Alif the Unseen

Hardcover (with dustjacket)

Published Oct. 29, 2012 by Grove Press.

ISBN:
978-0-8021-2020-5
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4 stars (1 review)

In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a young Arab-Indian hacker shield his clients, dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other watched groups from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. He goes by Alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and a convenient handle to hide behind. The aristocratic woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents, and his computer has just been breached by the State's electronic security force, putting his clients and his own neck on the line. Then it turns out his lover's new fianc is the head of State security, and his henchmen come after Alif, driving him underground. When Alif discovers The Thousand and One Days , the secret book of the jinn, which both he and the Hand suspect may unleash a new level of information technology, the stakes are raised and Alif must struggle for life or …

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Review of 'Alif the unseen' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The characters and setting (the Middle East) allow Wilson to explore elitism, sexism, class, race and politics. Programming methodologies and metaphors mix, leading to the unseen world of the Djinn and a race for freedom. This is a very good novel.

Alif is a grey-hat computer hacker, selling protection to whoever will pay, with State security not far away. A book delivered from a former girlfriend opens his eyes and changes his life, and a program that he wrote may just change the world.

Both Dina and The Convert are strong female Muslim characters, and each has a different viewpoint. The plot of this saga doesn't always seem to have direction, and some of that wandering happens around the introduction of The Convert - largely an avatar of the author. The main character can be frustratingly dense at times, but that is also an aspect of the plot.

I enjoyed …