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A Mosque Among the Stars
Why the anthology?
Islam is the most misrepresented religion in the media and literature. Science Fiction is the most popular genre that looks to the future. This anthology is an effort to use the medium of SF to raise the positive image of Islam in the West.
What is theme of the anthology?
The anthology features SF and fantasy stories that portray Islam and/or Muslims in a positive light.
Table of Contents
* Lucius Shepard: A Walk in the Garden
* Tom Ligon: For a Little Price
* Jetse De Vries: Cultural Clashes in Cadiz
* Howard Jones: Servent of Iblis
* Andrew Ferguson: Organic Geometry
* Ahmed A. Khan: Synchronicity
* Camille Alexa: The Weight of Space and Metal
* G.W. Thomas: The Emissary
* Kevin Miller: A Straight Path Through the Stars
* Pamela Taylor: Recompense
* Casey Wolf: Miss Lonelygenes
* D.C. McMahon: Squat
Islam is the most misrepresented religion in the media and literature. Science Fiction is the most popular genre that looks to the future. This anthology is an effort to use the medium of SF to raise the positive image of Islam in the West.
What is theme of the anthology?
The anthology features SF and fantasy stories that portray Islam and/or Muslims in a positive light.
Table of Contents
* Lucius Shepard: A Walk in the Garden
* Tom Ligon: For a Little Price
* Jetse De Vries: Cultural Clashes in Cadiz
* Howard Jones: Servent of Iblis
* Andrew Ferguson: Organic Geometry
* Ahmed A. Khan: Synchronicity
* Camille Alexa: The Weight of Space and Metal
* G.W. Thomas: The Emissary
* Kevin Miller: A Straight Path Through the Stars
* Pamela Taylor: Recompense
* Casey Wolf: Miss Lonelygenes
* D.C. McMahon: Squat
250 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Ahmed A. Khan
28 books3 followersAhmed is a Canadian writer whose works have appeared in various venues including Boston Review, Strange Horizons, Interzone, Anotherealm, Riddled With Arrows, Murderous Intent, and other tragically obscure magazines. Some of his stories have been translated into other languages including German, Finnish, Greek, Croatian, Urdu, etc. Links to some of his published works can be found at ahmedakhan.blogspot.ca. He has social media presence at twitter (twitter.com/ahmedakhan) and facebook (www.facebook.com/ahmed.a.khan.140).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 20, 2016
Only recently have I started looking in to science fiction that mentions Islam and Muslims in a positive light which is just a handful of books globally. But I am glad I made this anthology my first read! It is phenomenal!! Blows your mind at how awesome the mixing of science and religion is!!!!
I recommend it as a must read for everyone!!!! This is definitely on the same level as the great SF writers!!! If you have not read this awesomeness then you have not lived !!!!!
I recommend it as a must read for everyone!!!! This is definitely on the same level as the great SF writers!!! If you have not read this awesomeness then you have not lived !!!!!
April 27, 2013
Very interesting stories, that make me wonder how much ethnicity and environment and religion/religiousness changes the perspective and way of writing of SciFi stories and books.
I'd love to read more Islamic and also Arabian SciFi.
I'd love to read more Islamic and also Arabian SciFi.
February 19, 2013
A somewhat uneven collection of stories that involve muslims. Told from both the muslim and non-muslim viewpoint, the stories range from the very light (a Pakistani cricketer who changes the world) to the very heavy (a planned terrorist attack on a spaceship) in tone. The book starts and ends with well-written tales by Lucius Shepard and Tom Ligon.
- "A Walk Through the Garden" by Lucius Shepard: a group of American soldiers is set on a mission; to explore an unusual cave opened up in a mountain by an unusually powerful weapon. Problem is, the cave appears to be infinite in size and covered by an infinitely huge field of flowers. But as the exploring soldiers discover, all is not what it seems for the cave may be an form of Islamic Paradise - or Hell - depending on how they see it.
- "Squat" by Donna McMahon: in a prison orbiting the Earth meant to hold terrorists prisoners, one man interrupts the execution of a young person by refusing to be a witness to the execution. As he learns more about the prisoner, he discovers the person may be innocent after all. Can he go all the way to fight the system to save the young person's life and will the station back him up?
- "Organic Geometry" by Andrew Ferguson: a short story about a Pakistani cricketer who can make the ball do amazing things, sending the opposing teams out of contention. But then, he quits one day, claiming that his mastery is complete. But you will never guess what that mastery would do to change the world.
