By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD âFucking men like you built the hydrogen bomb. Men like you thought it up. You think youâre so creative. You donât know what itâs like to really create something; to create a life; to feel it growing inside you. All you know how …
Read More »Lost in Transition: Mackenzie Davis and Friends, between Marketing and the Male Gaze – Part I
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD Lieutenant Commander Data: âI wonder. What would Dr. Freud say about the symbolism of devouring oneself?â Counselor Deanna Troi:Â âData â sometimes a cake is just a cake.â — Star Trek: TNG, âPhantasmsâ, S07E06 âI wouldnât have seen it if I hadnât …
Read More »Outside the Pale: Science Fiction and Sexual Politics beyond the American Quarter
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD I advise you to throw out altogether § 3âthe âdemand (womenâs) for freedom of loveâ. That is not really a proletarian but a bourgeois demand. — Vladimir Lenin, in a letter to Inessa Armand, dated 17 January 1915 For once Iâm …
Read More »Pro-Israeli Netflix targetting Arabic market with âParanormalâ series
Netflix Inc will on Thursday debut its first Egyptian television series âParanormal,â a major step in the streaming serviceâs Middle Eastern strategy. The series is based on Egyptian novelist Ahmed Khaled Tawfikâs books about a doctor whose lifelong scientific convictions are suddenly called into question. His critically acclaimed novels in …
Read More »The Unruly âTenetâ in the House: Christopher Nolan on Art after-before-after the Empire
Iâve been struggling to write a review of this little sci-fi action masterpiece Tenet (2020) for quite some time now if only because itâs such a hard movie to understand. And Iâm saying this as a sci-fi buff whose watched and read his fair share of reverse flow time travel …
Read More »Many Faces of Eve: Mackenzie Davis on the State of Americaâs Female Union! – PART III
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD CONTINUED from yesterday… A Parting of Genders, a Meeting of Minds? When I began to dream up this article some time ago Iâd stumbled onto a fan of MDâs on Twitter, a fellow Arab, Nayli Yasmeen (@nayli_yasmeen), and we got to talking about …
Read More »âMediterranean Sea View 2017â finances Palestinian children’s hospital
A triptych by British artist Banksy of the Mediterranean Sea depicting the European refugee crisis has sold for more than ÂŁ2.2 million ($2.9 million) at auction in London. The three-paneled work, âMediterranean Sea View 2017,â was put up for sale at Sothebyâs auction house on July 29, where it was …
Read More »The Follow-Up of Follow-Ups: What does the lighter side of an alien invasion-abduction have in common with Hollywoodâs crisis of manhood?
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD I have written an article a long time ago about a horror-SF movie I watched largely against my will, Dark Skies (2013), which fits into my longstanding research on sexual anxieties and alien abduction scenarios. Iâd been thinking of writing a follow-up for some time …
Read More »Welcome to the post, post-Apocalypse: An Esoteric reading of Youssef El Sherifâs Al-Nihaya (The End)
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD Iâve been planning to write about Youssef El Sherifâs Al-Nihaya (The End) since the holy month of Ramadan began but found it difficult to research and preferred to wait till the end before passing judgement on it. It is Egyptâs first ever sci-fi TV …
Read More »The United States and the New World Disorder: Retreat From Primacy
In the 1951 science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still, an alien in human form visits the planet accompanied by a giant metallic robot and delivers an ultimatum: change your warlike ways or face obliteration. The movie ends with world leaders pondering their choice. By Aaron David Miller …
Read More »Reviewing âAmin Al-Ulwaniâ by Faycel Lahmeur â When the Sci-Fi Sun rises in the West!
