Islam and Science Fiction

Dr. Ali Mazrui, Kenyan born economist and scholar has written one work of science fiction titled, The Trial of Christopher Okigbo. In this 1971 work Mazrui makes use of a thematic device used throughout his writings, both fiction and non-fiction, that he labels ‘the triple heritage” of Africa, those faith traditions that have the strongest [...]

This 1962 novel continues Reynolds “North Africa series” and his attack on Islam started in Blackman’s Burden.  The agents are finding success in moving the people away from Islam.  His depiction of the Muslim leaders as corrupt and greedy has led to rebellion.  Reynolds main character, Homer Crawford, sums up the feelings about Islam on [...]

This 1961 novel depicts Muslims as authoritarian rulers of Africa, whose rigidity and inability to adapt to change worsens the condition of the African people rather than improving their lives. Blackman’s Burden tells the story of a group of Caribbean and African American intelligence agents and their mission to rid Africa, in particular, North Africa, of [...]

This article will provide a literary review of some scholarly writings on Islamic science fiction and fantasy and an analysis of two novels that incorporate Muslims and Islam in their science fiction storyline, one from Brian Aldiss’s HARM (2007) and Ali Mazrui’s The Trial of Christopher Okigbo (1971). Although over 30 years separate [...]