Review: Hypersleep Event Paradox
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 16, 2013
Aboubker Boutaleb's Hypersleep Event Paradox: The Last Sigh of the Moor is, at its heart, a fairytale, one ancient alchemist's quest to turn common metal into precious gold. But it is more than just a fairytale. It is also a political polemic on the concept of race equality. Boutaleb's protagonist, Madjid, is woven into a twisty plot peppered with historical facts surrounding the Muslim Moors and the Iberian Christians' quest for science and humanity. Madjid's quest for gold, a search for "pure knowledge and science" takes him on a journey from his Andalusian home, across Northern Africa in the company of pirates, to his destination in Iraq. On the run from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella's 15th century Catholic stronghold, Madjid encounters friendly strongmen, accommodating corsairs, wicked viziers, and many beautiful women. Boutaleb's tale centers on the plight of the Muslim world well into the 21st century. A time rift gives the protagonist a glimpse of modern day Iraq at war and the violent consequences of jihad. Through it all, Madjid is carried by his faith in both science and Allah's will, with Boutaleb giving an interesting overview of Islamic history through the eyes of peoples both past and present.