents a compelling plot, told through the perspective of multiple characters, that digs into deep social and political issues in its strongly-realized Venusian setting." 

- BookLife

"A cleverly plotted, futuristic sci-fi with a strong cast of memorable characters." 

- The Wishing Shelf Awards