As an SF author, activist and reviewer from the Eastern part of the Arab world, I canât help but feeling humbled if not downright jealous of what is going on in the Western part of the Arab world, the so-called Maghreb. I say this after reading a novel Iâve been …
Read More »Splicing and Dicing: interview with Fantasy-SF author Asmaa Kadry
Emad El-Din Aysha: Tell me something about yourself, your CV? Asmaa Kadry: Forget CVâs, theyâre highly overrated. I think you could say that Iâm an eclectic soul: Internationally accredited Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist & NLP life coach Public speaker & certified trainer Author whose written and published 10 books until now mostly …
Read More »The Lies that Bind: When Science Fiction becomes Historical Fact, and Drowning becomes the Kiss of Life!
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD Was watching an annoying science fiction movie the other day called variously The Holy Relic and The Hunt for the Hidden Relic (2002), and was struck by a number of things, good and bad. First, the bad. The movie is German, adapted from a novel …
Read More »Heart of Atlantis: Ammar Al Masryâs Not-So-Artificial Intelligence Epic Nears Completion, for Now!
Iâve written previously about Ammar Al-Masryâs novels Shadows of Atlantis and Throne of Atlantis, so it only seems fair to write about the third and supposedly final instalment in the New World series, Heart of Atlantis (2019). Iâd finished reading the novel the previous year but held out on writing …
Read More »Mark Sedgwick on the Use and Abuse of Sufism
The Levant News Exclusive – By Emad El-Din Aysha | Mark Sedgwick is Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies at Aarhus University, and Chair of the Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies. He studied history at Oxford University, did his PhD at the University of Bergen, and taught for many …
Read More »Soaring through Americaâs Dark Skies: 9/11 paranoia in alien guise!
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD I made the mistake of watching a horror movie once late, late at night. Had drunk a cappuccino earlier in the day so I couldnât sleep and I thought watching one would keep me sharp. And, knowing me, I agreed to go along …
Read More »‘Palestine + 100’ Review
By Layla Azmi Goushey In Palestine + 100: Stories from a century after the Nakba, twelve Palestinian writers answer the questionâ What might your country look like in the year 2048?â Their answers are encased in a thrilling collection of speculative, dystopian, and futuristic short fiction edited by Basma …
Read More »Political travails of Time travel by Gouthama Siddarthan
By Massimo Luciani âPolitical travails of Time travelâ (âKaalap payana Arasiyalâ) by Gouthama Siddarthan was published for the first time in 2018 with the English version translated from the Tamil by Maharathi. Partly an essay on time travel, partly a commentary on two short stories on the subject by …
Read More »If on a science fiction’s night a traveller
By Gouthama Siddarthan When my book, âI travagli politici del viaggio nel tempo’ – (Translation by Davite Mana), was published in Italian, it was Domenico Attianese, who for the first time introduced it. It was thanks to his introduction that my book hogged a widespread attention. Also, Vincenzo Barone …
Read More »Meditating The Levant News Exclusive – On the Music and Sufi Science Fiction of Dawoud Kringle
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD As journalist with The Levant and a member of the Egyptian Society for Science Fiction (ESSF), Iâm always on the lookout for fellow Arab and Muslim authors of science fiction, and one area that has peaked my interest as of late is Sufi science …
Read More »Aga Khan Museum exhibition celebrates 50th anniversary of first human steps on the moon
The Moon: A Voyage Through Time“ explores wonder, knowledge, and beauty inspired by the moon through the ages Toronto, Canada â The Apollo 11 lunar landing on July 20, 1969, was a transformative event for humanity, yet the moon has captivated cultures since the dawn of civilization. “The …
Read More »Short Story in Focus â âLambs of the Desertâ
By Layla Azmi Goushey* âLambs of the Desertâ, a short story by Dr. Emad El-Din Aysha is an intriguing blend of science fiction and resistance Literature.[1] Dr. Aysha, who is bilingual in English and Arabic, and whose birthplace is the United Kingdom, is currently a resident of Cairo, Egypt …
Read More »A Review too Far: Ammar Al-Masryâs Throne of Atlantis confounds expectations as good battles evil in alphabetical order!
