G. Willow Wilson - Alif the Unseen

Alif the Unseen wasn't quite what I expected. It is the story of an outsider Indian-Arab hacker-for-hire in a heavily censored Emirate, on the eve of it's own Arab Spring. This seemed to offer a potent mix that might lend itself to insights on spiritual and political aspects of moderate and radical Islam, and the collision with Internet technology. This is the case, to some extent. However, Alif is more likely described as a Muslim Harry Potter. It is complete with jinns, devious bad guys & secret police, innocent love interests, unlikely friendships, and a bit of Internet hacking. Wilson might have aimed Alif at young readers, so I can't say that it would be everyone's cup of tea. The book's most interesting aspect is the relationship between the structure of an ancient mystical text and a powerful new way of programming. Wilson converted to Islam while at Boston University, and moved to Cairo. There she wrote for several Western magazines, as well as the opposition weekly, Cairo Magazine. Her fiction genre before Alif was the graphic novel, often collaborating with artist M.K. Parker.