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The Light Blue Jumper
A motley crew of rebels fighting a losing battle against an interplanetary despotic regime bump into a Zaaronian with mysterious powers. Could he be the prophesied messiah come to lead them to victory? He has no such plans; he has job security at the IPF and the Universe being in peril doesn’t worry him as much as the thought of being unemployed.
Join the cast of this comedy of errors set in space as they rally behind a most reluctant hero to fight oppression, imperialism, and bad manners.
Join the cast of this comedy of errors set in space as they rally behind a most reluctant hero to fight oppression, imperialism, and bad manners.
- GenresScience Fiction
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2017
5 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Sidra F. Sheikh
2 books22 followersSidra F. Sheikh is a lawyer and a writer. This is her second book. Her first book, The Light Blue Jumper, was a bestseller in Pakistan. It was published by Mongrel Books, Karachi, in 2017. She lives in Lahore, Pakistan, with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 14, 2023
This book is what you call a good idea with a really bad execution. I went into it so excitedly, primarily because I loved the cover art, but also because desi science fiction! What a rare treat! Instead, what I got was a plot so convoluted I had given up at around the halfway mark. Not because there were too many threads to take care of, but just because the absolute zaniest things kept happening.
I was suddenly compressed like I was being squeezed out of a tube of toothpaste. My head felt like it would explode. As this is a very real possibility, given the history of my people, I was alarmed to say the least. To add to my woes, I had lost all feeling in my limbs.
I later realised that was the case because I had, in fact, lost all my limbs. Hence the lack of feeling was a natural consequence and not at all alarming, nor surprising, in the least.
I got the weirdest feeling that the author had tried to create the wackiness one can see in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a truly bizarre book that left me quite entertained. Unfortunately, this book did not leave me entertained at all. What it did leave me with was a steadily rising desire to just finish it already, with me regularly cursing my inability to leave a book halfway through, if only so I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.
It is at this point in any review that I would attempt to explain what the plot of the story was, but honestly almost half of it went over my head, just because I simply no longer cared what was happening. I was slightly aware of the story a few pages into the book, when an alien creature met resistance fighters and unwittingly got embroiled in their mostly mad uprising efforts. This brief spell of comprehension only lasted up until, I believe, page 45, after which I gave up entirely and just kept reading for the sake of finishing the novel. If you asked me now who the IPF were, or what the objective of the puranas was supposed to be, or even what happened in the end, I literally couldn’t tell you.
Our objectives would be to discover the latest IPF weaponry and plans, identify their top leadership, and find their connection to the Puranas.
I mean. If you say so.
I was beginning to understand his game plan.
Reader, I assure you. I understood none of it.
I get that I’m making the book sound like a complete and total failure of a reading experience, but there were some funny parts, which are honestly the only reason this book managed to be okay instead of being the absolute worst. Amidst all the ridiculousness, which was by far the majority of what was going on in the book, there were scenes which made me snort. This was most definitely due to the fact that I have a very lame sense of humour, which is very in line with the jokes this book indulges in. And because I have loved the works of authors such as Douglas Adams or Tom Holt, my mind was prepared for the sort of silly, over-the-top, mostly madcap jokes that dotted the narrative.
A hush fell over the audience as the master of ceremonies spoke from the well-lit stage. “Welcome, great leaders of the Universe, our allies and our friends. As you know, we are all here for one reason and one reason alone; to promote world peace!” A groan went up from the audience, coupled with a few boos, at which he adjusted his silver bouffant and hastily continued, “By promoting new and powerful weapons!” At that there was enthusiastic applause from the audience, in which we joined heartily.
There were also some attempts, mostly weak, at world building, which I appreciated but could not get into, mostly because they felt so tacked on. Moments such as the encounters between characters belonging to different planets showed that the author had spent at least a few seconds trying to think of ways to make a new and interesting world. It was just sad that it wasn’t a full fleshed-out universe but rather a disparate set of locations that came and went with such minimal fanfare I can hardly remember any distinct qualities of even a single setting in the book. This is a rather large fail for a science fiction book, where the world the author builds, with its various cultures, clothes, languages, or even settings, is as important as the characters that live in it.
