Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Alif the Unseen” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Alif the Unseen

G. Willow Wilson (Goodreads Author)

3.84 · Rating details · 16,113 ratings · 2,704 reviews

'I will tell you a story, but it comes with a warning; when you hear it, you will become someone else.'

He calls himself Alif, a young man born in a Middle Eastern city that straddles the ancient and modern. When Alif comes into possession of a mysterious book entitled The Thousand and One Days, he discovers a door to another world - a world from a very different time, when ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 429 pages

Published June 6th 2013 by Corvus (first published July 1st 2012)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Alif the Unseen, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.84 ·

Rating details

· 16,113 ratings · 2,704 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Alif the Unseen

Feb 12, 2015 Rick Riordan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Adult urban fantasy/cyberpunk. I picked this up because I loved the Ms. Marvel comics written by G. Willow Wilson, and while this is very, very different stuff, it was a fabulous read. Somehow I went into this thinking it was a middle grade or young adult novel. It's not. The content is quite dark and adult. It's the story of a twenty-something hacker living in an Arabic city state simply called The City. Alif is secretly in love with the daughter of a high-ranking family, and (SPOILER) when she ...more

flag 154 likes · Like · see review

Apr 05, 2012 Nafiza rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: source-net-galley, favourites, read-2012, books-i-own

Dear People who Read Books,

Please read this book.

No, really, I mean it. Okay fine, I will tell you why you need to read this. The characters in this novel, while not being teenagers, are young adults and therefore this novel meets the criteria set (by me) to be called Young Adult. Okay, let me begin again. Properly this time.

Alif the Unseen is set in a city in Saudi Arabia and it is, perhaps, one of the few books I have read that manage to write in a setting like Saudi Arabia without preaching a Dear People who Read Books,

Please read this book.

No, really, I mean it. Okay fine, I will tell you why you need to read this. The characters in this novel, while not being teenagers, are young adults and therefore this novel meets the criteria set (by me) to be called Young Adult. Okay, let me begin again. Properly this time.

Alif the Unseen is set in a city in Saudi Arabia and it is, perhaps, one of the few books I have read that manage to write in a setting like Saudi Arabia without preaching about or demonizing Islam. The setting is one of the reasons that I really wanted to read this novel – that and the synopsis. The synopsis sounds bloody bleeding amazing. And I can tell you on good authority that the synopsis does not lead you astray. I want to write a panegyric for this novel but I will satisfy myself with a garbled review. (Sorry about that.)

It will perhaps take a few pages to get used to the setting, especially if you read books that are almost exclusively set in North America. There is a definite shift in dynamics, there is a sense of the exotic, a “foreign-ness” about the whole setting that is immediately fascinating. Alif is a very compelling character who draws you into his life, into his thoughts, politics, love and family. You can relate to him and empathize with him and that’s a big deal to me because usually male protagonists are not a favourite of mine as…well, I just can’t seem to get into their heads the same way I can with a female MC. What is also very interesting to me is how the love interest in this novel spends the majority of the novel veiled. Yet she does not become a lesser character or anything like that. In fact, she serves as a brilliant foil to Alif – as though the veil gives her the distance that is not visible to Alif – his passion is tempered by her cool logic and vice versa. She is one of the stronger and more intelligent characters in the novel. All the characters in Alif the Unseen are given personalities that are larger than the book they live in. The writing is beautiful and the narrative smooth.

One of my favourite characters is Vikram the Vampire who is actually a Djinn/Jinn/Ifrit. His manner of speaking is amusing and his otherworldliness is excellently portrayed. At the same time, his sincerity in wanting to help Alif gives him a touch of human that makes him utterly irresistible.

The novel presents a compelling mixture of digital gadgetry and supernatural themes. It does not at all shy away from narrating the imbalance between the rich and the poor, the cultural discrimination, the hierarchies. The computer jargon, programmer code-speak reveals the depth of research Wilson must have done for the novel. At the same time, her level of familiarity with Islamic myths, cultures is apparent with the ease with which she weaves it into her grand narrative. Wilson’s juxtaposition of the mundane with the supernatural is excellently written. The novel nests the narrative in current events, showing an alternative reason or more accurately, a hidden perspective that explains the events that took place in the Arab Spring.

Alif the Unseen is a novel that needs to be read widely. It shows people a different side to Islam and Muslims. It shows people a culture rich with stories and traditions that are not entirely and wholly about bloodshed and killing. It shows real people with real problems and not made up terrorists who look for excuses to bomb countries and buildings. Alif the Unseen is a brilliant accomplishment both on the part of the writing and on the part of the storytelling. I recommend it strongly. ...more

flag 87 likes · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 Catie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2012, for-review

Just when I think that young adult fantasy has nothing new to show me, this one comes along to change my mind. Granted, this is being marketed as an adult novel, but I would disagree with that classification. If anything, this is more of a hybrid. The main character is an early twenties hacker/activist (“hacktivist”) who’s living at home and dealing with his over-attentive mom, the annoyingly devout girl next door, first heartbreak, and an all-powerful instrument of the state who wants nothing m ...more

flag 70 likes · Like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 carol. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: people who want a stretch fantasy

Shelves: urban-fantasy, awards, multi-culti

The end of the year, and I decided to finish with a bang, picking the most promising books lingering on my ToBeRead list. It’s been one interesting read after another, and if they weren’t all equally amazing, most have been thought-provoking and interesting. Alif came to my attention as a genre-bender, an urban fantasy set in the Middle East and about a computer hacker on the run. Great characterization, trim plotting, an unusual urban setting with clever fantastical elements means it was one of ...more

flag 55 likes · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2012 Simon rated it it was ok · review of another edition

VAGUELY SPOILERISH (though nothing major).

