The Book of Sana'a: A City in Short Fiction

Laura Kasinof (editor)

When a groom wakes up the morning after his wedding, he can't work out why the relatives visiting him are all in mourning...

In a government department riddled with corruption, a man concocts a new scientific discipline just to secure a job...

In a world where people swap heads as a form of entertainment, a man is shocked to discover the new head he’s been given is actually his own...

The stories in this anthology demonstrate the myriad ways that war and oppressive regimes have touched the lives of ordinary Yemenis. Whether it’s the decade-long war between the Ansarallah (a.k.a. ‘Houthi’) movement and the Yemeni government (played out as a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia), or the oppression of President Saleh’s previous regime, or earlier civil conflicts... No one is safe. Each character learns to navigate through trauma, finding redemption in their own ingenuity as well as in a deep-rooted appreciation for what remains a beautiful, inspiring city.