“Greetings,” I said, and extended my hand.
“Welcome to Zaaron, I mean Dephron,” he mumbled shyly, putting a pebble in it.
“Zaaronian custom?” I whispered to Dinaara.
“No, I think he wasn’t quite sure what to do with your hand.”
Then the funny creature suddenly reached out and tweaked my nose.
“That was Zaaronian custom,” Dinaara whispered back.
For a science fiction novel, there was also some science, enough to be visible but rare enough to not count. There were spaceships and retractor beams and shields, but most of it was so perfunctory so as to be redundant. Which is sad because science fiction just has so much potential! Think of the limitless possibilities. But beyond a superficial mention of travelling at warp speed or memory stealing machines, there is barely any attempt at exploring the depths of a futuristic universe. I’m not even asking for a very detailed, painstaking look at each machine’s inner workings within the story, but the sort of casual tone the story takes makes it clear that the author was hoping the humour would help gloss over its insubstantial and mostly invisible science.
“The broadcast range for Spaceradio.fm is fairly limited. We will not be able to reach the kingdoms or any planet in the outer rims.”
All of this is very sad because, just like with any other science fiction title, there were multiple possibilities of actual commentary which the author truly missed. To be fair, maybe there were some moments of smart social discourse that I neglected to pay attention to purely because I had given up having any real investment in the book’s rapidly disintegrating narrative arc. But given that there is one apparently evil power and others trying to stop whole planets from being controlled, the overall theme of the book seemed to fit into what science fiction, as a whole, tries to address: the idea of the Colonizing power, and those under its hegemony. It just didn’t do it well enough to be convincing.
We would be the leaders of the New World, a free, fair and better world for every race. With that in mind, this was but a small sacrifice made by few for the betterment of many.
And even if I had been convinced, the plot was simply too convoluted to stay invested for long. I mean, there’s wacky, and then there’s ‘you’re-trying-too-hard’, and this book definitely tumbled over headfirst into the second category. Time travel popped up. So did alternate universes. At one point there was a machine that implanted memories from one person into another. And did one of the characters randomly just turn into a spider?
I found him curled up on a sofa in an office of sorts. As I smiled through my mask, he changed into a blue spider.
I think I could have forgiven a significant part of the book’s flaws if there had been a greater amount of South Asian representation in the story, which was what had me excited in the first place. But there was barely anything to distinguish this book from any other sub-par science fiction book published in any other country. Except for some random mentions of Chicken Tikka masala, there really wasn’t anything that could make you feel like the characters were desi. Of course, one could argue that in a setting that’s literally on another planet, national identity doesn’t matter, which would have been a fair point if the world building had been so intricate so as to convince me that there was no need for any desi-ness to be visible in the first place.
I ate it without complaint, thinking wistfully of my wife’s cooking skills. If only I could get hold of some chicken tikka masala from somewhere, it would make everything palatable.
So, to summarize: not worth reading. I’d say stick to waiting until someone like Usman Tanveer Malik writes a full-length novel, because great South Asian science fiction is not to be found here. I went in with an open mind, but the urge to be snarky was too hard to resist right about the point where I realized that the rebel movement in the book was called ‘The Rebel Movement’. If really lame humour and convoluted plots are your thing, give it a go, otherwise this one can be missed.
***
I review Pakistani Fiction, and talk about Pakistani fiction, and want to talk to people who like to talk about fiction (Pakistani and otherwise, take your pick.) To read more reviews or just contact me so you can talk about books, check out my Blog or follow me on Twitter!
***
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
What in the world was this?! Review to come.
I was suddenly compressed like I was being squeezed out of a tube of toothpaste. My head felt like it would explode. As this is a very real possibility, given the history of my people, I was alarmed to say the least. To add to my woes, I had lost all feeling in my limbs.
I later realised that was the case because I had, in fact, lost all my limbs. Hence the lack of feeling was a natural consequence and not at all alarming, nor surprising, in the least.