In the introduction to his magnificent book The Great Chain of Being: A Study of the History of an Idea, Arthur Lovejoy turns a memorable phrase when he describes those who thrill to "the metaphysical pathos of obscurity." This book, I fear, is subject to that particular weakness. There's lots of stuff about stories/computer code/metaphor/multiple interpretations/multiple realities that just doesn't make any sense (at least, not to this heathen). When Al ...more

flag 51 likes · Like · see review

May 02, 2019 Fares rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Dnfed
I read a chapter and a page of this and I drew the line when this guy was keeping the stained bed sheet of his "first time" as some sort of pride possession!!! ...more

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: galleys, read-in-2012

Alif the Unseen is such a unique book. It's a computer-science heavy fantasy novel set in the modern Middle East. There is coding, firewalls, cloud servers and genies, all in the same book. Doesn't that sound amazing? This book is fantasy blended with real science, something that I've never seen before. It's a big risk that pays off.

Very rarely to I go quite as highlighter happy as this book made me. It was smart, clever, funny and thought-provoking.

"How dense and literal it is. I thought it had Alif the Unseen is such a unique book. It's a computer-science heavy fantasy novel set in the modern Middle East. There is coding, firewalls, cloud servers and genies, all in the same book. Doesn't that sound amazing? This book is fantasy blended with real science, something that I've never seen before. It's a big risk that pays off.

Very rarely to I go quite as highlighter happy as this book made me. It was smart, clever, funny and thought-provoking.

"How dense and literal it is. I thought it had a much more sophisticated brain."
"Your mother's dense," Alif said wearily.
"My mother was an errant crest of sea foam. But that's neither here nor there."

This book just goes. It doesn't stop to explain everything. I appreciated the respect it showed it's reader. Admittedly I don't know a lot about Middle Eastern folklore or legends. Anything I need to know I can research. The book doesn't info-dump, yet I had no problem following the story.

This book talks about how sometimes religious people pick and choose what to believe. In this instance, it's talking about the Quaran and how people tend to ignore the references to jinn (genies) even though it's throughout the text. However I think it's something interesting that applies beyond just one faith group.

Superstation is thriving. Pedantry is thriving. Sectarianism is thriving. Belief is dying out. To most of your people the jinn are paranoid fantasies who run around causing epilepsy and mental illness. Find me someone to whom the hidden folk are simply real, as described in the Books. You'll be searching a long time. Wonder and awe have gone out of your religions.

For me the highlight of the book was Dina. Alif's neighbor, she's tremendously stubborn, intelligent and very pious. She decided to veil her face, against the wishes of her family and everyone who knew her. Normally it would be easy to write off such a character as an oppressed woman. But Dina is too awesome for that. She's one of the bravest and most intelligent characters, always having foresight when everyone else just runs around panicking. She's a complex character, a mixture of faith, practicality and intelligence.

"Maybe you should stay here until this has blown over," he said. It's going to be dangerous."
"I know. That's why I wore sneakers." (Dina)

I want more books that dare to be different. I'm not saying this book is perfect. At times it's a little slow, the prologue is especially weak and it talks about urinating a lot. But sometimes that doesn't matter! What matters is that it tells a story that completely surprises you and that you can stop reading. ...more

flag 36 likes · Like · see review

May 23, 2013 Felicia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-paranormal, fantasy

Well, this is a wonderful book! I love loved it! It's about Alif, a hacker in the Middle East, who has an ill-fated romance with a woman, is stalked by a mysterious government hacker called The Hand, and interacts with real Djinn who actually exist, invisible among us. It's totally fascinating! A really enjoyable read that combines politics and tech and magic in a wonderful way.

Recommended for people who like Neal Stephenson or Da Vinci Code, just a fantastic thriller with magical overtones and ...more

flag 36 likes · Like · see review

Nov 17, 2018 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-shelf, fantasy, sci-fi, urban-fantasy

A clever mashup of equal parts efreet fantasy and golden hackers in a Big Brother Muslim state seems like a winner at first glance to me. I love everything about the first two and the addition of throwing it into a Muslim culture MAY or may not have been a winning move. Sometimes it can come off strange or cheesy or uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Wilson's strong writing and respectful nature carried a number of complex and interesting characters into a great tale with romantic elements, stronger hac ...more

flag 35 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2012 Wendy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: wwe-reading-challenges, fantasy

My friend and I were discussing the problem of finding books featuring non-white protagonists written by non-North American descended authors. We noted that, more often than not in our limited scope, we’d find non-white protagonists written by White authors, or, white protagonists who find themselves in non-white environments, written by white authors. Generally speaking, the result is hit-or-miss when it comes to a respectful representation of a culture that one is not raised in.

