Through an unlikely fusion of Middle Eastern folklore and futuristic, A.I.-powered sci fi, Saad Z. Hussein has created a fantasy-comedy of Pratchett-esque proportions. The Gurkha and The Lord of Tuesday is a slim volume, but with a storytelling style that gets straight to business and a colorful cast of over-the top characters. It packs a satisfying punch ... As parody, the story takes a cynical view of human nature, and while not meant to be taken so seriously, one might say a Rand-like skepticism of an egalitarian distributive economy ... The Gurkha and The Lord of Tuesday achieves immense enjoyability. With well-drawn, amusing characters, a fresh and underrepresented fantasy viewpoint, and snappy dialogue and action scenes, the book will have broad appeal to readers who like well-played humor in their fantasy/sci fi.
Hossein is a Bangladeshi author who has already established a formidable reputation for combining dark humor, loopy adventure, and breezy style ... While those characteristics are much in evidence in The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday, he also shows a provocative knack for sharply satirical SF as well. It’s probably the funniest thing I’ve read this year.
Hossain...paints a rich, interesting, even plausible future and fills it with a cast of quirky characters. Readers will laugh at Melek Ahmar’s narcissism, especially when his plans are thwarted, as well as Hossain’s irreverent writing style, including the characters’ cheeky dialogue. With a mischievous protagonist and fascinating world building, this one should be recommended to readers who like their djinn tales with a large helping of humor.
In the space of this slim novel are elements of buddy comedy, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, and philosophy. But somehow it all comes together in an entertainingly madcap story that asks what it means to be a citizen and what equality really looks like. A rollicking genre mashup that should appeal to SF/F fans and well beyond.
Hossain...spins satire out of myth and science fiction in the near-future postapocalyptic paradise of Kathmandu ... Compact and quippy, this is a whirlwind story that cleverly blends genres and finds humor and pathos in human failure.