I got the weirdest feeling that the author had tried to create the wackiness one can see in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a truly bizarre book that left me quite entertained. Unfortunately, this book did not leave me entertained at all. What it did leave me with was a steadily rising desire to just finish it already, with me regularly cursing my inability to leave a book halfway through, if only so I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.
It is at this point in any review that I would attempt to explain what the plot of the story was, but honestly almost half of it went over my head, just because I simply no longer cared what was happening. I was slightly aware of the story a few pages into the book, when an alien creature met resistance fighters and unwittingly got embroiled in their mostly mad uprising efforts. This brief spell of comprehension only lasted up until, I believe, page 45, after which I gave up entirely and just kept reading for the sake of finishing the novel. If you asked me now who the IPF were, or what the objective of the puranas was supposed to be, or even what happened in the end, I literally couldn’t tell you.
Our objectives would be to discover the latest IPF weaponry and plans, identify their top leadership, and find their connection to the Puranas.
I mean. If you say so.
I was beginning to understand his game plan.
Reader, I assure you. I understood none of it.
I get that I’m making the book sound like a complete and total failure of a reading experience, but there were some funny parts, which are honestly the only reason this book managed to be okay instead of being the absolute worst. Amidst all the ridiculousness, which was by far the majority of what was going on in the book, there were scenes which made me snort. This was most definitely due to the fact that I have a very lame sense of humour, which is very in line with the jokes this book indulges in. And because I have loved the works of authors such as Douglas Adams or Tom Holt, my mind was prepared for the sort of silly, over-the-top, mostly madcap jokes that dotted the narrative.
A hush fell over the audience as the master of ceremonies spoke from the well-lit stage. “Welcome, great leaders of the Universe, our allies and our friends. As you know, we are all here for one reason and one reason alone; to promote world peace!” A groan went up from the audience, coupled with a few boos, at which he adjusted his silver bouffant and hastily continued, “By promoting new and powerful weapons!” At that there was enthusiastic applause from the audience, in which we joined heartily.
There were also some attempts, mostly weak, at world building, which I appreciated but could not get into, mostly because they felt so tacked on. Moments such as the encounters between characters belonging to different planets showed that the author had spent at least a few seconds trying to think of ways to make a new and interesting world. It was just sad that it wasn’t a full fleshed-out universe but rather a disparate set of locations that came and went with such minimal fanfare I can hardly remember any distinct qualities of even a single setting in the book. This is a rather large fail for a science fiction book, where the world the author builds, with its various cultures, clothes, languages, or even settings, is as important as the characters that live in it.
“Greetings,” I said, and extended my hand.
“Welcome to Zaaron, I mean Dephron,” he mumbled shyly, putting a pebble in it.
“Zaaronian custom?” I whispered to Dinaara.
“No, I think he wasn’t quite sure what to do with your hand.”
Then the funny creature suddenly reached out and tweaked my nose.
“That was Zaaronian custom,” Dinaara whispered back.
For a science fiction novel, there was also some science, enough to be visible but rare enough to not count. There were spaceships and retractor beams and shields, but most of it was so perfunctory so as to be redundant. Which is sad because science fiction just has so much potential! Think of the limitless possibilities. But beyond a superficial mention of travelling at warp speed or memory stealing machines, there is barely any attempt at exploring the depths of a futuristic universe. I’m not even asking for a very detailed, painstaking look at each machine’s inner workings within the story, but the sort of casual tone the story takes makes it clear that the author was hoping the humour would help gloss over its insubstantial and mostly invisible science.
“The broadcast range for Spaceradio.fm is fairly limited. We will not be able to reach the kingdoms or any planet in the outer rims.”
All of this is very sad because, just like with any other science fiction title, there were multiple possibilities of actual commentary which the author truly missed. To be fair, maybe there were some moments of smart social discourse that I neglected to pay attention to purely because I had given up having any real investment in the book’s rapidly disintegrating narrative arc. But given that there is one apparently evil power and others trying to stop whole planets from being controlled, the overall theme of the book seemed to fit into what science fiction, as a whole, tries to address: the idea of the Colonizing power, and those under its hegemony. It just didn’t do it well enough to be convincing.
