Kurdistan + 100: Stories from a Future Republic. edited by Orsola Casagrande and Mustafa Gündoğdu. 2023
KURDISTAN + 100
RATED 81% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE 4.1 OF 5
13 STORIES : 2 GREAT / 6 GOOD / 5 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF
I knew very little about the Kurds or Kurdistan before reading this anthology. They were good allies in the American War in Iraq and were treated badly by later US governments in the peace that followed. I had heard they were victims of genocide and oppression. Not much else, unfortunately.
Other Review of International or Foreign Language Science Fiction.
The trend towards non-english science fiction in translation has intrigued me recently. I believe it is the most exciting thing happening in the modern era of the genre.
Even if I sometimes have difficulty relating to some of the stories.
The introduction by Orsola Casagrande and Mustafa Gündoğdu to Kurdistan+100 is excellent, providing a good historical foundation for the anthology. They recount the establishment and fall of the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad in 1946. This was a brief but important momemt of Kurdish self-governance. While unknown to me before this book, it resonates deeply in the Kurdish historical mind.
The editors remind us of the geographical and linguistic diversity of the Kurdish people: spread across Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
Finally, they bring science fiction into the discussion and how the ability to imagine a better future can be a comfort to oppressed people.
This is only the briefest summary of a long and valuable introduction to the anthology. If one still needs to make the case that anthologies are more than collections of stories, this is a strong argument in favor of the anthology as an original literary art form.
“The legacy of the Republic of Mahabad is still vivid in Kurdish cultural memory, not just for being the Kurd’s first modern experiment with self-rule, but also for the values it defended (equality, cultural tolerance, fraternity with the other peoples of the region and recognition of the Kurdish language). As such, it stands as an obvious point of historical reference for writing about Kurdish futures, a lens through which progressive, positive futures might be seen, even though, as a moment in time, it contains both hope and devastation.”
But how are the stories, as stories?
Stridently political for one, much more so than the other volume I’ve read in this series (Iraq +100). Utopian frequently, almost to the point of wish fulfillment. Full of violence, abuse, and oppression. For me, it was at time alienating, but always of good literary merit.
Themes of technology as both an instrument of oppressive surveillance and as potential tool of liberation influence many of the stories, but the human element is always there. Characters - most often women - find themselves on journeys to discover lost pieces of their history and identity. Environmentalism plays its predictable role as well. There are backdrops of destruction as well as plot lines of hope and healing.
Two of the stories stood out, making my all-time great list:
Friends Beyond the Mountains by Ava Homa
In a newly liberated Kurdistan, a young girl named Hataw watches her mother, a renowned activist, present her groundbreaking work at a celebration of Kurdish creativity. However, the event is abruptly interrupted by a violent military assault, leading to a desperate search for her missing mother amidst chaos and conflict. Terrifying and suspenseful.
The Story Must Continue by Muharrem Erbey. Translated from the Turkish by Andrew Penny
On her 21st birthday, Mahabad’s life takes a drastic turn when her father, the Governor of Amed Province, vanishes after sending a cryptic message. As she navigates the ensuing chaos and confusion, Mahabad sets out on a journey to find him, driven by love and a desire for answers. Natural elements and simple traditional life are mixed with flying robots, compulsory tracking chips, and advanced surveillance techniques.
Kurdistan + 100
13 STORIES : 2 GREAT / 6 GOOD / 5 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF
How do I arrive at a rating?
Waiting for the Leopard by Sema Kaygusuz. Translated from the Turkish by Nicholas Glastonbury
Good. the Leopard Warden who, isolated in his duty, brings a woman back to life using futuristic technology. Named Sedef, she gradually acquires language and memories of a past life, disrupting the boundaries set by their society.
The Wishing Star by Jîl Şwanî
Good. A journalist and his Kurdish translator travel through a transformed Mesopotamian marshlandscape to document the lives of Kurdish villagers under oppressive Turkish rule. The duo faces numerous challenges, including evading military patrols and witnessing the harrowing realities of the villagers' existence.
