Looking for the Mahdi [Paperback]

N. Lee Wood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1997

In a world of the near future, in which the microchip holds the key to the secrets of the universe, technological progress meets its ultimate stumbling block in human nature, in the story of a female journalist and the humanoid fabricant who becomes her only salvation in a deadly Middle East. Reprint. K. PW. NYT. "

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A veteran journalist on assignment in the Middle East, Kay Munad finds herself falling in love with technology, but it's not the latest gizmo to improve news coverage. It's John Halton, a humanoid constructed by the federal government to assist in espionage activities. Kay and John unwittingly become the focal point of a plot to overthrow an unstable government and must rely on each other to survive the subterfuge of vying political factions. In her debut novel, Wood cleverly explores one of science fiction's favorite questions: What does it mean to be human? Effective use of first person gives readers a look at the near future through the eyes of a pragmatic, cynical news reporter (she does "feed-ins for the prettily coifed and polished bubbleheads" because she's "homely as a mud fence") who grows into a truly memorable character by book's end. Kay is a coarse yet likable woman whose penchant for telling it as she sees it, as in "The boss looked like he'd eaten a very large turd," may be disconcerting to some. Still, Wood delivers fast-paced adventure in a hybrid sci-fi/spy thriller that also connects on a personal level.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 337 pages
• Publisher: Ace (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441004504
• ISBN-13: 978-0441004508
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,978,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific, April 10, 2002

By 

Linda A. French (Los Lunas, New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Looking for the Mahdi (Paperback)

Debut novel. I gobbled it up, first page to last. The words flow fast and slick, a delight to read; inciteful and clever. Global politics, a microchip, danger, sex, and, yes, more! Here is the story of a female journalist, who, disguised as a man, travels on assignment to the Middle East with a humanoid fabricant. In the first chapter, Kay Bee states: "As a woman, I was homely as a mud fence, but as a man, the same features were judged as craggy or distinguished." She adds: "There were no women field reporters in Khuruchabja except me. It's hard to do decent report if you're covered head to toe with fifteen yards of heavy red wool and banned from all male company except immediate family." What a terrific voice, first person, sarcastic and hopeful. I plan on reading it again.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, April 13, 2001

By 

Andrew X. Lias "http://andrewlias.blogspot.com" (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Looking for the Mahdi (Paperback)

I've had this book on my to-read shelf for over a year, and now I regret putting it off for so long.

The story is a deft blend of a spy thriller, a romance, and (yes) science fiction that manages to transcend all of its various genre labels.

What really made the story work, for me, was the surprisingly mature understanding of middle eastern politics and religion that the author displayed. In fact, the only detraction that the story held, for me, was the authors choice of placing the action in a fictious Islamic nation, rather than a real-world one. Given her grasp of the culture, I think that this was something of a cheat, on her part.

Even so, this is a well recommended book, if you can find a copy. It's a disappointment that a story as well crafted and sophisticated as this one should, so quickly, find its way to the remainders bin.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SF in a near future middle east and media driven enviroment, September 19, 2001

By 

K. Maxwell "katmax1" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Looking for the Mahdi (Paperback)

Kay Munadi is a burnt out war correspondent journalist who is persuaded to escort a humanoid fabricant (a biological human-based "android") to a middle eastern country that is not known for it's frendliness to the USA or women. (she goes disguised as a man as she is not a "pretty woman")

This book is very well written, and unusual for a number of reasons. The author appears to have a very good grasp of Muslim values and the resentment that first world countries (read europe and the USA) have stirred up there, by very effectively using divide and conquer methods.

However, all this is just background for a well written character based story as we get to know Kay and the "robot" John Halton better.

This is not based in some future where all our problems have been somehow fixed, instead it is based on a continuation and intensification of todays trends. It makes you think about the power of today's media and in the end you come away with a feeling that you have read an outstanding book.