I was impressed My friend and I were discussing the problem of finding books featuring non-white protagonists written by non-North American descended authors. We noted that, more often than not in our limited scope, we’d find non-white protagonists written by White authors, or, white protagonists who find themselves in non-white environments, written by white authors. Generally speaking, the result is hit-or-miss when it comes to a respectful representation of a culture that one is not raised in.

I was impressed by her portrayal of the Middle Eastern culture - from dialogue, to religions, to terminology, to class and more, because this is a culture I have never gotten to read about before in a starring role. She also did an effective job of portraying the hacker culture within that cultural environment. The writing and dialogue presented aspects of the hacker culture in ways that I could easily understand, without things being spelled out completely. Meaning could be inferred without much effort. Of course, I am not familiar with the Middle Eastern or hacker cultures, so I am assuming the portrayal did them all justice.

The book moved smoothly through the main character’s introduction – his risqué profession his forbidden love and the girl next door – and then moved just as smoothly from the seen into the unseen, namely the world of the jinn that exists amidst our own, if only we are willing to believe.

This transition is where my only real disappointment in both the book and the author arrives, taking shape as the character called “the convert,” an American woman who has converted to Muslim and, for some reason, is the only person Vikram, the jinn Alif’s future now depends on, decides can identify the source of the mysterious book Alif has been given. In an interview, Wilson claims that the convert is “not really” herself, but “the place she ends up in the book is where I have ended up.”

Unfortunately, the convert and her sentiments come across, for me, like a raging opinion piece where Wilson denounces Western culture for being so blind. I found it particularly disturbing that, despite it being made clear that Alif enjoys reading fantasy novels from Western culture, it is stated in the book that Americans specifically can’t grasp the unseen world of the jinn. The convert also denounces non-Western culture for denying the Westerners who truly try to understand. The convert proclaims that non-Westerners are able to move freely between cultures, citing Kazuo Ishiguro, author of Remains of the Day, as an example of a person from non-Western culture writing about life in Britain. A very poor example, considering Ishigoro was raised British. The convert laments that no Westerner has successfully written an epic tale that works in the other direction, and I consequently got the distinct feeling that Wilson hoped to become that person who succeeded.

I had hoped the convert was just an interlude that allowed Wilson to express her feelings, but annoyingly, the character continued on with the main group, providing little purpose. Not even in the end when her beatific pregnancy was supposed to have commanded attention. I read the acknowledgements which referred to Wilson’s own pregnancy during the writing of the book and have concluded that Wilson’s claim that the convert isn’t really herself is slightly delusional.

Aside from this, I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the use of and discussions about language and how mutable it is. I appreciated that the step into the fantastical was gradual and that the characters each displayed interesting and varying reactions to the discovery of the unseen world. I liked the religious comparisons and the questioning of beliefs, but respected that the characters that did have their own religious beliefs, remained true to those beliefs, while still being able to accept the unseen. I enjoyed that the main character was an annoying, whiny creature who did not suddenly find a backbone and become a respectable hero. And in a culture that Westerners believe poorly treats its women, the character of Dina serves as an interesting insight. ...more

flag 31 likes · Like · see review

Oct 29, 2020 Michelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Popsugar Challenge 2020 - A book by an author with Flora or Fauna in their name

'They had no idea what it was like to live in a place that boasted one of the most sophisticated digital policing systems in the world, but no proper mail service'.

This one quote represents my time in the Middle East perfectly!

This is a techy fantasy novel written by the comic author of Ms Marvel based in the UAE and the middle eastern sand swirls off the pages. I felt these streets, I loved the Egyptian, Indian an ...more

flag 30 likes · Like · see review

Aug 24, 2013 Simona B rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2000, fantastic-lit-and-co, in-italian

I don't know if it was because of the poorly appealing characters or something else, but my interest in this story went from zero to -100 in a matter of a few dozens of pages. I forced myself to go on but came across nothing intriguing enough to make up for that. I simply did not care in the slightest. Too bad. ...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Rob rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2013, own, fantasy, stand-alone, author-female

Executive Summary: A blend of fantasy, technology, politics, and religion that just worked for me. I really enjoyed this book.

Full Review
I seem to be a hot streak lately. I try not to give out 5 stars lightly. Based on good reads, I've given 5 stars to roughly 13% of the 221 books I've rated as of this writing. 18% of those have been given out this year. It's not exactly relevant to this review, but I'm an engineer and that sort of thing interests me.

I forget where exactly I first heard abou Executive Summary: A blend of fantasy, technology, politics, and religion that just worked for me. I really enjoyed this book.

Full Review
I seem to be a hot streak lately. I try not to give out 5 stars lightly. Based on good reads, I've given 5 stars to roughly 13% of the 221 books I've rated as of this writing. 18% of those have been given out this year. It's not exactly relevant to this review, but I'm an engineer and that sort of thing interests me.

