Technologies of the Self

Praise for Technologies of the Self“Haris Durrani’s wonderful tale is as much about family, jobs, friends and growing up as it is about demons, time travel, and God—and that’s as it should be. Rich, humane, funny and outlandish, it presages a great career for a young writer with lavish gifts and a generous spirit.” —John Crowley, author of Little, Big “Fantastic, taut, lyrical, funny, and vivid—a family history of faith, time travel, and selfhood in the face of saints and demons.” —Max Gladstone, author of Last First Snow “Haris Durrani’s debut is both a quirky coming-of-age story and a meditation on the technologies we use to make ourselves: immigration, religious conversion, science fiction, s*x. It’s so true to mixed experience, it feels defiant.” —Sofia Samatar, winner of the World Fantasy Award “Technologies of the Self is brave and ruthless, gorgeous, and delicious. It is really magical and magically real: an unfiltered, unapologetic, and unforgettable narrative.” —Daniel José Older, author of Shadowshaper and the Bone Street Rumba series “A subtle and controlled gaze at the contemporary coming-of-age that trusts the reader to travel across time and science. Prerequisites in demonology and philosophy not required but are recommended. This is the kind of yes-yes world-embracing story-telling to challenge plastic realism and announce a writer.” —Ali Eteraz, author of Native Believer “Beautifully written, eloquent, Mr. Durrani’s novella evokes time travel in the only way we can make sense of it—through memory. The book is thick with images that rise up larger than themselves, stronger than themselves, softer than themselves.” —Paul Park, author of A Princess of Roumania “In the tradition of Junot Díaz, Durrani offers a rare peek into the rich, often surprising cultural complexities of being Latino and Muslim in post-9/11 America. An inimitable novella about wrestling with identity where the costs couldn’t be higher. Funny, original, and wonderfully written, Technologies of the Self will keep you turning pages and leave you impressed.” —Murad Kalam, author of Night Journey