The Republic of Memory - (The Song of the Safina) by Mahmud El Sayed (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A Memory Called Empire meets Children of Time in this Arabfuturist debut set on a generation ship on the brink of revolution as its crew begin to ask why they should toil for a people, and an empire, none of them remember.

The Safina is a city ship halfway through its four-hundred-year voyage from the ruins of Earth to a new colony world. Its crew maintain the ship, generation after generation, while protecting their ancestors in cryostasis so that one day they will be able to enjoy a fresh start under clear blue skies.

But when blackouts start, unrest follows.

The ship can only continue running smoothly with the cooperation of the crew. And the crew has had enough. As coordinated acts of resistance coincide with a much more complex conspiracy, a chain of events is set into motion that will change life on the Safina forever.

Inspired by the real-world events of the Arab Spring, The Republic of Memory is a bold interrogation of empire and an energizing portrait of revolution.

Review Quotes

"It's rare that you come across a book that is doing something completely fresh with the genre, but The Republic of Memory is just that. A heady cocktail of Arabfuturism, linguistics, and revolution, this political sci-fi mind-stretcher is destined to be a classic. I was enraptured from the very first page."
--Nicholas Binge, author of Dissolution

"In The Republic of Memory, El Sayed creates a world of familiar politics and utterly fresh, engrossing newness. It is a world so full and intricately developed that I felt I could wander through it for years and still find more to live in. Those who love the depth and wonder of language, and who see it as the seed of revolution, will find this an essential contribution to the canon."
--Bethany Jacobs, author of These Burning Stars

"THIS is why we read science fiction. Not just for the sense of wonder, but for the possibility of hope. Of futures worth fighting for, revolutions we might win. I loved this ship, these people, this universe. And so will you."
--Sam J. Miller, USA Today bestselling author of Blackfish City

"The Republic of Memory is a riveting and deeply thoughtful book, brilliantly intertwining linguistics and popular uprisings on a generation ship haunted by a fallen empire. El Sayed has woven a thrillingly intricate epic which tackles questions of political movements and loyalty with nuance and beauty, this is a book to feed the soul."
--Lorraine Wilson, British Fantasy Award winner

"A novel of astounding scale and ambition, The Republic of Memory is an instant classic that deserves to be spoken of in the company of Iain M. Banks' Culture Series or Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space. A brilliant debut about the struggle to save the future of humanity and the eternal clash of generations set in a tower of babel aboard a generation ship."
--Gautam Bhatia, author of The Wall and The Horizon

"Science fiction as it's meant to be--big ideas, big politics, and amazing characters journeying through space in an arc-ship 200 years from home."
--Stewart Hotston, author of Project Hanuman

About the Author

Mahmud El Sayed is a British Egyptian science fiction and fantasy writer and translator. A former journalist, he won the 2023 Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Color for his work focusing on Arabic and Islamic-inspired themes in a genre he is calling Arabfuturism. He lives in East London where he spends his time pondering linguistic oddities and running story ideas by his cat.