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The Mechanical Sky #1
Crescent in the Sky
In a future where Islam thrives throughout the galaxy, humble cloning technician Abdul Hamid-Jones is entangled in a plot to unite the greatly dispersed faithful under one Caliph
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
2 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Donald Moffitt
22Ìýbooks26ÌýfollowersDonald Moffitt was born in Boston and now lives in rural Maine with his wife, Ann, a native of Connecticut. A former public relations executive, industrial filmmaker, and ghostÂwriter, he has been writing fiction on and off for more than twenty years under an assortment of pen names, including his own, chiefly espionage novels and adventure stories in international settings. His first full-length science-fiction novel and the first book of any genre to be published under his own name was The Jupiter Theft (Del Rey, 1977).
"One of the rewards of being a public relations man specializing in the technical end of large corporate accounts," he says, "was being allowed to hang around on the fringes of research being done in such widely disparate fields as computer techÂnology, high-energy physics, the manned space program, polymer chemistry, parasitology, and virology—even, on a number of happy occasions, being pressed into service as an unpaid lab assistant."
He became an enthusiastic addict of science fiction during the Golden Era, when Martians were red, Venusians green, Mercurians yellow, and "Jovian Dawn Men" always blue. He survived to see the medium become respectable and is cheered by recent signs that the fun is coming back to sf.
"One of the rewards of being a public relations man specializing in the technical end of large corporate accounts," he says, "was being allowed to hang around on the fringes of research being done in such widely disparate fields as computer techÂnology, high-energy physics, the manned space program, polymer chemistry, parasitology, and virology—even, on a number of happy occasions, being pressed into service as an unpaid lab assistant."
He became an enthusiastic addict of science fiction during the Golden Era, when Martians were red, Venusians green, Mercurians yellow, and "Jovian Dawn Men" always blue. He survived to see the medium become respectable and is cheered by recent signs that the fun is coming back to sf.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 1, 2012
Surprisingly, the author's misunderstanding of many aspects of Islam did not make this book any less thrilling! The story does not completely end in this volume and despite my reservations, I think I'll read the second part.
June 26, 2012
This book is much better than it has any right to be.
Set a century in the future, on a Mars that is colonized by a Muslim culture that ascended sometime in the late twentieth century, this is an impossibly twisty book; there is, literally, no status quo as our narrator Adbul Hamid-Jones is knocked about like a cork as the stakes in the book shift and turn in really unanticipated ways. It reminds me a little of the High Society arc in Cerebus, only this is less of a satire than a straight-faced attempt at understanding Islamic culture. Because what could be more alien than that, the book posits.
There is some real islamophobia here, of course-- the culture is riddled by all the kinds of Oriental conceits and borrowed ideas from the 1001 Nights stories. But along the way, there are also some striking and bizarre elements that really do resonate, some Moffitt could have planned, like the Rectitude Squad that function like whatever the equivalent group of religious patrolmen was in Khomeni's Iran, but also a strong mudjahadeen movement, with a charismatic Wahabbi leader like Osame Bin Laden that he couldn't have really known about. Right?
It's fascinating, and short, for an SF novel. There's another book in the series, and from the set-up here, it's supposed to involve Hamid-Jones in understanding an Islamic utopia to counterbalance the dystopia of this portrait. I really don't know if Moffitt is up to the task, but with only one other book in the series to commit to, I feel inclined to find out.
In short, a really rollicking ride, with some curious choices as far as how the world is constructed. At first I thought those choices were made from ignorance or cultural blindness, but maybe all that was more intentional. A good read either way.
Set a century in the future, on a Mars that is colonized by a Muslim culture that ascended sometime in the late twentieth century, this is an impossibly twisty book; there is, literally, no status quo as our narrator Adbul Hamid-Jones is knocked about like a cork as the stakes in the book shift and turn in really unanticipated ways. It reminds me a little of the High Society arc in Cerebus, only this is less of a satire than a straight-faced attempt at understanding Islamic culture. Because what could be more alien than that, the book posits.
There is some real islamophobia here, of course-- the culture is riddled by all the kinds of Oriental conceits and borrowed ideas from the 1001 Nights stories. But along the way, there are also some striking and bizarre elements that really do resonate, some Moffitt could have planned, like the Rectitude Squad that function like whatever the equivalent group of religious patrolmen was in Khomeni's Iran, but also a strong mudjahadeen movement, with a charismatic Wahabbi leader like Osame Bin Laden that he couldn't have really known about. Right?
It's fascinating, and short, for an SF novel. There's another book in the series, and from the set-up here, it's supposed to involve Hamid-Jones in understanding an Islamic utopia to counterbalance the dystopia of this portrait. I really don't know if Moffitt is up to the task, but with only one other book in the series to commit to, I feel inclined to find out.
