Engraved on the Eye

By Saladin Ahmed

Stories to Captivate the Imagination: Welcome to the worlds of Saladin Ahmed

A medieval physician asked to do the impossible. A gun slinging Muslim wizard in the old West. A disgruntled super villain pining for prison reform. A cybernetic soldier who might or might not be receiving messages from God. Prepare yourself to be transported to new and fantastical worlds.

The short stories in this collection have been nominated for the Nebula and Campbell awards. They’ve been reprinted in The Year’s Best Fantasy and other anthologies, recorded for numerous podcasts, and translated into several foreign languages. Now they are collected in one place for the first time. Experience for yourself the original voice of one of fantasy’s rising stars!

PRAISE FOR SALADIN AHMED
“Ahmed’s characters...are a terrific blend of the realistic and the awesomely magical.” — io9

“[Ahmed is] revitalizing the fantasy genre with fresh perspectives and original stories.” — Library Journal

“Ahmed’s debut masterfully paints a world both bright and terrible.“ — Publishers Weekly

“An arresting, sumptuous and thoroughly satisfying debut.” — Kirkus Reviews

OTHER WORKS BY SALADIN AHMED
Throne of the Crescent Moon (DAW, 2012)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ridan Publishing
• Release date: Sep 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301701575

Saladin Ahmed

SALADIN AHMED was born in Detroit. He has been a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story, the Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction or Fantasy Writer, and the Harper’s Pen Award for best Sword and Sorcery/Heroic Fantasy Short Story. His short fiction has earned praise from Publishers Weekly and Locus Magazine, has appeared in numerous magazines and podcasts, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show and the Hugo-winning StarshipSofa, and has been translated into Portuguese, Czech, Dutch, and Romanian. He lives with his wife and twin children in Michigan.

Book preview

Reviews for Engraved on the Eye

[Jessa Turner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I quite enjoyed this book. Being a lover of fantasy & folktales, I enjoyed the fresh spin and new ideas the author folded into his efficient prose. He has a gift for portraying the core of humanity and vulnerability in/of his characters, stirring interest & empathy from the reader. Recommended wholeheartedly! ❤️

[nnschiller · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm torn here. I'm not sure if I want to wish for more short stories by Ahmed or more novels. He's good. He's got an eye for scene that allows him to set up traditionally familiar stories and then focus on something different, whether it is power dynamics, religious details, or some clever joke that subverts the expected. I've read quite a bit of genre fiction, and I've come to the conclusion that Ahmed has chops that exceed most of what is out there.

In any case, if you enjoyed the Throne of the Crescent Moon, there is a story from that universe. If you are curious about whet else Ahmed can do, there are a bunch of stories here that showcase his talent and eye for finding the human in a spectacular setting.

Highly recommended.