The Mirage: A Novel [ƒn�[ƒhƒJƒo�[]

With its inspired premise, I can easily imagine that Matt Ruff's alternate history version of the 9/11 tragedy is sure to generate much interest. Upon reading the book's description, I was instantly intrigued and I tore into the novel with great anticipation. And, in truth, I devoured it in a couple of sittings--which is something that I rarely do. And yet, while I admired much about the book, I'm not sure that it ultimately fulfilled all of its potential and promises. Don't get me wrong, I'd recommend the book in a heartbeat just for its skewed world view, but the payoff lacked a bit for my taste. Ruff had big ambitions and paints a colorful world, and I wanted to love this book unequivocally. But while Ruff's vision entertained and fascinated me, it's whole falls somewhere short of the strength of its individual pieces. Part alternate history, part fantasy, part cop investigation, part political and social satire--there are a lot of disparate elements fighting for attention within the pages of "The Mirage." And while I enjoyed the separate components, I'm not sure they always sat comfortably together.

There's not a lot that one can say about "The Mirage" without revealing its surprises. So I'll be purposefully vague beyond a cursory description. The novel is set in the aftermath of a 11/9/2001 terrorist attack in the United Arab States. Ruff sets up an environment where everything that we know about our own 9/11 event is upended and relocated into this fictional time and place. The primary story revolves around agents within the Arab Homeland Security branch who thwart an attack in 2009 and recover some evidence that references an alternate timeline where America is a superpower and it was the victim of a 9/11 incident. But what does this outlandish story that contradicts everything in the contemporary world really mean? The agents start to track down the truth and along the way they interact with the usual suspects including Hussein and bin Laden (among many other recognizable and notorious personalities) as they exist and prosper in this alternate history of the world.

It would certainly be easy to spoil many of the novel's intricacies, and that would be a shame. One of the primary strengths is that we never know exactly where we're headed in Ruff's twisted tale. I really enjoyed the structure of the story, the chapters are separated by very entertaining mock-ups of Wikipedia pages (although they aren't called that). The satiric elements of the novel can be highly amusing. Songs, TV shows, and popular culture events all mirror various counterparts within contemporary American society. But while they're funny, they can also come across as a bit of a stunt as the tone of the book seems to be striving for something deeper and darker. The history elements are never less than fascinating, although they are contrived to incorporate as many familiar names as possible in key roles. This can also come off as less than genuine, but it's fun. The agents are defined well and their exploits can be thrilling and dangerous. But the ultimate solution to the novel's many puzzles left me oddly unfulfilled.

Even though "The Mirage" was not wholly successful for me, I would still recommend it to anyone who thinks it sounds fascinating. It may not be the contemporary classic I was hoping for, but it definitely spins a different story that has the potential to capture your imagination in a variety of ways. I'd give the idea of "The Mirage" a BIG five stars! But in an uneven execution, I'd rate the experience (for me) at about 3 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 12/11.

At first glance THE MIRAGE by Matt Ruff struck me as irreverent and offensive. I was offered a chance to read the book for free through the Amazon Vine program and I passed it up. A couple weeks later I ended up coming across a review of THE MIRAGE that made me pause and think. From there the desire was planted and I ended up purchasing a copy, reasoning that even if it turned out to be a terrible novel at least I could write a scathing condemnation of it. As it turns out, not only is THE MIRAGE an excellent novel, but it is also everything a thriller should be.

On November 9th, 2001 four jetliners are hijacked by Christian fundamentalists. Three find their targets: the Tigris and Euphrates World Trade Centers and the Arab Defense Ministry. The passengers of the fourth prevent the terrorists from reaching Mecca. This attack ignites a War on Terror, led by the United Arab States. Years later Mustafa al Baghdadi, agent for Arab Homeland Security, captures a suicide bomber. The man claims that the world they are living in is a Mirage, and in the "real" world it is America that is a superpower and the Middle East that is a third world country. So begins a thrilling investigation that will uproot the very foundation of everything Mustafa knows and believes.

So you can see where I may have been a little hesitant to read THE MIRAGE. The very concept is audacious and twisted and more than a little intriguing. At first it seems like a delicious sort of heresy, an act of adolescent rebellion. As it turns out though, THE MIRAGE is anything but adolescent and heretical. Though bold and original, Ruff's thriller turns out to be introspective and thoughtful, and at times even humorous.

The story is told mainly from the perspective of Mustafa al Baghdadi, though there are also chapters that follow his Homeland Security partners Salim and Amal as well. Mustafa is a likable lead, a dedicated law enforcer with somer serious regrets. Salim and Amal are also decent characters with fleshed out back stories but they do seem to lack a little in the personality department. Really though, it's the supporting cast that makes THE MIRAGE such a colorful and fun book. In this alternate reality Saddam Hussein is gangster, Osama bin Laden is a Senator of the United Arab States, and al-Qaeda is an ultra covert counter terrorist unit. There are more fun cameos throughout but I won't ruin their appearances by announcing them here.

The investigation is well handled, giving readers a guided tour of a world that is a delight to explore. Ruff's alternate reality is clever and colorful. The pop-culture references are particularly witty, specifically the television crime dramas and punk rock bands. Things are foreign but still recognizable and much of the time I found myself smirking as I read. Another sharp technique Ruff utilizes to tell the story is the inclusion of excerpts from the Library of Alexandria (the alternate reality Wikipedia). These excerpts are superb world building tools that offer background knowledge and set the stage for the chapters that precede them.

The aspect of the Mirage itself is handled very well. I had wondered how Ruff would pull off the alternate history explanation but he did not fail to disappoint. The investigation leads Mustafa and his friends from Baghdad to Sadr City, all the way across the Atlantic to the D.C. Greenzone and surrounding territories. The adventure is full of non-stop thrills and world shaking revelations. I regret to say that the finale turned out to be a letdown.

THE MIRAGE is a ballsy thriller the likes of which you have never read. Thoughtful and witty, Ruff crafts a novel experience that is sure to make you stop and reconsider your place in the world.

Recommended Age: 16+
Language: Some words but very minimal.
Violence: Shooting, nothing extra gory.
Sex: None

Nick Sharps
Elitist Book Reviews

Ruff is brave to tackle such subject matter, both due to the political and religious sensitivities of the premise and the similarities to the much renowned alternate history work The Man in the High Castle.

In my opinion he carries it off very well, he portrays the characters honestly and respectfully. The middle eastern characters are not saints, the fundamentalist Christian terrorists are not necessarily devils. They are all more complex people making their way through an alternate, or more accurately, altered world as they deal with the feeling that something is not quite proper with reality.

Ruff writes well, he can carry the narrative of the story well keeping it generally fast paced and as I mentioned before he does a fairly good job with characterization. The Middle-East superpower is imagined in a logical and believable fashion as is the fractured version of the USA. When the main characters travel to the USA the public personages they interact with are pleasantly surprising. Names you will know but not the obvious ones you think would be showing up in this alternate history. The climax moves quickly and leaves the reader unable to put the book down until reaching the open end, wanting to find out just what destination the main characters are going to arrive at.