We would be the leaders of the New World, a free, fair and better world for every race. With that in mind, this was but a small sacrifice made by few for the betterment of many.
And even if I had been convinced, the plot was simply too convoluted to stay invested for long. I mean, there’s wacky, and then there’s ‘you’re-trying-too-hard’, and this book definitely tumbled over headfirst into the second category. Time travel popped up. So did alternate universes. At one point there was a machine that implanted memories from one person into another. And did one of the characters randomly just turn into a spider?
I found him curled up on a sofa in an office of sorts. As I smiled through my mask, he changed into a blue spider.
I think I could have forgiven a significant part of the book’s flaws if there had been a greater amount of South Asian representation in the story, which was what had me excited in the first place. But there was barely anything to distinguish this book from any other sub-par science fiction book published in any other country. Except for some random mentions of Chicken Tikka masala, there really wasn’t anything that could make you feel like the characters were desi. Of course, one could argue that in a setting that’s literally on another planet, national identity doesn’t matter, which would have been a fair point if the world building had been so intricate so as to convince me that there was no need for any desi-ness to be visible in the first place.
I ate it without complaint, thinking wistfully of my wife’s cooking skills. If only I could get hold of some chicken tikka masala from somewhere, it would make everything palatable.
So, to summarize: not worth reading. I’d say stick to waiting until someone like Usman Tanveer Malik writes a full-length novel, because great South Asian science fiction is not to be found here. I went in with an open mind, but the urge to be snarky was too hard to resist right about the point where I realized that the rebel movement in the book was called ‘The Rebel Movement’. If really lame humour and convoluted plots are your thing, give it a go, otherwise this one can be missed.
***
I review Pakistani Fiction, and talk about Pakistani fiction, and want to talk to people who like to talk about fiction (Pakistani and otherwise, take your pick.) To read more reviews or just contact me so you can talk about books, check out my Blog or follow me on Twitter!
***
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
What in the world was this?! Review to come.
January 1, 2021
The last book I read in 2020 was a humourous science fiction book by a Pakistani author, which was an interesting one to read. A really fresh piece of fiction coming from our country, that didn’t pander to a Western audience and didn’t have any of the usual tropes that our authors love to peddle. An intergalactic story set far away from earth is as good as it gets.
There were many things I liked about it and quite a few that didn’t really work for me. Starting with the good stuff, I absolutely loved the author’s sense of humour and her delivery. It’s difficult to land jokes well in writing and she did a great job. I could also tell that the writing was very intelligent, the author’s smart and made the humour work well with the story. There were multiple female characters at the centre of the story, balanced with male characters whose bravado didn’t outshine the females. It was a pretty solid effort.
Now, for the things I didn’t like include the lack or world building. The author throws us into the action without setting up much of a stage and I find it a bit off personally when I’m not familiar with the world especially when it’s science fiction.
The book also has way too many characters and the first person POV from every single character was getting a bit tedious. The action scenes needed to be more fleshed out and for me, the pacing was off too.
I would still say it’s worth checking out 🙌🏻
May 21, 2020
A different genre touched by Pakistani ink, refreshing air from the melancholy of all stories of our land.
It's a well-crafted novel, with an amazing story. I wish there was little less touch of personal affairs.
It's a well-crafted novel, with an amazing story. I wish there was little less touch of personal affairs.
August 23, 2017
The Light Blue Jumper by Sidra F. Sheikh (@MongrelBooks)
Reviewed by Asmara A. Malik (@TheDoctorReads)
Disclaimer, although I write this as A doctor, I have no ties, whatsoever, to THE Doctor, one of the most hilariously sinister characters I have ever, or rather, never met in a Pakistani novel. If you're expecting a heavy-duty emotional sob-fest of Pakistani Woman, Man and Mangoes © traipsing 'neath Mangrove © forests within the South Asian Monsoon ©, you may need to read this one, darling. With due apologies to our beloved philosopher-poet Iqbal, aamo sei aagay jahan aur bhi hein!
Many reviews about Sidra F. Sheikh's 'The Light Blue Jumper' focus on how un-Pakistani it is. To me, it was the opposite-- the crew of the First Light are accurate representations of what exactly it means to be Pakistani: polite to a fault, comfortably dropping truth bombs like every Aunty and Phupo ever unflinchingly obsessed with employment prospects even in the face of planetary annihilation, and never, ever, losing sight of the fact that there is NOTHING more important than Chicken Tikka Masala. See?! Did Mohsin Hamid EVER mention Chicken Tikka Masala in four novels? No! Thank you, Madam Sheikh!
While the novel has been billed as the love-child of Douglas Adams, Spaceballs and Shakespeare, I would humbly like to add one more brilliant but underrated influence-- Firefly, Joss Whedon's doomed TV show about space pirates and their adventures across a hostile galaxy and Becky Chamber's fantastic novel 'The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet'.
But where Becky Chamber's novel was a happy summer song with sad overtones, 'The Light Blue Jumper' is more like Coke Studio under Rohail Hyatt-- plenty of aural awe but occasional missteps, which nevertheless, make for an unforgettable experience.
This is not to say that 'The Light Blue Jumper' is a perfectly written book-- it's not-- but the fact that it made me forget the existence of the outside world while I was reading it, speaks highly of the quality of not just its writing, but also its editing. It made me laugh yet never let me lose sight of the fact that this is a book that's been written in a war-zone: Quetta, Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi, vibrant cities of Pakistan have been victims of suicide bombings, people like myself have lost their lives for the simple act of living our lives. Yes, these are terrible facts and yes, they do yield thought-provoking and serious works by Mohsin Hamid and Kamila Shamsi, but an occasional dose of Zaaro keeps you sane amidst all the doom and gloom. It is for this exact dose of Sidra F. Sheikh's motley crew that I am keeping all four eyes firmly fixed on the sequel to this engaging adventure.
Personally, I am hoping for Central Command to have more a, well, central, role in the sequel, the voice of reason needs to prevail over the Third Light. Much like in Pakistan, and with the same gentleness.
Favourite lines:
“I am warning all of you. The next shout directed at me, I will file a complaint under Ship Rules ref 2.2.2. Any attempt at intimidation of Central Command by audio or visual means will not be tolerated and will result in the perpetrator being incarcerated for the rest of the journey,” Central Command said primly.
After a stunned silence in which I made a mental note to carry a copy of the Ship Rules with me at all times since I was beginning to suspect that Central Command simply made them up as and when she required, I adjusted my decibel level in order to speak.
Reviewed by Asmara A. Malik (@TheDoctorReads)
Disclaimer, although I write this as A doctor, I have no ties, whatsoever, to THE Doctor, one of the most hilariously sinister characters I have ever, or rather, never met in a Pakistani novel. If you're expecting a heavy-duty emotional sob-fest of Pakistani Woman, Man and Mangoes © traipsing 'neath Mangrove © forests within the South Asian Monsoon ©, you may need to read this one, darling. With due apologies to our beloved philosopher-poet Iqbal, aamo sei aagay jahan aur bhi hein!
Many reviews about Sidra F. Sheikh's 'The Light Blue Jumper' focus on how un-Pakistani it is. To me, it was the opposite-- the crew of the First Light are accurate representations of what exactly it means to be Pakistani: polite to a fault, comfortably dropping truth bombs like every Aunty and Phupo ever unflinchingly obsessed with employment prospects even in the face of planetary annihilation, and never, ever, losing sight of the fact that there is NOTHING more important than Chicken Tikka Masala. See?! Did Mohsin Hamid EVER mention Chicken Tikka Masala in four novels? No! Thank you, Madam Sheikh!
