Saad Hossein Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Anthologies

Saad Hossain is a black comedy, science fiction, and fantasy author from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He went to the University of Virginia from where he studied Commerce and English literature which he says is one of the most impractical combinations ever. In his early days as an author, there was very little interest in his writing and he was forced to work a variety of jobs. Some of these jobs included running a restaurant, making rope, and even digging holes. While he has recently found success with his writing endeavors, he has a full-time job in manufacturing and engineering. However, writing is an urge that he had to satisfy at some point given that he has always been a very creative person and he finds it therapeutic. Hossain has said that writing is a skill that comes with practice and is something that can also become addictive. His debut novel was “Escape from Baghdad,” an account of the Iraqi War that he believes was the biggest war of our generation. He followed that up with “Djinn City” a science and fantasy fiction novel. His third novel “The Ghurka and the Lord of Tuesday” was published in 2019 and is a post-apocalyptic story. His short fiction has been featured in “Apex Book World of Science Fiction” and “A Djinn Falls in Love.”

Saad Hossain has always loved fantasy and science fiction and read a lot of the genre from his elementary school library. His first love was David Eddings’ “Belgariad,” which he remembers reading and rereading over the years. He was lucky to read English books from a very young age given that such were very hard to come by in Bangladesh. Hossain still reads a lot especially while stuck in traffic which in Bangladesh can be quite epic that he can have up to an hour of reading time while on a commute. Apart from his writing, he also does some reviewing for several English papers in Dhaka. While he has dabbled in short fiction, he has always thought of himself as a novelist since he likes long stories and is yet to master the art of brevity. As children, Hossain would team up with other kids and they would write fantasy narratives with several of his friends with each person taking on a character. Most of his friends dropped out over time but he kept on writing and eventually all that uneven and raw stuff made him a better writer. He has done several short pieces from short stories, articles, and reviews which he believes have been instrumental in building up his credibility and improving his skills as an author and creative.

“Escape from Baghdad” is a story set in the Middle East during the War in Iraq. The American invasion had created a vacuum that now needed to be filled with soldiers, religious fanatics, occultists, and mercenaries all vying for the honors. For ordinary folks such as Kinza a streetwise hoodlum and Dagr a former university lecturer of economics, the only place to turn to is the black market. But the situation is about to get more complicated as they have inherited Captain Hamid, the lead torture expert and human rights abuser that had been a darling of the fallen Baathist regime. Hamid promises the two unfathomable wealth if they help get him out of the city. With nothing left for them in Baghdad and the city too hot to live in, they partner with US Marine Private Hoffman who insists that he can get them out of Baghdad. But in the chaos of a city where the rules no longer apply, it will be no easy task. But then they also get embroiled a mystery of an ancient watch that further complicates things. The novel tells of human violence and gives voice, firepower and ribald humor to people usually deemed collateral damage.

“Djinn City” by Saad Hossain is a supernatural and imaginative combination of ancient war, politics, fantasy, adventure, and science fiction with satire and dark humor. The novel is set in contemporary Bangladesh and tells the story of Indelbed, a man who lives with Dr. Kaikobad his father. His father happens to be the black sheep of his clan most of whom have grown up in privilege. Dr. Kaikobad is a Ph.D. in mathematics as well as a doctor with near-genius IQ. He was brought up in riches, wealth, and success and had to some extent managed to make something of himself though he had wasted most of it soon after. He had then fallen into a coma and thrown the people that depended on him including his son Indelbed into a topsy-turvy world. What had once upon a time been a mythical world now comes alive with the devilry, politics, cunning, conspiracy and just like his father the son soon finds himself having to deal with the plotting and scheming of the djinns. Indelbed is dumped in the pit with some heinous djinn and in no time, he learns that he is also half djinn. In the pit, he comes to learn several tips about survival and magic while his brother Rais becomes an envoy that takes messages between the human and djinn realms. In the meantime, Dr. Kaikobad is exploring an ancient city that is still fighting a war that has raged for millennia. Meanwhile, closer to home, the djinns are making plans to attack the Asian continent where they intend to eradicate humans to make room for their kind.

Hossain’s “The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday” opens to Melek Ahmar the djinn king waking up from millennia of slumber to find that the world ha significantly changed from what he knew. Bombastic and arrogant, he climbs down the mountain believing that he will conquer the people down below easily. The first city he comes across is the spectacular and wealthy Kathmandu, ruled by Al Karma, an all-seeing and all-knowing tyrant. He is surprised to learn that it is a beautiful place to live as the citizens have everything they need and even the lowest in the society are unwilling to rebel against their leader. Everyone loves their life except for mass-murderer, recidivist, and knife saint Bhan Gurung. He was exiled for Kathmandu four decades past and still has a vendetta against the leaders of the city and its people. Prodded and pushed by Gurung, Melek soon finds himself facing off against karmic forces. In the ensuing conflicts, the city will have to change as old harms come to light.