num_pages: 60
description: In medieval Baghdad, a penniless man is brought before the most powerful man in the world, the caliph himself, to tell his story. It begins with a walk in the bazaar, but soon grows into a tale unlike any other told in the caliph's empire. It's a story that includes not just buried treasure and a band of thieves, but also men haunted by their past and others trapped by their future; it includes not just a beloved wife and a veiled seductress, but also long journeys taken by caravan and even longer ones taken with a single step. Above all, it's a story about recognizing the will of Allah and accepting it, no matter what form it takes.
language: English
title: The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
titlecomplete: The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
genres: Historical, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Time Travel, Short Stories, Novella, Science Fiction Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction
ratings_count: 4918
places: Iraq, Middle East, Baghdad
awards: awardedAt: 1199174400000
name: Hugo Award
category: Best Novelette, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: Nebula Award
category: Best Novelette, awardedAt: 1199174400000
name: Locus Award
category: Novelette, awardedAt: 1357027200000
name: Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis
category: Bestes ausländisches Werk, awardedAt: 1167638400000
name: British Science Fiction Association Award
category: Best Short Fiction, awardedAt: 1199174400000
name: Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, awardedAt: 1230796800000
name: Seiun Award 星雲賞
category: Best Foreign Story
publisher: Subterranean