Technologies of the Self
Technologies of the Self by Haris A. Durrani, published by Brain Mill Press on February 22, 2016, is a fiction debut that explores the complexities of identity through the eyes of a young American Muslim. In this 138-page narrative, the protagonist, Jihad, also known as “Joe,” navigates the challenges of post-9/11 New York City while grappling with his cultural and religious background within his Dominican-Pakistani-Muslim household.
Readers will find a rich exploration of themes such as family, culture, and self-discovery as Jihad embarks on a personal quest that intertwines with the stories of his Uncle Tomás. The narrative delves into the struggles of maintaining one’s beliefs and identity amidst societal pressures and expectations. Durrani’s work reflects on the intersections of biography, science fiction, and time travel, offering a unique perspective on the battles faced by individuals in contemporary urban life.
Official synopsis Publisher
“So true to mixed experience, it feels defiant.”
-Sofia Samatar, winner of the World Fantasy Award
In this timely and instantly notable fiction debut, Haris Durrani immerses readers in the life of a young American Muslim struggling to understand himself in the context of his family, classmates, and contemporary urban life.
Engineering student Jihad, or “Joe” as he introduces himself in the confusing intersections of post 9/11 New York City, finds himself on a personal quest of possibly a spiritual nature, even if he isn’t sure that’s what it is – after all, it’s hard enough to keep halal in his Dominican-Pakistani-Muslim Washington Heights household.
He’s surprised to find himself in the stories his Uncle Tomás tells of his own youth, stories in which Tomás fights both the devil and the weaknesses of the flesh – often at the same time. Culture, nation, religion, family, identity, race, and time battle for dominion over Jihad until he realizes he is facing the same demon his uncle claims to have defeated, and all Jihad has to fight with is himself.
Durrani’s stories, memoirs, and essays have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, The University of Toronto Undergraduate Journal of Middle East Studies, The 2014 Campbellian Anthology, The New York Review of Science Fiction, and The Best Teen Writing of 2012, 2011, and 2010. He writes for altMuslimah and has appeared regularly on John Hockenberry’s NPR show The Takeaway.
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