- "Synchronicity" by Ahmed A. Khan: a story about how a sequence of apparently unrelated events can become life-changing. After all, how often is your life changed after you suddenly decide to pour a glass of water on your head?
- "Cultural Clashes in Cadiz" by Jetse De Vries: in a 'multiple-worlds' universe, two agents are chasing after a man who has committed fraud on multiple worlds. But what is his purpose in coming to this particular world and trying to bring together the Crusaders and Moors in a festival at Cadiz before the joint fastings of Lent and Ramadan?
- "Servent of Iblis" by Howard Jones: a Persian and his helper are asked to protect an amulet from an efreet by a businessman. The story will reveal that the efreet is not one at all, but would lead them to even deadlier opponent.
- "The Weight of Space and Metal" by Camille Alexa: a crew of four, three men and a women, are on their way to service a station on Mars. The trip would reveal tensions and jealousies among the crew.
- "Miss Lonelygenes' Secret" by C. June Wolf: a woman who claims to be able to find the 'perfect match' for her customers via genetics has a secret; she desires a man to whom she is completely mis-matched for. Yet, her desire must find a way and it would be through her own DNA.
- "Recompense" by Pamela Kenza Taylor: a ship full of African slaves is on a journey when it is suddenly overtaken by an unusual storm. What the storm reveals would free the slaves and enslave the crew; except for one whose conscience would be stronger than a captain's command.
- "A Straight Path Through the Stars" by Kevin James Miller: first contact has been established with an alien. But will the contact person dare to tell the Earth about the contact when one group is implacably against any other religious or secular interpretation than their own; one that the aliens do not hold?
- "The Emissary" by G.W. Thomas: an alien ship is one the way to Earth, with only a cryptic message that an 'emissary' has already prepared the way. Who is the emissary, and how was the way already prepared for the alien visitors?
- "For a Little Price" by Tom Ligon: told in two separate threads is an uncomfortable tale of a would-be-terrorist whose job is to take over a spaceship and use it for the ultimate terror attack. Are the crew of the ship up to the task of preventing the terrorists from taking over their ship, no matter at what cost to the crew itself?
This anthology is also available online.
- "A Walk Through the Garden" by Lucius Shepard: a group of American soldiers is set on a mission; to explore an unusual cave opened up in a mountain by an unusually powerful weapon. Problem is, the cave appears to be infinite in size and covered by an infinitely huge field of flowers. But as the exploring soldiers discover, all is not what it seems for the cave may be an form of Islamic Paradise - or Hell - depending on how they see it.
- "Squat" by Donna McMahon: in a prison orbiting the Earth meant to hold terrorists prisoners, one man interrupts the execution of a young person by refusing to be a witness to the execution. As he learns more about the prisoner, he discovers the person may be innocent after all. Can he go all the way to fight the system to save the young person's life and will the station back him up?
- "Organic Geometry" by Andrew Ferguson: a short story about a Pakistani cricketer who can make the ball do amazing things, sending the opposing teams out of contention. But then, he quits one day, claiming that his mastery is complete. But you will never guess what that mastery would do to change the world.
- "Synchronicity" by Ahmed A. Khan: a story about how a sequence of apparently unrelated events can become life-changing. After all, how often is your life changed after you suddenly decide to pour a glass of water on your head?
- "Cultural Clashes in Cadiz" by Jetse De Vries: in a 'multiple-worlds' universe, two agents are chasing after a man who has committed fraud on multiple worlds. But what is his purpose in coming to this particular world and trying to bring together the Crusaders and Moors in a festival at Cadiz before the joint fastings of Lent and Ramadan?
- "Servent of Iblis" by Howard Jones: a Persian and his helper are asked to protect an amulet from an efreet by a businessman. The story will reveal that the efreet is not one at all, but would lead them to even deadlier opponent.
- "The Weight of Space and Metal" by Camille Alexa: a crew of four, three men and a women, are on their way to service a station on Mars. The trip would reveal tensions and jealousies among the crew.
- "Miss Lonelygenes' Secret" by C. June Wolf: a woman who claims to be able to find the 'perfect match' for her customers via genetics has a secret; she desires a man to whom she is completely mis-matched for. Yet, her desire must find a way and it would be through her own DNA.
- "Recompense" by Pamela Kenza Taylor: a ship full of African slaves is on a journey when it is suddenly overtaken by an unusual storm. What the storm reveals would free the slaves and enslave the crew; except for one whose conscience would be stronger than a captain's command.
- "A Straight Path Through the Stars" by Kevin James Miller: first contact has been established with an alien. But will the contact person dare to tell the Earth about the contact when one group is implacably against any other religious or secular interpretation than their own; one that the aliens do not hold?
