The Arabian Nightmare is a novel by Robert Irwin published in 1983. [1] The Arabian Nightmare was inspired by The Arabian Nights , as well as the novel The Manuscript Found in Saragossa by Jan Potocki. [1]
The Arabian Nightmare is a novel in which Cairo of 1486 is under the rule of the Mamluk Sultanate. [1] [2] The protagonist is Balian of Norwich, an Englishman going to a pilgrimage to the view the relics of Saint Catherine in the Sinai Desert, while also working as a spy for the French court. After Balian arrives in Cairo, he falls asleep and begins to have a series of disturbing dreams. [1]
Dave Langford reviewed The Arabian Nightmare for White Dwarf #69, and stated that "It is a dream without awakening (says the blurb), a flight without escape, a tale without end. I liked it a lot." [2] John Clute, reviewing The Arabian Nightmare, stated "The Arabian Nightmare is a joy to read. As a teacher of medieval history who has published in the field, Irwin clearly knows Mameluke Egypt very thoroughly indeed and has anchored his most fantastical flights with details that seem clearly authentic". [3]
Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was a contributor to Astounding and other science fiction magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. He instructed Robert Silverberg in the techniques of selling large quantities of action-adventure science fiction, and collaborated with him on two novels about men from Earth disrupting a peaceful agrarian civilization on an alien planet.
Tik-Tok is a 1983 science fiction novel by American writer John Sladek. It received a 1983 British Science Fiction Association Award.
Man of Two Worlds (1986) is a science fiction novel by American writers Brian and Frank Herbert.
Bones of the Moon is a novel by American writer Jonathan Carroll, depicting the real and dream life of a young woman. Like many of Carroll's works, it straddles the horror and fantasy genres.
Pluto has appeared in fiction as a setting since shortly after its 1930 discovery, albeit infrequently. It was initially comparatively popular as it was newly discovered and thought to be the outermost object of the Solar System and made more fictional appearances than either Uranus or Neptune, though still far fewer than other planets. Alien life, sometimes intelligent life and occasionally an entire ecosphere, is a common motif in fictional depictions of Pluto. Human settlement appears only sporadically, but it is often either the starting or finishing point for a tour of the Solar System. It has variously been depicted as an originally extrasolar planet, the remnants of a destroyed planet, or entirely artificial. Its moon Charon has also appeared in a handful of works.
Immortality is a common theme in fiction. The concept has been depicted since the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest known work of fiction. Originally appearing in the domain of mythology, it has later become a recurring element in the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. For most of literary history, the dominant perspective has been that the desire for immortality is misguided, albeit strong; among the posited drawbacks are ennui, loneliness, and social stagnation. This view was challenged in the 20th century by writers such as George Bernard Shaw and Roger Zelazny. Immortality is commonly obtained either from supernatural entities or objects such as the Fountain of Youth or through biological or technological means such as brain transplants.
Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels, An English-Language Selection, 1949–1984 is a nonfiction book by David Pringle, published by Xanadu in 1985 with a foreword by Michael Moorcock. Primarily, the book comprises 100 short essays on the selected works, covered in order of publication, without any ranking. It is considered an important critical summary of the science fiction field.
The Rod of Light is the thirteenth science fiction novel by Barrington J. Bayley and his only sequel.
When Voiha Wakes is a novel by Joy Chant published in 1983. It is the third book in the House of Kendreth series, following Red Moon and Black Mountain (1970), and The Grey Mane of Morning (1977).
Superluminal is a novel by Vonda McIntyre published in 1983.
Daybreak on a Different Mountain is a novel by Colin Greenland published in 1984.
The Warrior Who Carried Life is a novel by Geoff Ryman published in 1985.
Dramocles: An Intergalactic Soap Opera is a novel by Robert Sheckley published in 1983.
Circumpolar! is a novel by Richard A. Lupoff published in 1984.
The Limits of Vision is a novel by Robert Irwin published in 1986.
The Anvil of Ice is a novel by Michael Scott Rohan published in 1986.
The Unconquered Country: A Life History is a novel by Geoff Ryman published in 1986.
Shades of Darkness is a novel by Richard Cowper published in 1986.
Victim Prime is a novel by Robert Sheckley published in 1987.
The Illumination of Alice J. Cunningham is a novel by Lyn Webster published in 1987.