I forget where exactly I first heard about this book, but Sword and Laser did an interview with Ms. Wilson last year, and that moved this book up in my list. The paperback was released last month, so I've finally gotten around to reading it.

I was expecting this book to be more cyberpunk than fantasy considering the main character is a hacker. After reading it, I wouldn't classify it as cyberpunk or even sci-fi. It is however a great book.

People who know me well would probably tell you I'm not very political or religious. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in those things, but both can be very sensitive issues, and I tend not to discuss them. This book contains some of both, but I didn't feel like I was being preached to in any way.

This book was being written prior the Arab Spring that occurred in Egypt. Ms. Wilson apparently saw this coming, and when no one seemed to want to listen to her talk about it, she was inspired to write a fictional story about it instead (based on an interview included in my book). She admits to having doubts that it might ever occur, but she hoped it could based on changes she was observing first hand.

Alif is a young Muslim half Arab, half Indian(and therefore considered an outcast by the full Arabs apparently) hacker who lives in an nonspecific Middle East country. He is not particularly religious or political. He sells his computer skills to anyone who wants them: Communists, Fundamentalists, Dissidents, Smut Peddlers, etc. Anyone who needs to avoid being caught and arrested by a strict government censorship.

Alif's world is suddenly turned upside down (thanks to a girl, go figure), discovers that the Jinn he's read about in books are real, and gets caught up in wild adventure where not only his life is at stake, but the lives of his friends, family and the country as a whole.

Fans of Patrick Rothfuss may enjoy the stories within the story. I'm not sure if they are original stories by Ms. Wilson herself, Middle Eastern folk tales, or some combination of both.

I hadn't really planned to read this in one weekend, and I very nearly read it all in one day. I think if I were a faster reader, I easily would have. I just couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it. ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

May 16, 2020 may ❀ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 400-pgs, fantasy, arab, bye, audiobook, meh, standalones, male-pov, yawn

Book 9 completed for #RamadanReadathon

i survived!!!!! 🙌

oh man, i was sold when i heard this was a cyberpunk book about a renowned hacker set in the middle east. it sounded absolutely genius

what i didn't know what that the main character is a piece of trash and how the portrayal of arabs and muslims was kind of strange?? idk, it wasn't all negative (there were religious characters that were fleshed out and relatable and Good People and i appreciated that) but there were just some stereotypes that ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Yahya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a truly genre-bending Islamic hacktivist jinn fantasy cyberthriller, which has to be the most original novel in English in 2012. It is a surprisingly seamless melange of American comic-book sensibility (a fast-moving plot; a coming-of-age storyline) within an Islamic setting, contemporary (a corrupt unnamed Gulf city rife with repression, and ripe for revolution) and imagined (an alternate genie (or jinn) universe). At the same time, amidst all the furious plotting, it asks deeper questi ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2014 Zanna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Zanna by: carol.

Shelves: magical-realism

I really enjoyed this. Realistic and fantasy aspects mesh into a richly believeable world, the characters are satisfyingly flawed and sympathetic, book-within-book goodies abound and every plot hinge, whether the fulcrum is a romantic moment, a sharp insight, the revelation of a possible enchantment, an unexpected appearance (especially the occasional deus ex machina) or the use of honed hacker skills, had me grinning. Furthermore, power dynamics are complicated when (twice) privileged character ...more

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2014 Amal rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, i-have

******************************
Potential spoilers are hidden
******************************

Let me break down my thoughts about this book from the moment I noticed it on GR till I turned its last page, because somewhere along the way something went really wrong. Here comes -often- those moments when I find myself putting a book down, pausing, looking around at all the glowing reviews and five star ratings, and asking myself the question... Did I read the same book? That was a disappointment!!

This b ...more

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2012 Wil rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I seem to be a detractor here on Goodreads. Strangely, I read this book fairly quickly which is unusual for something I eventually give 2 stars. But it seemed to unravel towards the end, with yet another hackneyed battle between good and evil... I just couldn't stomach it, probably because after 400+ pages I hadn't really come to care for the characters that much. This book has all the trappings of a page turner -- genies, exotic Isalmic locales, technology, political intrigue and revolutions, e ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Aug 18, 2012 Nnedi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review will be scattered because I don't have much time. So be it. I really enjoyed reading a fantasy novel that truly wove in culture (politics, practices, cultural conflicts, words used, and all). This novel read like it was written by someone closely connected to its setting. I like that. There's an ambitiousness in it. It's not afraid to comment on things (and not afraid to show the negative sides. It's sure that it will not fall into cliche) and it's thoughtful and loving in how it goe ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2020 Anthony rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, world-fantasy-award-winners, sf-group-2018, inclusive-book-bingo

This novel falls squarely into the pile of contemporary SFF books that is, sadly, growing at an alarming rate in my recent reading explosion: it’s yet another a well-meaning exercise in bringing to life a severely under-represented milieu (in this case, the modern Middle East), complete with a deep dive into its culture and mythology, that all but collapses under the weight of flimsy plotting, thin characterization, and serviceable but ultimately mediocre sentence-to-sentence craftsmanship. I do ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2016 Hiba rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 2017, urban-fantasy, author-to-look-out-for, reviewed, sci-fic