- "The Emissary" by G.W. Thomas: an alien ship is one the way to Earth, with only a cryptic message that an 'emissary' has already prepared the way. Who is the emissary, and how was the way already prepared for the alien visitors?
- "For a Little Price" by Tom Ligon: told in two separate threads is an uncomfortable tale of a would-be-terrorist whose job is to take over a spaceship and use it for the ultimate terror attack. Are the crew of the ship up to the task of preventing the terrorists from taking over their ship, no matter at what cost to the crew itself?
This anthology is also available online.
March 11, 2013
Lo descubrí interesado y lo acabo horrorizado. Esto es una colección de historias CF con el Islam como hilo que las cose. Una idea prometedora.
Lo malo: escritas casi todas por no musulmanes. Y sin ninguna gracia. Como si Islam fuera una palabra más. El interés caería a cero si no fuera por Sinchronicity, de Ahmed Khan, único musulmán. Su visión es ditinta y desde dentro, y eso salva el libro de la más medianísma mediocridad. O peor, ya que va de lo totalmente obviable (A Walk in the Garden, de Shepard) a lo ignorante y ridículo (Cultural Clashes in Cadiz, de De Vries).
Cuando se trata de homenajear una cultura, hay que hacer homenaje y no rellenar con anécdotas culturales.
Dos estrellas por Sinchronicity, que como relato se merecería alguna más, por distinta en lenguaje y forma. Khan escribe relato que es lo que debería haber sido esta antología. Fuera de ella, no se salva un solo cuento. Una estrella es demasiado: cerapio estelar por parecer una burla a su propia intención.
Lo malo: escritas casi todas por no musulmanes. Y sin ninguna gracia. Como si Islam fuera una palabra más. El interés caería a cero si no fuera por Sinchronicity, de Ahmed Khan, único musulmán. Su visión es ditinta y desde dentro, y eso salva el libro de la más medianísma mediocridad. O peor, ya que va de lo totalmente obviable (A Walk in the Garden, de Shepard) a lo ignorante y ridículo (Cultural Clashes in Cadiz, de De Vries).
Cuando se trata de homenajear una cultura, hay que hacer homenaje y no rellenar con anécdotas culturales.
Dos estrellas por Sinchronicity, que como relato se merecería alguna más, por distinta en lenguaje y forma. Khan escribe relato que es lo que debería haber sido esta antología. Fuera de ella, no se salva un solo cuento. Una estrella es demasiado: cerapio estelar por parecer una burla a su propia intención.
September 24, 2012
I was extremely disappointed in this anthology, though I suppose I should blame myself- what should I have expected in a bunch of stories semi-centering Islam and Muslims but written by predominately non-Muslims? Typical Orientalism with a sci-fi flavor is what you should expect. For instance- a woman who "punishes" herself by pretending to be a Muslim and marrying a Muslim man, really I should have quit there but since the first inclusion, Lucius Shepard's A Walk in the Garden, was so well written and captivating I kept hoping for similarly as good. I never found it and fully admit to giving up after reading 3/4 of the stories, that was enough undeserving punishment for me.
Want to read
April 29, 2016What I've read of this is good, not really all my type of stores, but good. However my copy is a pdf which is really hard to read. Up buy a proper ereader version of this soon.
May 11, 2017
"A Mosque Among The Stars" was a perplexing compilation in every possible sense. Editor's note portrays it as a "project" rather than a literary product; sort of a publishing that aims to present Islam and Muslims from an unbiased, positive perspective to SF readers in Western world. However, the pieces that form this collection are so incoherent, inconsistent and sometimes irrelevant that I can hardly believe that they contributed to that goal; let alone meld into a well-written SF story collection.
To start with, a large portion of stories are written by non-muslim westerners, with all their orientalism, aestheticism and misconceptualizations. Their portrayal of Islam/Muslims are sometimes naively positive, sometimes far-fetched, confused or simplistic. Few of the authors appear to have a grasp of Islamic theology, or they did not bother with theology at all: most stories used an arbitrary Muslim "element" in a regular SF story to make it appear like "Islamic Sci-fi" but it did not work.
Jumping from one story to another the voice, the tone, the approach, even genres differ in such an extent that the compilation shows little consistency. Two of the stories are not even science fiction, they are pure fantasy. Same goes for their quality: Some of the stories are very well written whereas others are quite amateurish. The ones that I liked were "a walk through the garden", "squat" and "for a little price". The others ranged between average and fail.