While the novel has been billed as the love-child of Douglas Adams, Spaceballs and Shakespeare, I would humbly like to add one more brilliant but underrated influence-- Firefly, Joss Whedon's doomed TV show about space pirates and their adventures across a hostile galaxy and Becky Chamber's fantastic novel 'The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet'.
But where Becky Chamber's novel was a happy summer song with sad overtones, 'The Light Blue Jumper' is more like Coke Studio under Rohail Hyatt-- plenty of aural awe but occasional missteps, which nevertheless, make for an unforgettable experience.
This is not to say that 'The Light Blue Jumper' is a perfectly written book-- it's not-- but the fact that it made me forget the existence of the outside world while I was reading it, speaks highly of the quality of not just its writing, but also its editing. It made me laugh yet never let me lose sight of the fact that this is a book that's been written in a war-zone: Quetta, Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi, vibrant cities of Pakistan have been victims of suicide bombings, people like myself have lost their lives for the simple act of living our lives. Yes, these are terrible facts and yes, they do yield thought-provoking and serious works by Mohsin Hamid and Kamila Shamsi, but an occasional dose of Zaaro keeps you sane amidst all the doom and gloom. It is for this exact dose of Sidra F. Sheikh's motley crew that I am keeping all four eyes firmly fixed on the sequel to this engaging adventure.
Personally, I am hoping for Central Command to have more a, well, central, role in the sequel, the voice of reason needs to prevail over the Third Light. Much like in Pakistan, and with the same gentleness.
Favourite lines:
“I am warning all of you. The next shout directed at me, I will file a complaint under Ship Rules ref 2.2.2. Any attempt at intimidation of Central Command by audio or visual means will not be tolerated and will result in the perpetrator being incarcerated for the rest of the journey,” Central Command said primly.
After a stunned silence in which I made a mental note to carry a copy of the Ship Rules with me at all times since I was beginning to suspect that Central Command simply made them up as and when she required, I adjusted my decibel level in order to speak.
August 25, 2017
Such a refreshing surprise, coming from a Pakistani author! No attempts at pandering to Pakistani-ness. Cheesy humour at its most unabashed. A plot that careened all over the place so happily that you couldn't grudge it its craziness. It really felt like the author had a helluva time writing this book.
I can totally see this being condensed into a Monty Python-esque Hollywood flick. My only real beef with the book was that the story dragged on too long. Could've easily been cut down by a few chapters/space jumps/madcap plot developments.
Loved the little insights on politics, gender, body image etc. Laughed out loud many times while reading, once hysterically. Basically, I'm just glad I read this book.
I can totally see this being condensed into a Monty Python-esque Hollywood flick. My only real beef with the book was that the story dragged on too long. Could've easily been cut down by a few chapters/space jumps/madcap plot developments.
Loved the little insights on politics, gender, body image etc. Laughed out loud many times while reading, once hysterically. Basically, I'm just glad I read this book.
August 25, 2017
OMG what an awesome surprise! This is one of the funniest, wittiest and most imaginative books I've ever read (and I've read Douglas Adams)! And written by someone in Pakistan? WOW.
Ms Sidra....standing ovation!
This book has been getting a lot of PR in in my country so I tried it out. Thank God I did. So proud to find such a book written by a fellow countrywomen. The characters, the perspective changes, the hilarious plot twists and that clueless blue guy! Just lovely.
Please write the sequel!
Ms Sidra....standing ovation!
This book has been getting a lot of PR in in my country so I tried it out. Thank God I did. So proud to find such a book written by a fellow countrywomen. The characters, the perspective changes, the hilarious plot twists and that clueless blue guy! Just lovely.
Please write the sequel!
September 3, 2017
Refreshing to read Desi sci-fi ... not the most enjoyable read though. But I'm giving it 3 stars because it made me LOL a few times. And it was probably unfair to read this along with The Expanse.
April 28, 2025
I read #thelightbluejumper by @sidrafsheikh back in 2017 for first time, a few months after its first release & I was lucky enough to find the only author signed copy left at @libertybooks.