Friends Beyond the Mountains by Ava Homa
Great. In a newly liberated Kurdistan, a young girl named Hataw watches her mother, a renowned activist, present her groundbreaking work at a celebration of Kurdish creativity. However, the event is abruptly interrupted by a violent military assault, leading to a desperate search for her missing mother amidst chaos and conflict.
My Handsome One by Selahattİn Demİrtaş. Translated from the Turkish by Amy Spangler
Good. Kurdish woman reflecting on her childhood and her father’s influence as she prepares to sign a historic peace agreement.
The Letter by Nariman Evdike. Translated from the Kurmanji by Rojin Shekh-Hamo
Average. In a distant city, Jeen's mother Zayno dies, leaving behind an old photograph and an unopened letter. Intrigued by these remnants of her mother's past, Jeen embarks on a journey to uncover the secrets of her heritage, leading her back to Kurdistan where she discovers a profound connection to her family's history and her own identity.
The Story Must Continue by Muharrem Erbey. Translated from the Turkish by Andrew Penny
Great. On her 21st birthday, Mahabad’s life takes a drastic turn when her father, the Governor of Amed Province, vanishes after sending a cryptic message. As she navigates the ensuing chaos and confusion, Mahabad sets out on a journey to find him, driven by love and a desire for answers. Natural elements and simple traditional life are mixed with flying robots, compulsory tracking chips, and advanced surveillance techniques.
I Have Seen Many Houses in my Time by Karzan Kardozi
Good. A man reflects on his childhood memories of visiting a village in the aftermath of a global pandemic. He recalls a mud house in Shadala and the friendships he formed there, especially with a boy named Rejan. The story details the village's struggles with genetic diseases and the emotional toll on the families affected.
Arzela by Meral Şİmşek. Translated from the Turkish by Andrew Penny
Average. Arzela, now 60, recalls her life before and after taking refuge in a mountain during a catastrophic period in Kurdistan. Emerging from the mountain, she finds solace in a wooden house in the city, a gift from Berfin, a young woman who admires her. Arzela's life is marked by the memories of her past, including the loss of loved ones and the struggle for Kurdish independence. *please read the footnote about this story
The Last Hope by Qadir Agid. Translated from the Kurmanji by Kate Ferguson and Dîbar Çelik
Average. Qazî Muhammad finds himself in a futuristic Kurdish city, confused and overwhelmed by the advanced technology and societal changes. He encounters an old woman who explains the history of suffering and transformation the city has undergone.
The Snuffed Out Candle by Jahangir Mahmoudveysi. Translated from the Sorani by Darya Najim & Khazan Jangiz
Good. Komar, a young man, finds an old book in his grandfather's home that transports him to a vivid recollection of the tragic history of the Kurds' struggle for autonomy and independence.
Cleaners of the World by Hüseyin Karabey. Translated from the Turkish by Mustafa Gündoğdu
Good. A YA story about Kurdish environmental activists who use their courage and technological expertise to try to cleanse their polluted homeland.
Rising Like Water by Ömer Dilsoz. Translated from the Kurmanji by Rojin Shekh-Hamo
Average. A group of Kurdish researchers visit a cave and, launch a revolutionary movement focused on harnessing solar power to create a new, equitable future for the Kurds.
The Age of the Iron Locusts by Yıldız Çakar. Translated from the Kurmanji by Harriet Paintin
Average. The mechanized society of the East (Iron Locusts) are invading the lush environment
“Meral Şimşek, one of this book’s contributors is now living in exile in Germany, having been forced to leave her life, work and family behind after it became impossible for her to live in her hometown, Amed (Diyarbakır). In Turkey, she was put on trial, accused of ‘making terrorist propaganda’, found guilty (with a 15-year jail sentence) and facing 15 years on other charges. The fictional story ‘Arzela’, published in this book, was cited in the trial as ‘evidence’ of such ‘terrorism propaganda’. Meral was thus forced into exile, alongside thousands of other Kurds, but continues to write and speak out against the repression of Kurdish intellectuals and dissenters in all parts of Kurdistan. ”