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD What can I say about Ammar Al-Masryâs Throne of Atlantis, the long awaited sequel to Shadows of Atlantis? Itâs a mind-boggling treat! To remind those who have forgotten, myself included, here is a summary. In Shadows of Atlantis you have a near perfect world …
Read More »Between Galactic Comedies and Earthly Tragedies â The Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, vol. IV
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD This is a different review than any other Iâve written to date. The reason is, Iâm a proud participant in the book in question â The Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror volume IV! This is an anthology, and a big one at …
Read More »An interview with Gouthama Siddarthan – Interviewer: Domenico Attianese
Hello, Mr.Gouthama, welcome to Melange ! Could you please tell us about you and what you are ?  From the International arena, you welcome me and my writings. I thank you and International readers of sci-fi as well on behalf of Tamil. I am primarily a fiction writer …
Read More »May the Fortunes Smile on You⊠A Dialogue with Eslam Abdel-Rahman, Egyptâs answer to Dan Brown!
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD ÙÙŰ„ÙŰ°Ù ÙÙÙ ÙÙÙŰ±Ù ŰšÙÙÙ Ű§ÙÙÙ۰ÙÙÙÙ ÙÙÙÙ۱ÙÙۧ ÙÙÙÙŰ«ÙŰšÙŰȘÙÙÙÙ ŰŁÙÙÙ ÙÙÙÙŰȘÙÙÙÙÙÙ ŰŁÙÙÙ ÙÙŰźÙ۱ÙŰŹÙÙÙÙ Û ÙÙÙÙÙ ÙÙÙ۱ÙÙÙÙ ÙÙÙÙÙ ÙÙÙŰ±Ù Ű§ÙÙÙÙÙÙ Û ÙÙۧÙÙÙÙÙÙ ŰźÙÙÙŰ±Ù Ű§ÙÙÙ ÙۧÙÙ۱ÙÙÙÙ And [remember, O Muhammad], when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, …
Read More »ARABIC SCIENCE FICTION – Demigods in Time
by Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD The shower of His merciful bounty gratifies all, and His            banquet of limitless generosity recognizes no fall. The inner secrets            of His subjects, He does not divulge, nor does He, for a rogueâs            slight frailty, in injustice indulge.             …
Read More »Egyptian Science Fiction: Criticises Arabs
The is a translation of an interview conducted by Mohamed Nazreen Shahul Hamid and published in the November 2018 edition of “Dewan Sastera“, a Malaysian literary magazine edited by Zaharahanum Kamarudin. The interviewee, Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD, is currently a member of the Egyptian Society for Science Fiction (ESSF) and a …
Read More »A Dialogue with my Friend the Resistance author!
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD Resistance literature, in the Arabic tradition, has been defined as: The literature of any group or people that are aware of their identity and fighting for their freedom against an aggressive other, and for their collective deliverance. The key words are freedom, collective …
Read More »Double Trouble: Moataz Hassanienâs â2063â, charting a course for today, from the world of tomorrow!
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD I had the good fortune of attending a book signing event once, with Ibrahim Nasrallah as the guest of honour, and during the question-answer session, somebody mentioned George Orwellâs dystopian classic 1984. This was no coincidence since the book being signed away was Nasrallahâs …
Read More »The Bitter Aftertaste of M. M. Tawfikâs ‘Candygirl’, a Sorry Excuse for Science Fiction
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD I made the mistake of reading, and the even bigger mistake of âbuyingâ, M. M. Tawfikâs novel Candygirl: An Egyptian Novel, published in English by the AUC Press in 2013. (Mr. Tawfik did the translation himself, and he does a reasonably competent job …
Read More »Can Human Hibernation take us to Mars?