“I am a mighty fortress, sheathed in stone.”
King Vikram thought for a moment.
“I am a catapult,” he said. “Stone-breaking, fortress-sundering.”
“I am a saboteur,” countered the vetala. “Oath-breaker, weapon-disabler.”
“I am ill luck,” said King Vikram. “Upending plots, dismaying plans.”
The vetala was favorably impressed.
“I am fortune,” it said. “I crown luck with destiny.”
“I am free will,” said King Vikram. “I challenge destiny with choice.”
“I am divine will,” said the vetala, “to which cho

“I am a mighty fortress, sheathed in stone.”
King Vikram thought for a moment.
“I am a catapult,” he said. “Stone-breaking, fortress-sundering.”
“I am a saboteur,” countered the vetala. “Oath-breaker, weapon-disabler.”
“I am ill luck,” said King Vikram. “Upending plots, dismaying plans.”
The vetala was favorably impressed.
“I am fortune,” it said. “I crown luck with destiny.”
“I am free will,” said King Vikram. “I challenge destiny with choice.”
“I am divine will,” said the vetala, “to which choice and destiny are one and the same.”
“I am myself,” said King Vikram. “The only thing that is mine to give, by choice or by destiny

HmmmMmmm..

Alif the Unseen was one of those books that had been on my tbr for a long time and I've been delaying reading it fot the perfect time. The premise of this book is great, the author tried to combine middle eastern realities, geek culture and supernatural elements altogether and for a typical pakistani girl like me who love to listen and narrate jinn stories at sleepovers with my cousins and friends, this seeems like a dream come true. However, while I liked the suupernatural aspect of the book, it came to me somewhat lacking at other places.

Alif the Unseen is about a Arabic-Indian hacker whose secret girlfriend, Intistar, daughter of the City's emir, had left him for a man her father had chosen for her. Heart broken, Alif designed a program that completely vieled his presence from Intistar. Somehow, the Hand, a powerful organization and a man, whose job is to bring the hackers and virtual troubble makers behind the bar, gets hold of Alif's program. Meanwhile, Intistar sends a strange book named Alf Yeom, and before he knows it, Alif is on the run with his childhood friend, Dina, trying to protect himself and all those computer activists he had helped to hide from the Hand.

Alif the Unseen is fast paced and action packed book. The story is evenly paced, with Alif and his crew constantly on the run from their resourceful enemies. The dialouge was interesting enough for me, there were sprinkles of musings on Quran, our modern society, the state of the City and its tyrranical rulers and then ofcourse, their are djinn and strange stories which made the book even more interesting. These are some ofmy favourite dialouges:

“Superstition is thriving. Pedantry is thriving. Sectarianism is thriving. Belief is dying out. To most of your people the jinn are paranoid fantasies who run around causing epilepsy and mental illness. Find me someone to whom the hidden folk are simply real, as described in the Books. You’ll be searching a long time. Wonder and awe have gone out of your religions. You are prepared to accept the irrational, but not the transcendent. And that, cousin, is why I can’t help you.”

There was always something yet unseen. The ground itself was daily renewed, kicked up and muddled by passing travelers, such that it was impossible to repeat the same journey twice. Alif thought of all the times he had left the duplex in Baqara District bent on some mundane errand: the courtyard gate closing behind him with a rattle, rattling again when he returned the same way; to him, ordinary and frustrating, to the world, a process full of tiny variations, all existing, as Sheikh Bilal had said, simultaneously and without contradiction. He had been given eternity in modest increments, and had thought nothing of it."

I liked all of these characters. In the start, Alif was a selfish little brat with his fragile masculanity but as they went through one danger to another, he developed as a character and begin to see and redeem his flaws. Dina was my favourite part of the book. She's strong headed and brave and provide much needed wisdom for Alif in the times of need. I had never read a book about niqabi so reading about Dina's struggles regarding her veil and her religion was really refreshing.

Now, the negatives. The biggest setback of this book was that it's just to hard to believe that someone can write an entire powerful software program on their netbook based not on 0s and 1s but on metaphor from a djinn book all under the danger of impending doom. No matter how hard the writer tries to convince thr reader of Alif's sharp mind, even my puny mind who hardly knows abc of computer had difficult time grasping this idea. The main concept of this book was connection between supernatural and modern computing but unfortunately, this was explained vaguely.

Furthermore, the descriptions of Alif writing code were more nonsensical. He's writing a program, and I don't think that's equal to entering a virtual reality and thst's what author did here. It dampen all my enjoyment for this book reading about vague descriptions of program coding. I wanted some reality in it. I wanted thr writer to make me more intrigued about programmers but sadly she wasn't able to do it. ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Kirstine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magical-realism, own, r-2014, reviewed, 1-women

“He had spent so much time cloaked behind his screen name, a mere letter of the alphabet, that he no longer thought of himself as anything but an alif – a straight line, a wall. His given name fell flat to his ears now. The act of concealment had become more powerful than what it concealed.”