Reading this book was like time-traveling to my childhood years when I devoured Urdu Sci-Fi & spy novels for kids. It is amazing to finally have a Pakistani author who writes science fiction in English with a traditional touch.
It not only discusses the serious themes of intergalactic wars, rebellions, authoritarianism, oppression & colonialism but also has enough humor & space stuff to keep you hooked. I have been desperately waiting for its second part.
“Zaaro Nian was pale blue with watery blue tiny round eyes. He had thin dark blue lips, a bulbous nose & ears, which fit neatly on to a large head, shiny, round & bald. Yet, it wasn’t his physical appearance that was odd. It was everything else.”
It is a story of Zaaro Nian, who works in the weapon development sector of the Interplanetary Forces (IPF), is more concerned about reaching his office in time even when the place where he resides is bombed & have a taste for chicken tikka. He accidentally hits a rebel ship & is a sole survivor of Zaroon & believed to have mysterious powers. Other characters include Madam X, Lieutenant Salaar & the Good Doctor, who are on a rebellion mission against IPF. It is about their project to wage war by collecting enough weapons & they believe in a prophecy about a messiah who will bring success to their mission. It is a thrilling & gripping space story of how they devise plans using Zaaro Nian & his powers, their failure & capture at the hands of IPF & how all of this will work out in the end.
The story is told by every character one by one & it also explains how power corrupts people even in space & how their objectives change once they attain authority.
Rereading it in 2025 makes me realize how ridiculously comical so many things are in this book and how so much is happening at once. It was enjoyable, nonetheless. You get to observe so many new things and details while reading it the second time (I have to refresh the story in my mind before reading its sequel: A Shade Darker)
Reading this book was like time-traveling to my childhood years when I devoured Urdu Sci-Fi & spy novels for kids. It is amazing to finally have a Pakistani author who writes science fiction in English with a traditional touch.
It not only discusses the serious themes of intergalactic wars, rebellions, authoritarianism, oppression & colonialism but also has enough humor & space stuff to keep you hooked. I have been desperately waiting for its second part.
“Zaaro Nian was pale blue with watery blue tiny round eyes. He had thin dark blue lips, a bulbous nose & ears, which fit neatly on to a large head, shiny, round & bald. Yet, it wasn’t his physical appearance that was odd. It was everything else.”
It is a story of Zaaro Nian, who works in the weapon development sector of the Interplanetary Forces (IPF), is more concerned about reaching his office in time even when the place where he resides is bombed & have a taste for chicken tikka. He accidentally hits a rebel ship & is a sole survivor of Zaroon & believed to have mysterious powers. Other characters include Madam X, Lieutenant Salaar & the Good Doctor, who are on a rebellion mission against IPF. It is about their project to wage war by collecting enough weapons & they believe in a prophecy about a messiah who will bring success to their mission. It is a thrilling & gripping space story of how they devise plans using Zaaro Nian & his powers, their failure & capture at the hands of IPF & how all of this will work out in the end.
The story is told by every character one by one & it also explains how power corrupts people even in space & how their objectives change once they attain authority.
Rereading it in 2025 makes me realize how ridiculously comical so many things are in this book and how so much is happening at once. It was enjoyable, nonetheless. You get to observe so many new things and details while reading it the second time (I have to refresh the story in my mind before reading its sequel: A Shade Darker)
January 10, 2018
While the style was free flowing and easy to read - and the writer has great command over don't-fall-into-desi-lit-tropes (which is commendable indeed) - I did not enjoy this at all. I was bored, found it slightly juvenile and struggled to finish it - so I didn't. The fast read somehow didn't help in progressing the narrative and the short chapter/character-voice jumps did not work since they all had the same tone. I'm an avid science fiction reader and perhaps my expectations were for a different type of content.
Having said that, there were some good moments in there, and I will return to it and try to finish it. Read it because it refreshingly doesn't fit the bill of what you'd expect. And if you have children, even better to share. But I won't recommend it if you're looking for engaging, challenging sci-fi/fantasy.
disclaimer: I do not know the author, nor was this book gifted to me.
