Lankan author releases humorous SF novel

Magazine editor and author Fahim Farook has released a science fiction novel in English as a free e-book. Given the dearth of Sri Lankan authors publishing English books internationally, except for the occasional Michael Ondaatje of The English Patient fame, this is quite a feat.

The Martian Ate Your Dog is a story about a man who sold his wife's dog and his flight from her wrath, cities run by gangsters, a dozen bounty hunter clones and an intergalactic detective in search of a mysterious artefact, an enigmatic religious sect that believes in the power of jokes, and, most of all, a Martian with a fondness for dogs.

As a delicacy. Normal Kint is a man on the run in a world which is familiar to our own, but not quite.

Together with Johnny Goolbhai the android, they're determined to get to Kabul City despite highwaymen, scheming opponents, and the occasional cop on the take.

Honest, the Martian Ate Your Dog is available either as a free e-book download or in a traditional book format both through Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/content/213630). When asked why the e-book was available at no cost, Fahim Farook answered, "Having a book published internationally when you live in a country that people haven't heard of can be difficult.

Additionally, it's impossible to get readers interested in your novel when you're a new author no one's ever heard of. By offering a free e-book, hopefully I'll attract new readers."

He further went on to say, "Most international Sri Lankan authors, like Michael Ondaatje, Romesh Gunesekera and Shyam Selvadurai, found international fame through publication by virtue of living in a developed country at the time of publication. I'd like my novel to find international fame from within my home country."

He has contributed articles to the Daily News, Sunday Times, Adoh! and Travel Sri Lanka. More recently, he became editor of C3, Sri Lanka's first gadget magazine. When he's not writing, he can usually be found writing software.

PR.Com