Alif the Unseen

G. Willow Wilson’s Alif the Unseen is an embracingly fresh and layered novel that has its faults, but remains entertaining and thought provoking throughout. Not to mention timely, as it deals with the idea of revolution and change in the Middle East, a book that is about the Arab Spring despite being written before the Arab Spring actually took place.Alif the Unseen is set in a nameless “City” in an authoritarian Arab country ruled by an Emir whose security apparatus has long kept the population in check. Included in that apparatus is “one of the most sophisticated digital policing systems in the world,” though one that up to now our main hacker protagonist Alif has managed to elude as he lends his considerable computer skills to “anyone who could pay for his protection . . . Islamists, anarchists, secularists—whoever asks.” Alif’s ideology is freedom of information, beyond that he seems to believe in little, save that he is in love with an upper-class woman (one well beyond his economic class and his mixed ethnicity). Everything is quickly turned upside down almost immediately in the novel though, as his love tells him she must marry another man, and as Alif begins being tracked by a mysterious State agent with legendary capabilities in tracking down and disappearing hacktivists, a person known only as the Hand of God.Soon, Alif is on the run, joined by his very pious neighbor Dina, a jinn known as Vikram the Vampire, an American referred to only as “The Convert,” an elderly Imam, and a low-on-the-rungs-of-power prince who has turned against the State. Alif is tortured, visits a city of the jinn out in the desert, gets mixed up with an ages-old text of jinn tales known as the Alf Yeom, and sparks a revolution in the streets. He also learns belief.There’s a lot to like here. First, just the welcome difference of having an Eastern setting and jinns and effrit and the like rather than the same old same old medieval Europe setting with your typical dwarves and elves. What I also enjoyed about this was that Wilson doesn’t simply transfer the usual actions/motivations of said dwarves and elves over to just differently shaped otherworldly creatures. The jinn et. al. are portrayed as truly mysterious, beyond the full ken of mere humans; we might interact with them for good or ill, but we don’t fully understand or even fully see them.The thoughtful and substantive use of religion was also an aspect I responded to (says the apathist—my preferred description for a view that falls somewhere between atheism and agnosticism). The Imam of course is one of the main conduits for such discussion, as when he comes to a revelation about the trappings of ritual and prayer:I have had much experience with the unclean and uncivilized in the recent past. Shall I tell you what I discovered? I am not the state of my feet. I am not the dirt on my hands or the hygiene of my private parts. If I were these things, I would not have been at liberty to pray. . . . But I did pray, because I am not these things. . . . I am not even myself. I am a string of bones speaking the word God.All of the characters get in on the discussion, however, including the jinn, as when one tells Alif:Belief . . . It doesn’t mean the same thing it used to . . . Superstition is thriving. Pedantry is thriving. Sectarianism is thriving. Belief is dying out . . . Wonder and awe have gone out of your religions. You are prepared to accept the irrational but not the transcendent.It is rare that one gets such consistent, intelligent, and thoughtful exploration of religion and Wilson does an excellent job in making it not only substantive but also moving at times. The political aspects are also welcome, and again, obviously timely, though I don’t think they are handled with quite the same deft touch or subtlety.The characters are mostly well done. The standouts are the Imam and Vikram, both wonderfully drawn characters that show a wide range. The prince, though he gets much less time, was also a good full character who also added a bit of needed humor. The Convert felt a bit too blunt of a character (though I’m guessing the author is well aware of that). Dina was maybe a little too close to being the “saint” Alif calls her, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of her in a more fully active role; she felt she didn’t quite meet her potential. Unfortunately, in many ways Alif is the least impressive character, not particularly likable at the start (though he does mature and grow on the reader), not particularly compelling at any point really. His blandness is a flaw, but luckily one that is outweighed by the depth of those who surround him, human and non-human alike. As a bit of a side note, it was also a nice touch that many of these characters are betwixt and between worlds: Alif of mixed ethnicity, the Convert an American turned Muslim and transplanted to the City, Vikram a once-human possessed by a vampire demon (if the stories are true), and so forth).A few other flaws include a somewhat muddled ending, both in terms of plot and simple physical logistics. I really liked the idea of the mystical world mixed with the modern, though I didn’t feel it always was executed cleanly or clearly enough. Though one of my favorite exchanges was this one, which takes place in an inn of sorts inside the city of the jinn:Effrit, said the shadow. I’m an effrit. And I’ve got a two-year-old Dell desktop in the back that’s had some kind of virus for ages. The screen goes black five minutes after I turn the damn thing on. I have to do a hard reboot every time . . .You’ve got Internet in the Empty Quarter?” [Alif] asked in an awed voice.Cousin, said the shadow, we’ve got WiFi.Wilson takes a few turns toward melodrama here and there. There’s an unfortunate chase scene where the girl falls, turns her ankle, and needs to be helped up and out by the guy. And a few other issues crop up now and then. But Alif the Unseen is definitely worth reading, and I would look forward to the next novel by Wilson, working under the assumption that many of these rougher edges will be smoothed out.(this review originally appeared on fantasyliterature.com)

Always seeking POVs different from mine, I thought it would be interesting to read how a middle class American woman would present a classless Arab boy. It’s a little awkward, as one might expect, but a good adventure, overall. Perhaps if you are overly literal, or a boy, a Muslim, a coder, a Jin, a revolutionary, an Arab, or some iteration thereof, you will take exception to certain aspects of the story. I have no experience with any of those things but I happily and easily suspend disbelief for the sake of story. It is all terribly misogynistic, unsurprisingly given the setting. I feel like Wilson did a pretty good job, though, and I enjoyed Alif the Unseen. I did read the back of the book first and that may have been a good way of setting the stage. I’d recommend you doing the same. I bought a used copy for just a few dollars and that buoyed my enjoyment.