In short, a really rollicking ride, with some curious choices as far as how the world is constructed. At first I thought those choices were made from ignorance or cultural blindness, but maybe all that was more intentional. A good read either way.
August 23, 2018
An original and scintillating story with the backdrop of Islam in the far future on Planet Mars!!
This book was well written, had intrigue and an original plot. A non-Muslim wrote about a futuristic story with an Islamic civilization on Planet Mars in the far future.His research into Islam was impressive. A hypothetical fictional projection of Muslims in the future was inventive and amazing. Donald Moffit's work is commendable. There was enough drama and action in the story to keep the reader engrossed. The book proceeded nicely and dramatically to the sequel: "A Gathering of Stars". As a Muslim and a Sci-Fi fan, I think that this story is Excellent and Fabulous. It's well worth the price for this book. Its great to read about a story of Muslims in the far future. My own personal faith is renewed. Hooray for Donald Moffit.
This book was well written, had intrigue and an original plot. A non-Muslim wrote about a futuristic story with an Islamic civilization on Planet Mars in the far future.His research into Islam was impressive. A hypothetical fictional projection of Muslims in the future was inventive and amazing. Donald Moffit's work is commendable. There was enough drama and action in the story to keep the reader engrossed. The book proceeded nicely and dramatically to the sequel: "A Gathering of Stars". As a Muslim and a Sci-Fi fan, I think that this story is Excellent and Fabulous. It's well worth the price for this book. Its great to read about a story of Muslims in the far future. My own personal faith is renewed. Hooray for Donald Moffit.
October 1, 2020
The most disappointing book I've read this year. Some of that is my fault, I imagined a fantastic speculative sci-fi story, a fiqh fic combining the quantum imaginative storytelling drive of space colonization, within the framework of Islamic jurisprudence. What I got was a book where Muslims and Arabs were chosen as the characters because the author believed they were misogynistic and cruel, and as such would grant him the freedom to write a story that was misogynistic and cruel, as well. None of the characters are likeable or compelling, women are written as dumb, selfish meat, and I spent the last 100 pages just wanting the main character to die so the book would be over.
Unfortunately, there is a sequel. Astaghfir'Allah.
Unfortunately, there is a sequel. Astaghfir'Allah.
May 4, 2013
Curious blend of orientalist fantasies about an intergalactic caliphate mixed up with genetic engineering and power struggles on Mars. I'm always on the lookout for Islam in sci-fi and Moffitt's got some grand ideas packed into this hard-to-find late 80s paperback, it's just a shame he drew on the extravagances of the Ottoman Caliphate to inspire his futuristic vision. It all stinks of stale hookah smoke but it's a reasonably entertaining read for book from a non-muslim writer writing for a non-muslim audience.
I tracked down the sequel, A Gathering Of Stars, and, insh'allah, that will redeem the story.
I tracked down the sequel, A Gathering Of Stars, and, insh'allah, that will redeem the story.
Read
November 30, 2011i have this book but havn't read it in decades. i think i remember liking it a lot, but it's mixed up with Marid Audran books in my brain just now. need to reread.
May 12, 2019
Dari saya mengetahui novel ini dan mulai membacanya dalam rangka Ramadan juga karena ukurannya yang relatif kecil. Tetapi, tentu saja ini bukan bacaan kecil. Jarang-jarang saya membaca fiksi sains. Ketertarikan pada fiksi sains yang satu ini pun karena dunianya dibangun berdasarkan referensi keislaman oleh penulis yang--menurut ulasan lain di sini--nonmuslim. Jika benar demikian, maka penulis perlu diacungi jempol atas risetnya.
Sebelum memulai cerita, penulis mengutip Alquran Surah Al-Jinn ayat 8. Membaca terjemahan dari ayat tersebut, novel ini seolah-olah menjadi suatu bentuk tafakur imajinatif. Membandingkan novel ini dengan novel-novel berkategori spiritual di Storial dan Wattpad, yang acap menyelipkan ayat-ayat Alquran di tengah-tengah narasi, menjadi perenungan akan perbedaan level tafakur imajinatif antara bapak-bapak bule dari AS yang sudah makan asam garam dan gadis-gadis Indonesia yang masih bau telon. Hal ini penting untuk dicermati mengingat perintah untuk memikirkan ayat-ayat Alquran beserta membaca ayat-ayat Allah yang tidak akan habis ditulis oleh tinta sebanyak lautan di bumi sekalipun: hasilnya mau berupa novel fiksi sains futuristik atau novel romance dengan narasi cair dan pin up model pria tampan kearab-araban? Keduanya sama-sama ngimpi tetapi dalam level yang sangat berbeda.
Karena saya tidak familier dengan fiksi sains, ditambah pemahaman bahasa Inggris yang kurang, maka pembacaan novel ini cukup sulit. Banyak bagian yang luput dari penangkapan. Meski begitu, sesekali terselip humor yang dapat sedikit menyegarkan pembacaan.
