Alif the Unseen is the debut prose novel byG. Willow Wilson , writer of the critically - hail graphic novel Cairo , Air , and Vixen . This is a blowy yet thought - provoking blend of techno - thriller and urban phantasy , place in an unnamed Arab emirate . It will whisk you away to the unexampled vistas of curiosity and wisdom , then come back you before the waterglass falling from your nightstand has time to dispatch the trading floor .
Top epitome : Djinn by Remton on Deviant Art .
The Middle East is often either ignored or over - romanticized in the West . Worse , we allow our own fundamentalist , both religious and secular , to demonize Islam , which is an built-in part of life for so many mankind . Nuanced delineation of Moslem life in speculative fiction have been infrequent , and have usually been compose by well - mean gentile . I extremely recommendGeorge Alec Effinger‘s novels and stories of Marîd Audran . The Budayeen may be a thinly - obscure New Orleans , but Effinger really did his homework . The Arabesk Trilogy by Grimwood is good , if a bit dry for my taste . TheJiin , that older airstream of numinous magnate created from smokeless flaming , fiddle a role in the excellent the Dervish House by Ian McDonald , hold by Tim Powers and recently inThe Mirageby Matt Ruff . I admire Ruff ’s explorations into ethics and morality . Meanwhile , children of all eld will wonder at Salman Rushdie ’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories and Luka and the Fire of Life .
http://io9.com/5161333/23rd-century-muslim-cyborgs-in-budayeen-nights
Get ready to ghost about this alternate existence where Arabia ’s the world ’s only world power
But this year has contribute a surprising bounteousness — first , we hadThrone of the Crescent Moonby Saladin Ahmed , a Scheherazade - fuel swashbuckling phantasy . Now another Muslim American , G. Willow Wilson , draws from the same plentiful folkloric tapestry for this excellent innovative fairytale . Spoilers onward …
stool of the Crescent Moon is the best phantasy lunatic of the twelvemonth so far
Once there was and once there was n’t a metropolis on the border of the stark Empty Quarter . In the poor region there is a young cyberpunk who conk out by the handle “ Alif ” ( The first letter of the Arabic alphabet , when written resemble a “ 1 ” which is an anagram for “ Neo ” . ) Alif is the product of a star - crossed beloved . He inhabit with his mother , an immigrant worker from India , and his alienated male parent belongs to the local Arab aristocracy . He ’s a street lowlife with a misgiving for the staus quo and the hacker skillz to do something about it . Under the watchful gaze of a Robert Smith poster , Alif computer code for client of all subversive stripe . subverter Islamicist or Communist , porn merchant , or anyone who demand to escape the digital scrutiny of the Powers - That - Be . It ’s not the cash or the cause that switch Alif ’s grey lid , he ’s doing it for the lulz .
Alif ’s own unlawful romance with the beauteous , brilliant , and loaded Intisar ends abruptly when her class promise her hired hand in marriage to another aristocrat . She pleads that they never meet again even accidentally — not even on the net . Heartbroken , he agrees to this and creates a special curriculum , Tin Sari . It can identify her , or anyone else , found on their keystrokes , grammar , and other patterns . With this a user can be identify and immobilise , no matter what address or machine they utilize . Tin Sari works well than he could have possibly imagined , and attracts the murderous aid of the Emir ’s spymaster , the shadowy genius terrorise hackers have dub the Hand of God . With his next threshold neighbour and childhood champion , Dina , he goes on the run — but not before Intisar sends him a musty onetime book for keeping . It is titled Alf Yeom wa Yeom , “ The Thousand and One Days ” , and it will prove to be information far more dangerous than Tin Sari .
Alif and Dina look for out the aegis of Vikram the Vampire , a outlaw who sprain out to be much scarier than his reputation or moniker . He is a classic slicker , and not of the “ merry wanderer of the night ” mold . Vikram is hazardously fickle , possessing great knowledge and drive by the basest of instincts . They also cope with a blonde American scholar , who looks like an obvious outdoor stage - in for the author . This fair sex , known only as the convert , suffer the mistrust and derision of her co - religionists who see her as small more than a jumped - up tourist slumming in an Exotic Land . Further companions let in the impudent , avuncular Sheikh Bilal , who gets the funniest business line , and another badass hacker with considerable resources but very little piety or etiquette .