Having said that, there were some good moments in there, and I will return to it and try to finish it. Read it because it refreshingly doesn't fit the bill of what you'd expect. And if you have children, even better to share. But I won't recommend it if you're looking for engaging, challenging sci-fi/fantasy.
disclaimer: I do not know the author, nor was this book gifted to me.
July 15, 2025
"Light Blue Jumper" exceeded my expectations and has been an absolute delight to read! It's a sharp, satirical, and thoroughly entertaining novel that had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. Perfect for a holiday read, it’s the kind of book you’ll want to pack first in your suitcase.
The structure is particularly clever—each chapter is told from a different character’s first-person perspective, allowing their vibrant personalities to shine through in a unique and compelling way. The storytelling is both witty and insightful, making it hard to put down.
I highly recommend Light Blue Jumper to anyone looking for a smart, funny, and refreshingly original read. I can’t wait to finish it on my next getaway!
The structure is particularly clever—each chapter is told from a different character’s first-person perspective, allowing their vibrant personalities to shine through in a unique and compelling way. The storytelling is both witty and insightful, making it hard to put down.
I highly recommend Light Blue Jumper to anyone looking for a smart, funny, and refreshingly original read. I can’t wait to finish it on my next getaway!
August 18, 2019
Sidra's book, the first one in the series is a compelling read, and I quite love how comfortably she slids into character with every different voice. There is so much of thinking involved in her story, written about extra terrestrial beings, their relationships, their psychology and trials/triumphs. I really enjoyed the character of Zaaro and Princess Dinaara but Madam X was the one who topped them all. Welldone, Sidra. Thanks for the sneakpeek into your new book, part II of The Light Blue Jumper. All the best for it, and looking forward to it.
May 24, 2018
My first sci-fi novel and I am proud of the fact that too by a young Pakistani! Thoroughly enjoyable read! The fact that every character had a chapter and a voice made it more interesting!
Though set in outer space, we could very well relate to the present time - the Puranas, the bombings, the Mawrons, the Warrawns.... and on a lighter note - everyone's favourite - Chicken Tikka Masala!
I feel it would make an entertaining family movie and hope to see it on the silver screen soon!
Though set in outer space, we could very well relate to the present time - the Puranas, the bombings, the Mawrons, the Warrawns.... and on a lighter note - everyone's favourite - Chicken Tikka Masala!
I feel it would make an entertaining family movie and hope to see it on the silver screen soon!
June 23, 2018
I would like to say i have read a lot of sci-fi books but this one is really interesting. I recommend everyone to read this book . Thanks Sidra for this mesmerizing book, really appreciate it, waiting for part two.
May 22, 2020
I am so glad I read this book! Brimming with humor and a refreshing read to take ones mind off the problems we're facing. Reading it was like a breath of fresh air and I especially loved the way other issues like gender were addressed throughout the story, it felt natural.
September 16, 2020
It was likened to me as a Pakistani Hitchhikers Guide.
A "space comedy" yes but perhaps more Monty Python with a touch of Red Dwarf?
The beginning of a series, but in need of further work?
2* not bad and a few chuckles, but won't be panicking for more?
A "space comedy" yes but perhaps more Monty Python with a touch of Red Dwarf?
The beginning of a series, but in need of further work?
2* not bad and a few chuckles, but won't be panicking for more?
June 23, 2018
Loved the book! One should definitely add this to their summer reads. i am sure i am not the only one in love with Zaroo 😂 waiting for the second book, Sidra!!
May 18, 2025
A hilarious yet complex story. I enjoyed the undercurrents of political critique seamlessly interwoven with the imaginative and fun story.
December 31, 2017
I read this book for 75 pages but I couldn't read a word after that. I had very hopes for this book.
I did pick it up and managed to continue reading it. But I couldn't finish it off. I skipped through the last pages of the book and was even more disappointed to learn that there was going to be a sequel for this.
I did pick it up and managed to continue reading it. But I couldn't finish it off. I skipped through the last pages of the book and was even more disappointed to learn that there was going to be a sequel for this.
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