I read Alif as the monthly selection for my book club. The main character, Alif, summarizes the book nicely when he says "A girl he loved had decided that she did not love hime - at least not enough. How was such a problem usually addressed? Surely not with the clandestine exchange of books and computer surveillance and recourse to the jinn." He later describes his situation as "I was a computer geek with girl issues. That sounds pretty ordinary to me." This story is anything but ordinary. I found it to be a fun, adventurous, and enjoyable read. It can be read for pure entertainment, but, it also has content for deeper investigations and conversations. The author combines classic computer geek culture, modern day socio-political themes, religion, and the supernatural into a fantasy thriller style novel. For me, she was successful, and this was a classic good versus evil story.Wilson includes quite a bit of tension between the unseen/hidden/belief and the seen/known/reality, as well as between the supernatural and "real" world. The unseen is manifested in many ways throughout the story including the computer aliases that protect and shield the gray-hat hacktivists, the traditional clothing of veils and robes worn by many characters, the unknown state censors, and most importantly to the story, the world of jinns. As the book progresses, that which is hidden and unseen becomes seen and known. This is especially true for many of the characters in the novel. At first, I found Alif to be a rather pathetic main character who lacked courage and whose whining/pining was irritating. However, as Dina so eloquently says to him "I was annoyed with the boy you were, I liked the man I knew you would become." This was also true for me. At the end, I felt I understood and like Alif as he grew and changed. Dina also becomes better known to both Alif and the reader. I truly liked her character. She is a character of piety, devotion, gentleness, and contentedness who chooses to wear veils. Yet none of that keeps her from being a "bad-ass" who can quickly cut to the chase with both her words and actions. Her perceptions, understanding, and believe in and about the supernatural and reality are insightfully keen. Dina truly knows and sees herself, it is up to the reader and Alif to move her from unseen to known. Other characters change and reveal their true selves throughout the story including Intisar, The Hand, NewQuarter, Azalel, and many other of the Jinn.The story also explores the ideas of the role and importance of religion in society and compares and contrasts it to more ancient supernatural fantasies. I particularly liked when the conversation between Alif and the Sheikh as they were discussing the morality of actions conducted in virtual space. The conversation ends with the quotation, "If a video game does more to fulfill a young person than the words of prophecy, it means people like me (the Sheikh) have failed in a rather spectacular fashion." This was followed by Alif saying "You're not a failure ... It's only that we don't feel safe. A game has a reset button. You have infinite chances for success. Real life is awfully permanent compared to that,". Definitely interesting food for thought. In many places, the novel seems to try and blend mysticism and spirituality. I enjoyed the parallel tracks of have a man of religion along with a jinn.Other topics that are given a lot of attention are knowledge and freedom. The novel is about the flow of knowledge and stresses coded knowledge heavily. There is the issue of censorship and who can and should control knowledge. The grey-hats try to make all (even morally questionable) content free and available while The Hand works consistently to shut it down. The grey-hats are working for a revolution based on the free exchange of knowledge. There is also the idea of knowledge as power and danger. The central book in the novel, The Alf Yeom, is desperately sought after in order to gain power and knowledge of the ages. The Hand firmly believes he who is knowledgeable enough to read and understand the Alf Yeom and has the powerful means to exploit it will ultimately be the winner. There is also forgotten knowledge and here is where the world of jinns comes heavily into play. As the names of the jinn and their history is forgotten by man, they become less known, seen, and believed. Throughout this novel, the reader gets to explore Wilson's vision of the jinn world. It is very a very enjoyable tour. Additionally, knowledge as changeable is explored, especially with regards to the meaning of words and what knowledge is lost in translation between languages. One character states "There was the Quran, which shattered language and put it back together again in a way no one had been able to replicate, using words whose meanings evolved over time without the alteration of a single dot or brushstroke." Metaphors are described in the novel as “knowledge existing in several states simultaneously and without contradiction.” Lastly, there is the issue of how does one know? Is it by seeing or is faith enough? One character says "that man's innovation is entirely known to God; it means there is no such thing as fiction." and another character says "every innovation started out as fantasy."This is a well written and intriguing book. Except for stopping to research the meaning of unfamiliar words (the author has included a glossary in the back), this is an easy and quick read. They pace really picks up once Vikram the Vampire is introduced. They ending is a bit contrived and too neatly packaged for my taste, but the substance and enjoyment in between is worth it.