Beginilah kurang lebih garis besar ceritanya: Islam telah menguasai seluruh Bumi, bahkan sampai mendirikan koloni di Mars. Akan tetapi, pemerintahan di Mars kacau balau gara-gara pemimpinnya--yang disebut Emir--haus kekuasaan. Para masa itu, teknologi kloning sudah maju sehingga manusia dapat membuat binatang-binatang aneh yang sesuai dengan kondisi di Mars. Kloning manusia juga sudah dilakukan, tetapi sepertinya terbatas hanya untuk mengganti bagian tubuh yang rusak. Kloning manusia secara utuh agaknya hanya dilakukan oleh Emir, tetapi masih belum sempurna. Hasil kloning Emir, walaupun secara fisik menyerupai, tetapi secara mental seperti bayi yang baru lahir saja.
Untuk melanggengkan kekuasaan, Emir yang menua suka mengganti tubuhnya dengan hasil kloning yang lebih muda. Akan tetapi, suatu ketika, saat dilakukan operasi terbuka--yang berarti dapat ditonton orang banyak--terjadi serangan teroris. Operasi itu pun terhenti dan kepala Emir yang tadinya hendak dipasangkan dengan tubuh baru jadi tidak jelas nasibnya. Emir pun digantikan oleh hasil kloningnya yang utuh: Bobo. Karena tingkah Bobo yang masih seperti anak kecil, ia didampingi oleh pejabat-pejabat atau semacam itu. Di antara penasihatnya, ada orang jahat bernama Ismail yang menyugestikan Bobo agar menghukum orang-orang yang tidak ia senangi.
Tokoh utama novel ini seorang pemuda-belum-tiga-puluh-tahun bernama Hamid Jones, yang bekerja sebagai teknisi kloning. Sejak operasi Emir yang gagal itu, bosnya dilenyapkan, dan entah bagaimana kemudian ia terlibat dalam intrik politik atau semacam itu, gara-gara kegemarannya mencari-cari kesempatan untuk menarik perhatian putri si bos. Hamid Jones pun mengalami pasang-surut, mulai dari naik jabatan, dapat pembantu yang mencurigakan, dijebak melalui putri si bos, kabur dengan kuda Emir, bertemu koloni Badui, ditangkap dan dijebloskan ke penjara, hingga akhirnya diselamatkan oleh seorang ambasador untuk suatu misi, yang akan diuraikan pada novel kedua.
Menarik bahwa dalam kekuasaan Islam ini teknologi kloning justru maju. Padahal, menurut yang sedikit saya ketahui, bukankah teknologi kloning merupakan isu kontroversial yang bertentangan dengan agama? Dari sedikit hasil penelusuran saya, dalam Islam agaknya halal-haramnya kloning--khususnya terhadap manusia--masih belum tentu.
Kembalinya kejayaan Islam merupakan impian para aktivis dakwah, diusung dengan berbagai istilah: "negara Islam", "khilafah", apalah. Novel ini seolah-olah hendak mewujudkan impian utopis itu, yang ternyata, menurut novel ini sih, tidak ideal amat--setidaknya begitulah penangkapan saya. Singkatnya: kejayaan Islam boleh kembali, tetapi manusia tetaplah manusia; ada saja yang licik, rasis, menyebalkan, serbakomersial, haus kekuasaan, dan sebagainya. Malah, semestinya kita berefleksi: memang apa sebabnya sih sampai peradaban Islam yang pernah emas sebelumnya sampai runtuh? Sepertinya bukan semata karena faktor eksternal seperti serangan bangsa kafir. Penulis yang nonmuslim bisa saja memendam implikasi tertentu terhadap Islam, tetapi, dalam sudut pandang lain, novel ini layak dijadikan bahan renungan.
Sebelum memulai cerita, penulis mengutip Alquran Surah Al-Jinn ayat 8. Membaca terjemahan dari ayat tersebut, novel ini seolah-olah menjadi suatu bentuk tafakur imajinatif. Membandingkan novel ini dengan novel-novel berkategori spiritual di Storial dan Wattpad, yang acap menyelipkan ayat-ayat Alquran di tengah-tengah narasi, menjadi perenungan akan perbedaan level tafakur imajinatif antara bapak-bapak bule dari AS yang sudah makan asam garam dan gadis-gadis Indonesia yang masih bau telon. Hal ini penting untuk dicermati mengingat perintah untuk memikirkan ayat-ayat Alquran beserta membaca ayat-ayat Allah yang tidak akan habis ditulis oleh tinta sebanyak lautan di bumi sekalipun: hasilnya mau berupa novel fiksi sains futuristik atau novel romance dengan narasi cair dan pin up model pria tampan kearab-araban? Keduanya sama-sama ngimpi tetapi dalam level yang sangat berbeda.
