Barzakh: The Land In-Between
“These dunes of immaculate white sand, bathed in light, would be infinitely true and beautiful if it weren’t for the pollution of human beings… How did this universe, which has witnessed the birth of so many creatures, lose everything to preserve only these few men and their animals?” Barzakh: The Land In-Between is a speculative literary novel set across centuries in the Sahara, following Gara, a young man sold into a salt caravan, and Vala, the enslaved woman he loves. He is trafficked along trans Saharan routes, sold into servitude in Awdaghost, drawn into a planned slave rebellion, and later caught in waves of colonial and postcolonial violence. In the far future, fragments of his consciousness are decoded by scientists excavating Barzakh, who use his visions to search for the vanished city and confront the long afterlife of slavery, empire, and environmental ruin. Through slavery, rebellion, colonial violence, ecological collapse, and a future archaeological expedition, the book asks what remains of a human life—and of a civilization—after death, memory, and time have done their work. Blending historical realism with metaphysical fiction and told through first-person testimony “decoded” from myelin crystals, shifting into different eras and vantage points, Barzakh: The Land In-Between examines suffering, freedom, faith, and the fate of the desert itself, questioning what is owed to the non-human world that humans have outlived. Readers will be able to inhabit, in granular detail, the worlds of the Saharan caravans and their descendants; to see how slavery, belief, and empire shape both individual lives and landscapes; and to consider time, consciousness, and responsibility in a narrative that is at once historical, philosophical, and speculative.
Write Your Feedback
About Author
Bestselling author of mystery novels, weaving suspense and intrigue. Captivating readers with every page turn.
Other books
Browse other books
.png)
.png)
The landscape of Barzakh is ethereal and alien [...] I left the book feeling unsure, but also satisfied. Curious about what I had been missing. Ready to go searching through a new world.
Hmm the way this book was written reminded me very much of how albert Camus wrote, the kind of melody of the narrative…yeah you’ll need to try this out… you’ll need to enjoy a kind of poetic narrative just like Albert Camus used to write.
Presented as a transcript of the stream of consciousness translated from the remains of a skeleton found at the top of a mountain in Ghallawiya… a story told mostly with fragments of journeys across what is now Mauritania, it is an ambitious premise for an ultimately dystopian vision.
Barzakh is a fascinating snapshot of the past and future of a fictional Mauritanian desert region. Framed by the story of future scientists discovering his remains, narrator Gara jumps between three eras--the distant past, the recent past, and the distant future.… I especially enjoyed the future section of this novel, which depicts space-age life and technology (and poverty and corruption) from the perspective of those it's left behind--in this case, desert nomads and prison laborers in the nuclear containment facilities turning Earth into a wasteland. I was also delighted by the brief appearance of a far-future psychic vampire alien--this book has a lot in it!
A trippy journey through the Sahara and time, Barzakh: The Land In-Between begins with archeologists excavating Gara's memories... The story includes flashbacks of his life as an enslaved boy and his disillusioning quest for a better humanity. I love African SFF for its unique perspectives... Barzakh tackles themes of slavery and racism while exploring fascinating sci-fi concepts like memory extraction. Ould Ebnou’s meditative style enhances the experience. Recommended for those seeking unusual SF; you won't find many books like this."
"The writing style reminded me of Albert Camus... It might shine more as an audiobook. Readers seeking traditional sci-fi may be disappointed; the time traveler struggles with memory loss. The story unfolds in three parts, focusing on his choice to escape a slave revolt and a jinx's offer to travel to the future. This leans more towards speculative fiction with a poetic narrative... Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC; this is my honest opinion."
I can't read Arabic, but I can read French and this one is worth reading
"I received a complimentary copy from the publisher; all opinions are my own. This is my first book by Sylva Nze Ifedigbo, and it follows Ifenna, an ambitious journalist reporting on a megachurch in Lagos while investigating a pastor's mysterious death. The book balances humor, mystery, and culture well, with great pacing and character development."