Alif the Unseen
core novel 2012 Alif the Unseen
Record
| First published | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.84 (18,081 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| Page count | 433 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780802121226 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Alif the Unseen is a 2012 cyberpunk fantasy novel set in an unnamed Middle Eastern emirate, in which a young hacker known online by the handle Alif discovers an ancient, mysterious book of djinn tales, the Alf Yeom, that may hold the key to a wholly new age of quantum computing far beyond anything the modern world has achieved. His discovery comes at the worst possible time: Alif is already being hunted by the state's shadowy internet censor, known only as the Hand, after his encryption work protecting political dissidents and a painful breakup with an aristocratic former lover draw unwanted attention to him. Caught between the digital underground he has built his identity around and a hidden, ancient magical world existing just beneath the surface of the city, Alif must evade capture while trying to understand what the book he now carries actually means.
Where it sits
- Universe: Alif the Unseen
- Series: Alif the Unseen core; position 1 of 1 in the series' recorded order
- Author: G. Willow Wilson
Awards (verified)
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 2013: won
Notes
- From the series record (Alif the Unseen): Standalone novel; a young hacker in an unnamed Middle Eastern emirate stumbles into the world of the jinn while evading state surveillance.
Sources
- World Fantasy Awards -- 2013 World Fantasy Awards
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alif_the_Unseen
- World Fantasy Awards -- Official Winners Archive
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