To sum up, "A Mosque Among The Stars" is well-intended initiative but could have been much, much better.
To start with, a large portion of stories are written by non-muslim westerners, with all their orientalism, aestheticism and misconceptualizations. Their portrayal of Islam/Muslims are sometimes naively positive, sometimes far-fetched, confused or simplistic. Few of the authors appear to have a grasp of Islamic theology, or they did not bother with theology at all: most stories used an arbitrary Muslim "element" in a regular SF story to make it appear like "Islamic Sci-fi" but it did not work.
Jumping from one story to another the voice, the tone, the approach, even genres differ in such an extent that the compilation shows little consistency. Two of the stories are not even science fiction, they are pure fantasy. Same goes for their quality: Some of the stories are very well written whereas others are quite amateurish. The ones that I liked were "a walk through the garden", "squat" and "for a little price". The others ranged between average and fail.
To sum up, "A Mosque Among The Stars" is well-intended initiative but could have been much, much better.
December 17, 2014
The first story on this collection is great (about futuristic American soldiers entering Hell (literally) during an incursion in Iraq), but this theme of violence and Islam is hammered on several other stories on different settings throughout the book. Mostly to indoctrinate the readers that Islam is not violent, but the idea after reading this collection is that it is, in the past and in the future and the nice Western people have to "deal" with it. I was expecting more, but then again, most of the authors are Western, not Muslims, and have those "orientalist" goggles on while writing their otherwise very creative stories.
July 25, 2014
The concept for this anthology was really great, and when it worked it was amazing - but only a very few of the authors managed to execute well. Also, what was with the overwhelming focus on the outsider view? I got tired of the Muslim characters being the strange Other that we saw via the “normal” protagonist’s eyes.
November 6, 2019
A great and worthwhile read. It is so refreshing to not only see Muslim characters in positive roles but also to read stories that contain decent Muslim characters, for no particular reason other than the fact that they enrich the story telling.
June 2, 2025
This is an anthology of science fiction stories with significant Muslim characters or Islamic themes; although the editors are Muslims, most of the contributors are not. Unfortunately the quality doesn't really do the theme justice; a lot of the stories aren't really of publishable quality, in my opinion. One stands out as excellent, though: Lucius Shephard's A Walk Through the Garden, in which US troops in Iraq encounter something that may or may not be the gate to the Islamic Paradise.
May 13, 2024
It was certainly interesting but I think stories by actual Muslim authors would have been more authentic for an anthology of Muslim-centric science fiction. It certainly tried but the anthology just didn’t hit the mark.
October 26, 2025
Various authors provide 12 stories, from 2000-2008, that happen to touch upon some aspect of Islamic culture. Thematically its a broad range, from Pakistani cricket champions to time-travelling Moorish imposters, to ponderous Quronic verses that define/defy teen sexuality. Its not clear whether any single writer in this collection actually identifies as Muslim. Half of the dozen stories are original contributions not previously published, and at least one strays from pure sci-fi and into the fantasy-detective genre.
The centerpiece of this entire collection is without a doubt the first story, A Walk Through The Garden (2003) by Lucian Shepard. And it totally rocks. Written at the height of USA’s War on Terror (2001-2021), Lucian Shepard brings us to a mysterious cave in northern Iraq where we witness firsthand just how close the scifi-military sub-genre can come to absolute perfection. Our hero is a wreckless teddy bear of a soldier stomping his way towards inevitable doom as he descends the depths of literal Hell. Miraculously he muscles his way past every impossible obstacle with his trusty mech suit & endless supply of performance enhancement drugs, loving every minute of it.
The centerpiece of this entire collection is without a doubt the first story, A Walk Through The Garden (2003) by Lucian Shepard. And it totally rocks. Written at the height of USA’s War on Terror (2001-2021), Lucian Shepard brings us to a mysterious cave in northern Iraq where we witness firsthand just how close the scifi-military sub-genre can come to absolute perfection. Our hero is a wreckless teddy bear of a soldier stomping his way towards inevitable doom as he descends the depths of literal Hell. Miraculously he muscles his way past every impossible obstacle with his trusty mech suit & endless supply of performance enhancement drugs, loving every minute of it.
January 18, 2013
1st story wasn't all that, so i'm a bit dubious, but i'll give it a few more stories before I give up.
ETA: none of the first 4 stories grabbed me at all, so i'm giving up on this. I just don't think the writing (from a story/structure point of view) is terribly good.
ETA: none of the first 4 stories grabbed me at all, so i'm giving up on this. I just don't think the writing (from a story/structure point of view) is terribly good.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews