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The Arabian Nightmare
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Wikipedia article
'The Arabian Nightmare' is a novel by Robert Irwin published in 1983.Stableford, Brian, "Irwin, Robert (Graham)" in 'St. James Guide To Fantasy Writers', edited by David Pringle. St. James Press, 1996, p. 3013. 'The Arabian Nightmare' was inspired by 'The Arabian Nights', as well as the novel 'The Manuscript Found in Saragossa' by Jan Potocki.
Plot summary
'The Arabian Nightmare' is a novel in which the setting is Cairo in 1486, under the rule of the Mamluk Sultanate. The protagonist is Balian of Norwich, an Englishman going to a pilgrimage to the view the relics of Saint Catherine in the Sinai Desert, while also working as a spy for the French court. After Balian arrives in Cairo, he falls asleep and begins to have a series of disturbing dreams.
Reception
Dave Langford reviewed 'The Arabian Nightmare' for 'White Dwarf' #69, and stated that "It is a dream without awakening (says the blurb), a flight without escape, a tale without end. I liked it a lot." John Clute, reviewing 'The Arabian Nightmare', stated "'The Arabian Nightmare' is a joy to read. As a teacher of medieval history who has published in the field, Irwin clearly knows Mameluke Egypt very thoroughly indeed and has anchored his most fantastical flights with details that seem clearly authentic".
Reviews
*Review by Brian Stableford (1984) in Fantasy Review, October 1984
*Review by Maureen Porter (1987) in Vector 141
*Review by Don D'Ammassa (1988) in Science Fiction Chronicle, #102 March 1988
*Review by Robert K. J. Killheffer (1989) in The New York Review of Science Fiction, May 1989
References
Category:1983 novels
Category:English fantasy novels
Category:Novels set in the 1480s
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