Karena saya tidak familier dengan fiksi sains, ditambah pemahaman bahasa Inggris yang kurang, maka pembacaan novel ini cukup sulit. Banyak bagian yang luput dari penangkapan. Meski begitu, sesekali terselip humor yang dapat sedikit menyegarkan pembacaan.
Beginilah kurang lebih garis besar ceritanya: Islam telah menguasai seluruh Bumi, bahkan sampai mendirikan koloni di Mars. Akan tetapi, pemerintahan di Mars kacau balau gara-gara pemimpinnya--yang disebut Emir--haus kekuasaan. Para masa itu, teknologi kloning sudah maju sehingga manusia dapat membuat binatang-binatang aneh yang sesuai dengan kondisi di Mars. Kloning manusia juga sudah dilakukan, tetapi sepertinya terbatas hanya untuk mengganti bagian tubuh yang rusak. Kloning manusia secara utuh agaknya hanya dilakukan oleh Emir, tetapi masih belum sempurna. Hasil kloning Emir, walaupun secara fisik menyerupai, tetapi secara mental seperti bayi yang baru lahir saja.
Untuk melanggengkan kekuasaan, Emir yang menua suka mengganti tubuhnya dengan hasil kloning yang lebih muda. Akan tetapi, suatu ketika, saat dilakukan operasi terbuka--yang berarti dapat ditonton orang banyak--terjadi serangan teroris. Operasi itu pun terhenti dan kepala Emir yang tadinya hendak dipasangkan dengan tubuh baru jadi tidak jelas nasibnya. Emir pun digantikan oleh hasil kloningnya yang utuh: Bobo. Karena tingkah Bobo yang masih seperti anak kecil, ia didampingi oleh pejabat-pejabat atau semacam itu. Di antara penasihatnya, ada orang jahat bernama Ismail yang menyugestikan Bobo agar menghukum orang-orang yang tidak ia senangi.
Tokoh utama novel ini seorang pemuda-belum-tiga-puluh-tahun bernama Hamid Jones, yang bekerja sebagai teknisi kloning. Sejak operasi Emir yang gagal itu, bosnya dilenyapkan, dan entah bagaimana kemudian ia terlibat dalam intrik politik atau semacam itu, gara-gara kegemarannya mencari-cari kesempatan untuk menarik perhatian putri si bos. Hamid Jones pun mengalami pasang-surut, mulai dari naik jabatan, dapat pembantu yang mencurigakan, dijebak melalui putri si bos, kabur dengan kuda Emir, bertemu koloni Badui, ditangkap dan dijebloskan ke penjara, hingga akhirnya diselamatkan oleh seorang ambasador untuk suatu misi, yang akan diuraikan pada novel kedua.
Menarik bahwa dalam kekuasaan Islam ini teknologi kloning justru maju. Padahal, menurut yang sedikit saya ketahui, bukankah teknologi kloning merupakan isu kontroversial yang bertentangan dengan agama? Dari sedikit hasil penelusuran saya, dalam Islam agaknya halal-haramnya kloning--khususnya terhadap manusia--masih belum tentu.
Kembalinya kejayaan Islam merupakan impian para aktivis dakwah, diusung dengan berbagai istilah: "negara Islam", "khilafah", apalah. Novel ini seolah-olah hendak mewujudkan impian utopis itu, yang ternyata, menurut novel ini sih, tidak ideal amat--setidaknya begitulah penangkapan saya. Singkatnya: kejayaan Islam boleh kembali, tetapi manusia tetaplah manusia; ada saja yang licik, rasis, menyebalkan, serbakomersial, haus kekuasaan, dan sebagainya. Malah, semestinya kita berefleksi: memang apa sebabnya sih sampai peradaban Islam yang pernah emas sebelumnya sampai runtuh? Sepertinya bukan semata karena faktor eksternal seperti serangan bangsa kafir. Penulis yang nonmuslim bisa saja memendam implikasi tertentu terhadap Islam, tetapi, dalam sudut pandang lain, novel ini layak dijadikan bahan renungan.
December 16, 2021
So, I read this book 32 years after it was published. Initially I was attracted to the Muslim settlers on planet Mars, though I typically don't enjoy sci fi. Back in the day, cloning and space exploration were all the futuristic craze. While this book is set well into the future even past 2021, the technology and medical advancements are well beyond 2021 standards. I did not appreciate the negative stereotypes of Arab culture, frequent mentions of sex, and the political terrorism, so this isn't a sci fi novel I would have in the school library. I did get lost and bored many times in the political discussions. The ending was not really a cliff hanger and had enough closure for me to not really want to read any sequels.
May 31, 2021
A poor man's Dune
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