By Anna Kucirkova The problems of overpopulation and environmental issues have our world leaders considering what the next step is to ensure the survival of humanity. What are we to do once the population has reached the critical tipping point? What about if the earth become uninhabitable? Our sister …
Read More »âBackwardsâ by Whose Standards? Twists and Turns Along the Evolutionary Course of Egyptian SF
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD* Iritdad or âBackwardsâ is a science fiction novel by Egyptian author Muhammad Ahmed Al-Nagui, published originally in 2016. As you can probably guess from the title, the novel fits in the time-travel genre. The story is set in the distant future, 2107 to be …
Read More »12 fantastic science fiction and fantasy novels that you should check out this July
Robots are a regular staple in science fiction, from Isaac Asimovâs book I, Robot to the latest episode of Westworld. So while I was at an event in Boston, I picked up Generation Robot: A Century of Science Fiction, Fact, and Speculation by Terri Favro. Itâs an interesting and funny …
Read More »BOOK REVIEW – Apocalyptic Aftermath: Ahmed Al-Mahdiâs Malaaz (2017) takes on The Road Warrior, and Beats Him!
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD We tend to think of post-apocalyptic novels as the exclusive preserve of the modern world. We tend to think of science fiction in general as the exclusive preserve of the modern world. Not so, says Egyptâs youthful fantasy, SF author Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi[1] in his …
Read More »What Science Fiction can tell us about Arabs, History and Historians
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD I was attending a lecture once by an Egyptian science fiction writer, quite a distinguished engineer in fact, and he gave a hilarious example. He talked about an Egyptian boy that had grown up in America and had come back to Egypt, as it …
Read More »BOOK REVIEW – Split Personality: Ammarâs Shadows of Atlantis Challenges Arabs to Better Themselves through Science Fiction!
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD Shadows of Atlantis (2017) is an alien invasion/post-apocalyptic story penned by a youthful Egyptian author, Ammar Mahmoud Al-Masry. The one human city that has been able to withstand the storm is New Atlantis, an Egyptian city built in the Western desert, becoming a refuge …
Read More »UAE firm takes a hand in US robotic surgery venture
âCalling Dr Robot, calling Dr Robot, your next surgeryâs waiting…â Such a vision neednât be confined to the pages of sci-fi books of their movie spin-offs. A UAE-based investment group is pumping in millions of dirhams to make this compelling image a reality in local/regional hospitals. Crescent Enterprises, the …
Read More »BOOK REVIEW – Akwan: Walking the Razorâs Edge between Western Science Fiction and Egyptian Morality
By Emad El-Din Aysha,PhD Akwan (2017) or âUniversesâ is an exceptional novel by Egyptian standards, and for several reasons. One, itâs a science fiction novel and a hard-core sci-fi novel at that, dealing with parallel universes and alternate dimensions. (The Egypt of nowadays, horror and supernatural thrillers count …
Read More »Ambitions Postponed: Killer Robots in Debate, Between Science Fiction and Political Reality
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD An open letter was just issued at the worldâs biggest artificial intelligence conference â the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) â for the outright banning of âlethal autonomous weaponsâ, more commonly known as killer robots. The letter, signed by a 116 of the …
Read More »Robots in Vogue â From Sexbots to Sequels on the Silver Screen
By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD Art is always one step ahead of reality. If youâve watched Blade Runner (1982) youâre introduced to custom-tailored, genetically engineered humanoid robots â called âreplicantsâ â made for everything from combat duty to assassination to off-world colonisation to, last but not least, pleasure models for …
Read More »ARABIC SCIENCE FICTION â âRamadan Tidingsâ by Emad El-Din Aysha
The inventor put down the newspaper, frustrated. Food sales were skyrocketing and prices flying out of control in Egypt, as was to be expected, during the holy month of Ramadan. The very month people were supposed to be eating âlessâ in because they were fasting. This has got to stop. …
Read More »ARABIC SCIENCE FICTION â âThe Revolving Doorâ by Emad El-Din Aysha
The azza [funeral or wake, take your pick] at the Egyptian mosque was proceeding. People shook each otherâs hands and wished each other an end to the days of their sorrows. The young men thanked the other youngsters for actually showing up. The men either wore dark suits or were …
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