The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday

Hossain (Djinn City) spins satire out of myth and science fiction in the near-future postapocalyptic paradise of Kathmandu. Djinn ruler Melek Ahmar arises from eons of slumber to find that the humans who once feared and worshipped him have long since forgotten magic in favor of technology. The world he knew has been ravaged by climate disaster; now each human is implanted with tech that produces a personal microclimate. The city is ruled by an algorithm, Karma, which monitors thoughts and awards points for good behavior. Desperate for a good party and some worshippers, Melek Ahmar attempts to start a revolution, only to find the humans weirdly reticent. Egged on by Bhan Gurung, a recidivist Gurkha soldier with his own motives for taking the city, and chased by Hamilcar Pande, a government official with total faith in the system, the djinn’s quest for chaos leads all three to discover the dark secret of how this paradise came to be. Compact and quippy, this is a whirlwind story that cleverly blends genres and finds humor and pathos in human failure. (Aug.)