I love that this book is set in the Middle East. Most of us, no matter where we live, are probably a little guilty of ignorance when it comes to what goes on in any part of the world that isn’t ‘close’ to us, ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Clif Hostetler rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novel

I became interested in this book because it appeared to be a novelist’s interpretation of the Arab Spring. The story involves a young computer hacker living in a totalitarianly governed Arab state who clandestinely provides online firewall protection to dissident groups. The hacker is known by his online handle, Alif. The country’s rulers consider him to be a terrorist; in his own mind he’s a “gray-hat” -- a principled hacker using illegal methods to protect freedom of speech (i.e. a hacktivist I became interested in this book because it appeared to be a novelist’s interpretation of the Arab Spring. The story involves a young computer hacker living in a totalitarianly governed Arab state who clandestinely provides online firewall protection to dissident groups. The hacker is known by his online handle, Alif. The country’s rulers consider him to be a terrorist; in his own mind he’s a “gray-hat” -- a principled hacker using illegal methods to protect freedom of speech (i.e. a hacktivist). Alif is in a life-and-death battle with State security’s online censor known ominously as “The Hand.”

Alif is a whiz-bang computer coder. Any reader who considers computer coding to be a spiritual experience will find this to be a spiritually uplifting book. As a matter of fact, Alif’s computer code becomes so advance that he enters the world of the jinn (genie). The plot involves his coming into possession of the last surviving copy of the original jinn inspired version of the Thousand and One Nights which if analyzed correctly will enable the development of code to permit computers to think and have intuition similar to that of humans. It becomes important that this book not fall into the hands of the state’s online censors. A cyber-thriller ensues as Alif runs for his life from the state police.

Needless to say, this book will be most enjoyable to those readers who are willing to accept the premise that the world of the jinn is real. All main characters in this novel are Muslims, and religion is dealt with front and center as part of the narrative. The plot includes having jinn play a significant role in the plot. I suppose this can be considered consistent with orthodox Islam since the Quran (Koran) makes frequent reference to jinn. It’s sort of equivalent to the role of angels in Christianity. However, the experience for the typical reader of this book will be similar to that of reading Harry Potter books.

The fictional country where the story takes place is unnamed, but it is clearly ruled by an emir. I pictured it in my mind as one of the more conservative Arab Emirates, perhaps Ajman or Sharjah (although the “empty quarter” described in the book sounds more like Abu Dhabi or perhaps even Saudi Arabia). The author describes a social environment that includes many expatriate workers performing menial tasks while native born Arabs fill the more prestigious positions of banking, finance and government. Alif is of mixed heritage with a Bedouin father and Tamil (i.e. east Indian) mother. His mother is a second wife (and less favored) living separate from his father. Alif is thus considered of “low birth” with few future prospects.

As with most thrillers, there is a boy-girl romantic element to the story. Alif's two girl friends comply with traditional Arab customs including being fully veiled (bare toes are a turn on). I hope the exposure of readers from the western world to this story about Islamic young people may help cross cultural relationships and diminish Islamophobia.

The author is an American who converted to Islam, so she has every motive to portray it in a positive light. Her American background also provides an understanding of ways to engage the western mind. The literary reputation of the author is primarily one of being a comic book author. I didn’t think of it before I knew of the author’s background, but this book would make a good graphic novel.

Ironically, One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, plays a role in this story at a time while I am currently trying to read the 2,784 paged unabridged edition of that book. It will be interesting to see if I come across some of the stories from that work that were retold in this novel. ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Mar 18, 2013 Ned Hayes rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: unnatural-fantasy-horror

Alif the Unseen has a fantastic premise -- in more ways than one. A computer hacker in the Middle East discovers that jinn are real. This means that we get exposed to not just one culture, but two. We receive a complete immersion in Middle Eastern realities of life, alongside a supernatural world that on the surface feels quite compelling.

The concept is great! Computer hacker in the Middle East discovers that jinn are real, and an ancient book contains a way of writing a new type of code. Great ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2017 Paul E. Morph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2017

Being a big fan of G. Willow Wilson's comicbook work, it was only a matter of time before I gave her novel a shot. I'm glad I did. This is a great fantasy adventure that whisks you along at a fair old clip and takes you to some surprising places.

While I don't want Wilson to stop writing comicbooks, I'd love to see her write another novel. If this one's anything to go by, I'd definitely read it. ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Oct 07, 2014 Penny rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, bookclub, fantasy, scifi-and-fantasy-club-bookshelf, urban-fantasy, books-they-say-i-should-read, magic, scifi-fantasy-club-2014challenge, young-adult

My rating should be taken in light of the fact that the line "Alif felt a swell of admiration. She really was as smart as a man." meant I was now rating this book out of 3 rather than 5. Yes, perhaps one could make the argument that the protagonist was on a journey on self discovery which included learning that his culture is wrong to think that women are inferior. I don't care. I think it's offensive and small minded and to have read this in a book penned by a woman makes me shake with anger.

As ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Keertana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Alif the Unseen is one of those obscure novels that not many people have actually heard of, but, thanks to my numerous GoodReads friends who read such varied genres, it somehow came to my attention. Needless to say, all my friends have LOVED this book. For me, though, Alif the Unseen was slightly boring, hard to get through, and dragged ever-so-slightly. I thoroughly enjoyed the second half the book, but I wasn't as impressed as everyone else. While Alif the Unseen remains to be Rating: 3.5 Stars

Alif the Unseen is one of those obscure novels that not many people have actually heard of, but, thanks to my numerous GoodReads friends who read such varied genres, it somehow came to my attention. Needless to say, all my friends have LOVED this book. For me, though, Alif the Unseen was slightly boring, hard to get through, and dragged ever-so-slightly. I thoroughly enjoyed the second half the book, but I wasn't as impressed as everyone else. While Alif the Unseen remains to be a difficult book for me to categorize, for it is full of so much within its pages, I can most definitely guarantee one thing - you haven't seen anything like it before.

Wilson's debut is the tale of a young hacker, Alif, whose lover, Intisar, refuses to see him again for she is having an arranged marriage to a man of a much higher status than Alif. Upset over his broken love story, Alif creates a software program that recognizes Intisar online and blocks all mention of him from her. Unknowingly, however, the Hand, a powerful organization, finds Alif. At the same time, Intisar sends Alif an old book - a powerful one - and before he knows it, he's on the run with his childhood friend, Dina.

Alif the Unseen is a strange tale, one that just keeps going, without stop. It starts off interestingly enough, drawing you into the rich setting of the Middle East, but before long, it began to drag for me. You see, Alif the Unseen never stops in its pace, which isn't a bad thing, but at times, it felt disjointed. Amongst the action, there are awkward moments of long conversation and the pace suddenly slackens, only to pick up again, all rather suddenly. It was a bit off-putting, I must say, but by the second-half of the tale, I was either used to it or too invested in the story to care. For some reason, the second-half of this story appealed to me much more than the first and I slowly began to fall in love with the characters and the fantasy elements of this piece, all with a backdrop of modern-day Middle Eastern culture and computers.

One of the best elements of Alif the Unseen is, hands-down, the characters. While Alif himself comes across as rather lame at first, especially since we can see from the beginning that Intisar isn't all that great and he's simply infatuated with her, Dina, his childhood friend, is a kick-ass protagonist to contend with. I loved her strong will, vulnerable qualities, and clear head that came in use during times of need. Vikram, a djinn-like creature that Alif winds up meeting, was another one of my favorite characters. Wilson's debut is full of humans, djinns, hackers, and even Americans, believe it or not. With such a wide variety of personalities, it's tough not to be sucked into this tale. Even better, the dialogue is witty, amusing, and will keep you on your toes, eagerly flipping the pages for more.

Nevertheless, for me, Alif the Unseen didn't stand out as an extraordinary novel. Yes, it was good, had an intriguing host of characters, and a unique plot, but it was also a tough story to get through and rather boring at times. But, I am quite sure this is an issue only I will have. Unlike my friends, I have grown up learning of the culture of the Middle East. As an Indian who has many Muslim friends, who has grown up surrounded equally by mosques and temples, who has had Arabian tales told to me by my grandmother, Alif the Unseen wasn't nearly as exotic as I think my other friends found it to be. It didn't enrich my knowledge of the country or culture any more than I already had, thus, while I enjoyed it, I wasn't quite blown away by it either.

Still, an excellent idea, very engaging dialogue, and some unforgettable characters lie within the pages of this book. I am confident that readers who are new to Middle Eastern settings or tales richly seated amongst those of A Thousand and One Nights will thoroughly enjoy and undoubtedly be swept off their feet by this debut. Despite my qualms with it, and slightly indifferent stance towards it, I still cannot help but look forward to Wilson's next novel. If nothing else, here is an author who isn't afraid to help spread the word about a little-known country or culture in literature today and for that, this certainly merits a read.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings. ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2014 Megan Baxter rated it really liked it · review of another edition

There is an uncertainty I feel about some books, a desire to go out and see how they were otherwise received, because I don't trust my own judgement. On one hand, sometimes I think that I should shoot from the hip, as I mostly do, and record my own reactions. But on the other hand, sometimes I think that's a healthy recognition that while my own reaction is valid, it may be a topic, or a culture, or an issue I don't know enough about, and me saying "Yup, sounds like the Middle East to me!" may b ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Mar 12, 2016 David rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: jilted hackers, veiled American academics, djinns with computer viruses

Shelves: poc-author, fantasy, poc-protagonist, audiobook, contemporary, female-author, islam

Taking place in an unnamed country in the Middle East, Alif the Unseen is a mix of alternate history/contemporary political thriller with fantasy elements.

Alif, the eponymous main character, is a pseudonym for a young hacker in an autocratic Islamic country where he is a poor immigrant offering anonymity and Internet access to anyone who wants it. He helps Islamists, secularists, feminists, religious minorities, anyone who wants to evade the state's Internet firewall and ever-present monitoring. Taking place in an unnamed country in the Middle East, Alif the Unseen is a mix of alternate history/contemporary political thriller with fantasy elements.

