Recommended by a friend well before I acquired a copy in the Hugo pack: this graphic novel, translated from Arabic by the author (and to be read from right to left, which confused me when I opened the PDF and found I was at the end on 'page 1') tells three stories about a world where wishes are commodified. Kiosk owner Shokry has three first-class wishes for sale, which could have life-changing effects for anyone who buys them. The first is saved for by a poor woman, Aziza -- who then finds herself on the blunt end of corrupt bureaucracy. The second goes to a young non-binary person named Nour, who is prone to graphs. And the third is offered to an old friend and customer of Shokry's, whose refusal comes with its own story.
Each tale is in black and white, and the framing narrative in riotous colour: there are infographic sections between each part, explaining the economy and taxonomy of wishes. (The illustration above is from early in the novel: a third-class wish. First-class wishes are more ornate, more evocative of 'Arabian Nights', and much better spoken.) There are themes of colonialism, of religion, of mental health and feminism, of desire and regret. I loved it, though I think I need to reread with less haste and more care to make the most of the stories.
NB: UK title is Your Wish is My Command, but the Hugo-pack copy retains the original Arabic title. Mohamed says "In the UK, it is published as Your Wish is My Command, which is the very literal translation of what “Shubeik Lubeik” means in Arabic. I didn’t think it was very catchy, but I was also willing to let it go, because Shubeik Lubeik wouldn’t mean the same to an English-speaking reader, anyway." [source].
Fulfils the ‘North African author’ rubric of the Something Bookish Reading Challenge. Mohamed is Egyptian.
Shortlisted for the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Novel, 2024: read as part of the Hugo Voters' Pack.
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