Yusuf Nuruddin has a fascinating articel on the intersection of Islam, urban mythology and Science Fiction which came out 10 years ago in the Socialism and Democracy Journal. Here is the article in full. Ancient Black Astronauts and Extraterrestrial Jihads: Islamic Science Fiction as Urban Mythology Yusuf Nuruddin Introduction ScienceContinue Reading
For those interested in an academic look at the representation of Muslims in Comics here is a relevant article. Finding a Place for a Muslimah Heroine in the Post-9/11 Marvel Universe: New X-Men’s Dust Authors: Julie Davis & Robert Westerfelhaus Abstract: Soon after the attacks on the US on SeptemberContinue Reading
Generic Cues and Generic Features in Arabic Science Fiction: The Novels of Kassem Kassem By: Boutz, Gary Monroe Abstract: Is Arabic science fiction similar to the kind of science fiction with which a reader of English-language science fiction, a watcher of English-language science fiction films, or viewer of English-language scienceContinue Reading
This could also be the title of a Muslim Steampunk novel but the ‘Allah’s Automata’ but it was the title of an Exhibition organized by Ayhan Aytes and George Saliba which explored the clockwork automata from the Golden Age of Islam. I met Ayhan a few years ago whenContinue Reading
Ian Campbell has an excellent review of Muhammad Aziz Lahbabi’s The Elixir of Life in last year’s Science Fiction review. Lahbabi was a Professor of Literature from Morocco. Here is a relevant excerpt from the review: Near the end of the main narrative of ‘Iksîr al-HE ayât [The ElixirContinue Reading
Here is a video of Saladin Ahmed giving a speech on writing Muslim American fantasy at the Grand Rapids Community College’s library.
The Iraqi Novelist Ahmad Saadawi was first short listed and then won the International Prize for Arab Fiction for his very interesting and original take on the Frankenstein Monster. His novel Frankenstein fi Baghdad (Frankenstein in Baghdad) is a new take on the story of Frankenstein. The story is centered around Hadi Al-AttagContinue Reading
Image Source: a Jinn from Muḥammad al-Qazwīnī‘s “Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing” The roots of modern Science Fiction in the Islamic world go back to the rich tradition of fantasy and fantastic creatures. Thus some familiarity with the history of this tradition and how fantastical creatures wereContinue Reading
Islam and Science Fiction was in London recently, our very own Rebecca Hankins (Ruqayyah Kareem) was a panelist at the Middle Eastern Sci-Fi and Fantasy panel at the Tottenham Palestine Literature Festival. The panel was moderated at Yasmeen Khan who is a curator at the Science Museum. The other panelist was NaomiContinue Reading
The current issue (Volume 26, Number 1, Spring 2014) of Journal of Religion and Popular Culture has a couple of articles on Science Fiction with Muslim characters. Here are the abstracts of the relevant articles: The Marvel of Islam: Reconciling Muslim Epistemologies through a New Islamic Origin Saga in Naif al-Mutawa’s The 99 Continue Reading