Iraq + 100: The First Anthology of Science Fiction to Have Emerged From Iraq

In this landmark anthology, a question is posed to 10 Iraqi writers, living both in Iraq and abroad: what will your country look like after 100 years? The answers to this question are vast and varied. In “Kuszib,” Hassan Abdulrazzak imagines a cruel future in which the farming of humans by aliens is rendered in gruesome, visceral detail. In “The Corporal,” Ali Bader tells the tale of one soldier’s quest for redemption in the face of religious and political turmoil. Editor Blasim’s “The Gardens of Babylon” imagines a digital paradise overtaking the Middle East, where people’s lives are compartmentalized into video game stories and insects are the new drug of choice. Inventive and surprising, these tales, many of which are translated, blend the surreal with the commonplace, pushing the boundaries of speculative fiction. Readers will savor each story as it probes the deeper questions of existence and the possibilities and perils of the future. This is a must-read for all science fiction enthusiasts. (Sept.)