The ancient Scripture , the Alf Yeom is a collection of fay tales with strange and self-contradictory ethical motive allegedly told by the djinn . The tales contain hidden knowledge ; ghostly lessons like the instruction stories of the Sufi , but also great secrets like the Philosopher ’s Stone or the mogul to conjure up the dead . The Hand require this book , and not for bedtime news report . rarefied world power may be real , but can we ignorant beni adam really hope to control or even sympathize it ?
Alif and the tribal sheik discuss quantum computing , and the holy Quran as the ultimate metaphor . According to Wilson , metaphor is the powerfulness of symbol to retain multiple meanings without contradiction . There is much in this novel about being of several world at once : magic and engineering science , phantasmal and worldly , East and West . Alif deals with the small bonus and aggravator of his mixed parentage without going all tragic mulatto . As a someone who proudly checks the Other box on forms , I can dig it .
The glimpse of life behind the veil for a modern Moslem char are intriguing as well . The approach to making love and romance in this book is refreshingly chivalrous , even with a hormonal horndog like Alif in the mix . A different world indeed . I will in spades be checking out Wilson ’s memoir , The Butterfly Mosque .
Alif and his new supporter , human and otherwise , face danger both sacred and profane . They will plunge late into the unobserved universe all around us and run into all manner of jinn — the marid , effrit , sila and demonic shayateen . I did n’t see any ghuls , possibly next time . Another parallel between the honest-to-god traditional knowledge and programming that Alif finds is communications protocol — choosing your words carefully and mind your style when dealing with powerful systems . Sadly , this does not work as well on secret officer with jumper cable and rubber hoses .
I had not read any of Wilson ’s graphic novel before my review written matter for Alif turned up . In a cursory perusal of Cairo I see some similarities with this novel : hip new people , some with glowing eyes , who show decently to left and hang out in teahouses . Many of my best-loved novelists deal a common hemipteron . These author may be compelled to stuff in Every Cool affair They Ever Thought Of . Disparate , esoteric content straining against the slenderest of connections , often flying out of control in debut novel . This is a far from fateful flaw ; I on a regular basis enjoy the enthusiasm of Matt Ruff ’s Sewer , Gas , & Electric , China Miéville ’s King Rat , and even The Big U which Neal Stephenson infamously tried to disown for year .
Wilson ’s Eisner - nominated Air does have a daunting , even Pynchonesque amount of Crazy Stuff fail On . But her first novel without pictures continues to research the symbolisation / engineering science theme , but is a slightly more matured , restrained employment . If the verbal description of Alif ’s game seems scattered , it is the fault of the reviewer , not Ms. Wilson . I am eager to see how this bright young talent develops .
The prose of Alif the Unseen is impudent and spry ; romance and adventure stream well between Deep Thoughts . steganography and the Quran are presented at the same time as info possibility and church property , her possibility of Metaphor works well . The plot avoids crash to a halt for a schoolroom lecture or an incoming from the Monster Manual . In this , she surpasses the other piece of work of Stephenson and Gaiman , with whom comparisons have already been made . I was a number disappointed that for a story hard set in the Arab Spring , oppression and bulk large revolution are little more than frame in news report . All the unpleasant government and battle of the masses seem forgotten during the middle human action . The same thing happens to a key eccentric who root on Alif then vaporize from all consideration , and then pops up with cumbersome gismo at the coda . These are minor quibbles amidst all the use I found in these pages . Alif the Unseen will chance many fan in both West and East . They will apprize it for being just the fine story it is and as a ejaculate for potent musical theme yet to make out .
For and Science Fiction , Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad has a utilitarian website by that very name .
Alif the Unseenis available right about now at yourlocal independent bookseller
gray area is know to all the mass of the Book as Chris Hsiang . He is a bookseller withBooks Inc.in the San Francisco Bay Area and bang shawarma .
You may survey him @greyareareads
particular thanks to Leef atMission : Comics & Art
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