Alif, the eponymous main character, is a pseudonym for a young hacker in an autocratic Islamic country where he is a poor immigrant offering anonymity and Internet access to anyone who wants it. He helps Islamists, secularists, feminists, religious minorities, anyone who wants to evade the state's Internet firewall and ever-present monitoring.

He also has a rich girlfriend and poor (girl)friend with a crush on him, setting up the rather obvious climax. His rich girlfriend dumping him for her arranged suitor is the precipitating event which causes Alif to write a computer program to "erase" him from her presence on the Internet. This program proves to be one that would be very useful for a hyper-monitoring regime like the state, which brings Alif to the attention of the Hand, the head of the state's secret police. Alif becomes a fugitive, on the run and putting everyone he knows and cares about in danger. That's when he runs into djinn.

Alif the Unseen is a work of Western-style fantasy but from a sympathetic Muslim perspective; almost all the characters are Muslims, of varying degrees of piety, and presented from within the context of a modern Muslim country, they manifest as very believable and non-archetypal, for the most part. Alif himself is only nominally a believer, though the author's own Islamic belief can be seen in the way that all the good guys are eventually guided towards some level of faith, or at least appreciation of faith, without hammering the point home with divine intervention.

Rather, the supernatural in this book comes from the various types of djinn, evil, good, and in-between, as befits the original Arabian and Persian myths. Alif walks between the two worlds of humans and djinn. He cleans one djinn's computer of viruses so she can check her email again - these are djinn who also have been touched by the modern world.

The climax, in which humans and djinn alike play a part in bringing down the evil Hand, with uncertain consequences for the future, reads a bit like a more optimistic prelude to the Arab Spring. Even Alif admits, in the finale, that what comes after the revolution may not be particular benevolent.

If there are any flaws in the book, it is that as an atheist myself, I can appreciate presenting a story from a default Islamic viewpoint rather than a default Western viewpoint, but it's still a constraining viewpoint. The author has crafted a modern fantasy thriller that is compatible with Islamic beliefs without pushing Islam, and made it a good story that Western audiences will appreciate - no small accomplishment. I can even overlook the occasional jabs at Americans, like the "convert" who became a Muslim but is still full of Western arrogance and condescension (she was really the closest thing to a caricature in the book). Still, it suffers from the same flaws as the Chronicles of Narnia or the Golden Compass trilogy (both of which get shout-outs in this book) - while subtler and less preachy, Alif the Unseen really wants us to believe. ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Jul 06, 2018 Allison Hurd rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fantasy, myth, sff-2018-challenge, fem-author, scifi, sff-bookshelf

This was a really great read! Not really science fiction at all. I'd call this urban fantasy or mythic fantasy. It's believably "contemporary" and about a hacker, but add in some Jinn and a magical book, voila, it's not cyberpunk anymore.

CONTENT WARNING: (no actual spoilers, just a list of topics) (view spoiler)

Things to love:

-The world. A seamless blend of seen and unseen, magic and machine. It felt real, despite being e ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
SciFi and Fantasy...: "Alif the Unseen" Final Thoughts Spoilers	45	274	Feb 18, 2021 02:16PM
SciFi and Fantasy...: "Alif the Unseen" First Impressions No Spoilers	62	392	Feb 15, 2021 07:47AM
The Sword and Laser: AtU: Technology Annoyances	13	169	Nov 24, 2020 01:03AM
/r/Fantasy Discus...: July 2019: Alif the Unseen	3	66	Aug 01, 2019 04:18AM
Urban Fantasy Afi...: August 2018 Group Reads - Alif the Unseen	3	12	Aug 15, 2018 07:13AM
Into the Forest: Alif the Unseen - SPOILERS	15	21	Feb 19, 2017 06:45PM
Into the Forest: Alif the Unseen - NO spoilers	38	23	Jan 23, 2017 06:18AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

1,366 users

Fiction

611 users

Science Fiction

231 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

201 users

Magical Realism

102 users

Young Adult

72 users

Science Fiction > Cyberpunk

67 users

Religion

62 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

62 users

Adult

56 users

See top shelves…

About G. Willow Wilson

G. Willow Wilson

2,799 followers

Award-winning writer of comics and novels including MS MARVEL and THE BIRD KING.

Books by G. Willow Wilson

More…

March's Hottest New Releases

Looking for a new book? You can't go wrong with one of March's new releases, which include a highly anticipated domestic thriller from Harlan...

Trivia About Alif the Unseen

1 trivia question

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Alif the Unseen

“A story is a story, and one may glean from it what one likes. Good sense need not enter into it.” — 348 likes

“All translations are made up" opined Vikram, "Languages are different for a reason. You can't move ideas between them without losing something” — 66 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Alif the Unseen

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About G. Willow Wilson

Books by G. Willow Wilson

Related Articles

Trivia About Alif the Unseen

Quotes from Alif the Unseen

See a Problem?

Preview — Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Alif the Unseen

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About G. Willow Wilson

Books by G. Willow Wilson

Related Articles

Trivia About Alif the Unseen

Quotes from Alif the Unseen

new topic
Discuss This Book