Two sisters on the run: the elder chased by the younger, both pursued by their mother. But when this mother is the Empress of Ghana and one of the most powerful people in the world, it is no ordinary chase. And life has changed in the mid twenty second century. The aether is a telepathic cyberspace. Biochips augment human brains. AI's, concepts, even symbols can be dangerous... Mnada is heir to the Ghanaian throne, yet something has been done to her brain that has made her insane, something to send her fleeing north across jungle and desert towards the mysterious place called Muezzinland. Nshalla is relegated to the status of puppet, ignored, yet also part of her mother's plan; she follows her sister's flight, determined to discover the truth behind Muezzinland. Gmoulaye is a tribal woman, herbalist, fighter, woman of aether lore; she is the faithful companion forced to question her identity as the chase continues. And the Empress herself, possessing the most modern technology with which to recapture her daughters - androids, morphic tools, orbital stations, all powered by a ruthless will. But not even she can predict what might happen should the family be reunited, least of all if it is inside Muezzinland...
Muezzinland
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By J Toon
Format:Paperback
'Muezzinland' is a tale of pursuit across 22nd-century Africa (or "Aphrica" as it's known in the story), and the struggle for control of the world. American and European civilisation has fallen into decline, and the most powerful person in the world is the Empress of Ghana. Her daughter, Mnada, has gone mad and fled north across the Sahara desert in search of a place called Muezzinland. Mnada's sister Nshalla, with her friend Gmoulaye, sets off on foot to find Mnada and help her, while the Empress tracks them both, hoping to recapture her daughters and seize control of Muezzinland for herself.
This takes place against the backdrop of the aether, an ambient information network that is becoming a part of the natural environment itself. A sort of living, interactive Virtual Reality. To call this novel cyberpunk would be misleading - the emphasis is on humanity more than technology, and on African tribal culture and folklore, something not often found in science fiction. "Tribalpunk", maybe? Ghanaian village life, nomadic oasis culture and the bustling cities of Morocco are all here. Several times the plot meshes with West African folk tales, due to the cultural feedback of the aether, and this ends up playing a large part in the plot.
Several major revelations are exposed quite early on, which leaves 'Muezzinland' a little lacking in suspense, but the impetus of the characters and the story itself maintains the interest, and the ending is neither blatantly obvious nor pulled out of a hat. Stephen Palmer's lyrical prose is a highlight of the book, sometimes lending it the feel of a folk song, appropriately enough. Moreover, he's clearly done his research into the culture and wildlife to be found in Western Africa, which also helps to anchor the story.
'Muezzinland' is an unusual and highly enjoyable work of future folklore.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars
1 review
5.0 out of 5 stars
Africa and the future !
22 Jan 2003
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Muezzinland had me gripped from the first chapter !
the future world of Africa was exotic and strange with enough technological detail to convince but not so much as to overwhelm. This image of the future has its roots in cyberspace but with a neat twist - global comunication
has broken down to the point where even knowledge of local geography is limited. Apart from the main characters (all female) there are very interesting A.I., hybrid and mystic
inclusions, in fact the way the mystic element to the story is handled is its main strength giving a neat new angle on the subject of architypes, deities etc. - the way Stephen Palmer
has woven these elements in to an exciting storyline is great
leaving me on the look out for more of his work.
the future world of Africa was exotic and strange with enough technological detail to convince but not so much as to overwhelm. This image of the future has its roots in cyberspace but with a neat twist - global comunication
has broken down to the point where even knowledge of local geography is limited. Apart from the main characters (all female) there are very interesting A.I., hybrid and mystic
inclusions, in fact the way the mystic element to the story is handled is its main strength giving a neat new angle on the subject of architypes, deities etc. - the way Stephen Palmer
has woven these elements in to an exciting storyline is great
leaving me on the look out for more of his work.
›
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5.0 out of 5 stars
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