G. Willow Wilson was born in New Jersey in 1982 and raised in Colorado. She is also the author of a memoir, The Butterfly Mosque, and the critically acclaimed comics Air and Vixen. She divides her time between Cairo and Seattle.
Praise for Alif the Unseen "G. Willow Wilson has a deft hand with
myth and with magic, and the kind of smart, honest writing mind
that knits together and bridges cultures and people. You should
read what she writes."--Neil Gaiman, author of Stardust and
American Gods "[A] Harry Potterish action-adventure romance [that]
unfolds against the backdrop of the Arab Spring. . . . A bookload
of wizardry and glee."--Janet Maslin, The New York Times
"Outrageously enjoyable . . . The energetic plotting of Philip
Pullman, the nimble imagery of Neil Gaiman and the intellectual
ambition of Neal Stephenson are three comparisons that come to
mind."--Salon.com "An intoxicating, politicized amalgam of science
fiction and fantasy . . . that integrates the all-too-familiar
terrors of contemporary political repression with supernatural
figures from The Thousand and One Nights."--Elizabeth Hand, The
Washington Post "Open the first page and you will be forced to do
its bidding: To read on."--Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and
Out of Oz "A magical book. The supernatural and sociopolitical
thriller Alif the Unseen is timely literary alchemy, a smart,
spirited swirl of current events and history; religion and
mysticism; reality and myth; computer science and metaphysics. . .
. Alif the Unseen richly rewards believers in the power of the
written word."--The Seattle Times "[An] excellent modern fairytale
. . . [Wilson] surpasses the early work of Stephenson and Gaiman,
with whom comparisons have already been made. . . . Alif the Unseen
will find many fans in both West and East. They will appreciate it
for being just the fine story it is and as a seed for potent ideas
yet to come."--io9.com "A book of startling beauty and
power."--Holly Black, author of The Spiderwick Chronicles "Alif the
Unseen . . . defies easy categorization. Is it literary fiction? A
fantasy novel? A dystopian techno-thriller? An exemplar of Islamic
mysticism, with ties to the work of the Sufi poets? Wilson seems to
delight in establishing, then confounding, any expectations readers
may have."--Pauls Toutonghi, New York Times Book Review "A
fast-paced, thrilling journey between two worlds, the seen world of
human beings and the unseen world of the supernatural."--The
Philadelphia Inquirer "A Golden Compass for the Arab
Spring."--Steven Hall, author of The Raw Shark Texts "A delirious
urban fantasy which puts the unlikely case for religion in an age
of empowering and intrusive technology."--The Guardian (UK) "Alif
the Unseen is a terrific metaphysical thriller, impossible to put
down. The fantastical world Alif inhabits--at once recognizable and
surreal, visible and invisible--is all the more fantastic for the
meticulously detailed Koranic theology and Islamic mythology Wilson
expertly reveals. A multicultural Harry Potter for the digital
age."--Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollahs' Democracy and The
Ayatollah Begs to Differ "Alif the Unseen is a true chimera. . . .
There are few authors who can pull off dealing with religion,
dogma, and mysticism as well as sci-fi, and Wilson is one of them.
Alif the Unseen contains elements that will appeal to fans of the
ecstatic digital visions The Neuromancer, devotees of the
mythological richness of The Thousand and One Nights,
international-news junkies and fellow hacktivists."--Tor.com
"Written just before the Arab Spring, this wild adventure mixes the
digital derring-do of Neal Stephenson with the magic of The
Thousand and One Nights. . . . Alif the Unseen is a rich blend of
storytelling magic."--San Francisco Chronicle "An ambitious,
well-told, and wonderful story. Alif the Unseen is one of those
novels that has you rushing to find what else the author has
written, and eagerly anticipating what she'll do next."--Matt Ruff,
author of Fool on the Hill and The Mirage "Passion, power, and
technology converge in this imaginative novel."--Oprah.com
"Imaginative . . . Brilliant . . . Alif the Unseen . . . draws on
Islamic theology, the hacking underworld, Philip Pullman's His Dark
Materials, spy thrillers, and the events of the Arab Spring to
weave an 'urban fantasy' in which the everyday and the supernatural
collide. . . . A first novel that is witty, imaginative, and
unorthodox in all senses."--The Observer (UK) "Willow Wilson is an
awesome talent. She made her own genre and rules over it. Magical,
cinematic, pure storytelling. It's nothing like anything. A
brilliant fiction debut."--Michael Muhammad Knight, author of The
Taqwacores "Wilson manages to keep the various fantastical,
technological, political and religious plates spinning without ever
losing track of the story, or getting bogged down in polemic. . .
.Though Alif the Unseen was recently compared to Harry Potter . . .
it has more in common with Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials
trilogy."--The National (UAE) "One of the most compelling
narratives you'll read this year, Alif offers masterful insight
into contemporary Middle Eastern societies whose ongoing
transformations are as unexpected and profound as those in our own.
It is also a powerful reminder of how far fantasy has come since
Tolkien."--Jack Womack, author of Random Acts of Senseless Violence
"An intriguing mix of fantasy, romance and spirituality wrapped up
in cyberthriller packaging. . . . Wilson's desert fantasy moves at
the breakneck speed of a thriller through cityscapes, wilderness
and ethereal realms as she skillfully laces mythology and
modernity, spirituality and her own unique take on technological
evolution. . . . Don't miss this one-of-a-kind story, both
contemporary and as ancient as the Arabian sands."--Shelf Awareness
(online) "Wilson writes beautifully, tells a great story, and even
makes computer hackery seem like magic."--Sunday Times (UK) "The
real magic of Alif the Unseen is catching a talented writer early
in her career."--Rita Mae Brown "Outstanding . . . Wilson's novel
delights in bending genres and confounding expectations: It's both
a literary techno-thriller and a fantasy that takes religion very
seriously. . . . Alif the Unseen . . . is one of the most
inventive, invigorating novels of the year."--The Christian Science
Monitor "A fantasy thriller that takes modern Islamic computer
hackers fighting against State-based repression and entangles that
with the fantastical Djinn-riddled world of One Thousand and One
Nights. . . . Like a novelization of one of Joss Whedon's best
Buffy episodes crossed with a Pathé newsreel of the Arab Spring
uprisings. It's a page-turner."--The Austin Chronicle
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