It took me a little while to get in to this book, but once I did - wow!It is beatifully written - the descriptions sparkle, vivid and without cliche. At the same time as you want to hurry on to know what happens next, you cannot skip a single sentence, in case you miss another jewel. The characters are interesting, and develop well through the book. Relationships change gradually, but still surprise you. Although when you think back, you realise you should have seen the signs.Middle eastern history, fairy tales and mythology is masterly blended with modern computing and Islamic and western philosophy - served in bites that fit into the action without ever feeling superfluous.Highly recommended. I will definitely look out for her other work.

Cyperpunk meets the Djinn in an Islamic country. This novel is fantastic and beautifully written. It has an original composition and is thoroughly innovative. It was enchantingly compelling to read and G Willow Wilson laced this book with many Islamic cultural themes as well as an extensive insight into the doings of an Internet hacker. I enjoyed this book immensely as a Muslim and also appreciated the fantasy/ supernatural genre this story was based. The technical information on Alif's work was greatly received and appealed to my science fiction interest as well. This was a great book from G Willow Wilson!!

Clunkily written and with a very dislikable protagonist, I managed about half of this before giving up. The main character is an almost caricatured example of male privilege, disparaging everything around him while surrounded by (almost) silent, deferential women who are doing all the work, and blithely uncaring of the effects his behaviour has on others. The storytelling is uneven and doesn't conjure up either place or peril, or of the magical elements that are suddenly introduced. Maybe there's some great redemption in the later parts of the book but there wasn't enough to keep me hanging on for them. Very poor.

Set in an unnamed country in the Middle East, the hero of this novel is Alif. Actually, this is his alias, for Alif is a young man who spends his day undercover and his time on the internet. What Alif does is provide protection for the disaffected, those who bear a grudge against the government or want to avoid the authorities to air their views. He is also a young man in love, with the beautiful, upper class Arabic girl, Intisar. In between longing for Intisar – a relationship which is doomed to fail as, although Alif’s father is an Arab, his mother is not, and he would not be deemed a suitable husband for her in either class or wealth terms – and operating his online security programmes, Alif worries about being caught by the government and arrested. He is under no illusions as to what would happen to him if he is caught and the author does a wonderful job of creating a realistic view of the world Alif inhabits. Yes, there are strict religious and moral codes and much of Alif’s experiences seem very alien to those who live in the West; but the author neither exaggerates or moralises – simply presents it as the culture in which her characters live.When Intisar informs Alif that her father is planning a marriage for her, his life begins to spiral out of control. The mysterious Hand, who stalks those on the internet defying the Emir’s government, manages to enter Alif’s carefully constructed computer systems. When Intisar gives Alif a mysterious book and state security are stalking him, he finds himself on the run along with his neighbour, a young girl called Dina. Before long, Alif and Dina are involved with Vikram the Vampire (a 2000 year old Sanskrit legend), an American professor, the wonderful Shaikh Bilal and varying other characters – both human and most decidedly not.Although this is not usually the type of genre I choose, whether you would label it fantasy or magic realism, I found it a really entertaining read. Alif is an interesting hero; the typical teenage computer nerd, living in a corrupt and conformist world, which he is brave enough to question. Written during the Arab Spring, the novel is full of revolution, politics, magic, faith and love. I would happily read more books by this author, even if the genre does take me a little out of my comfort zone. If an author can make you care about the characters they create, then it is a good novel. I found I cared for Alif and Dina, plus their companions, very much and felt that the blend of the real and the magical worked extremely well. I look forward to reading the next novel by this extremely talented author.

The existing reviews give superb synopses to do with the actual plot so I won't waste time doing a poor copy. The tale is as complex, interesting and unusual as suggested.I started by giving this book a very fair and honest 4 stars. However much I enjoyed the magic, adventure and techno mysticism of this story, the is no way to avoid 2 flaws that really did regularly annoy me throughout the story. The first is the really poor standard of kindle translation as mentioned by other reviewers. Regular typos are littered throughout. Some books I have read with obvious translation problems have not bothered me. This one sweeps you up and along at a fast pace with reality suspended and magic all around. To be captured in a wonderful scene full of surreal imagery and wonderful language only then to stumble over a real klanger of a typo makes the whole experience very frustrating.The second issue for me was to do with the real world socio political elements that were just a little too pushy and felt like the veil between the author and their story would drop now and again. Perhaps the author wanted to prick consciences and highlight her own political opinions. For me though, it felt a little clunky and detracted from something really special and subtle. To be fair to the author, perhaps that was my own problem in that I wanted something different from what was being offered.So I gave this 5 stars. Why? This has been the most enjoyable, fun, intriguing, different book I have read for a couple of years and I feel very fortunate to have stumbled cross such a wonderful tale. I am simply gutted to have finished it and will be looking out for future books by this wonderful author. Just like when I first read Midnight's Children, this story has stayed with me for days after completion. The typos and uncomfortable political aspects are just not important enough to stop this being a very special book that I recommend 100 percent to all who enjoy a good adventure story.This is a very visual book too ... Would make one hell of an epic hi tech scifi movie with the right budget and director...