RaveThe New York Times Sunday Book ReviewSecret identities form the axis of Wilson’s fast-paced, imaginative first novel, Alif the Unseen — a book that defies easy categorization. Is it literary fiction? A fantasy novel? A dystopian techno-thriller? An exemplar of Islamic mysticism, with ties to the work of the Sufi poets? Wilson seems to delight in establishing, then confounding, any expectations readers may have … For all its playfulness, Alif the Unseen is also at times unexpectedly moving, especially as it detours into questions of faith … For those who view American fiction as provincial, or dominated by competent but safe work, Wilson’s novel offers a resounding, heterodox alternative.
