Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Pyr (Amherst, NY, 2010). 1st edition, 1st printing. 359 pages. $26.00.
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:It begins with an explosion. Another day, another bus bomb. Everyone it seems is after a piece of Turkey. But the shockwaves from this random act of 21st century pandemic terrorism will ripple further and resonate louder than just Enginsoy Square. Welcome to the world of The Dervish House--the great, ancient, paradoxical city of Istanbul, divided like a human brain, in the great, ancient, equally paradoxical nation of Turkey. The year is 2027 and Turkey is about to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its accession to the European Union. This is the age of carbon consciousness: every individual in the EU has a card stipulating individual carbon allowance that must be produced at every CO2 generating transaction. For those who can master the game, who can make the trades between gas price and carbon trading permits, who can play the power factions against each other, there are fortunes to be made. The old Byzantine politics are back. They never went away. The ancient power struggled between Sunni and Shia threatens like a storm: Ankara has watched the Middle East emerge from twenty-five years of sectarian conflict. So far it has stayed aloof. A populist Prime Minister has called a referendum on EU membership. Tensions run high. The army watches, hand on holster. And a Galatasary Champions' League football game against Arsenal stokes passions even higher. The Dervish House is seven days, six characters, three interconnected story strands, one central common core --the eponymous dervish house, a character in itself--that pins all these players together in a weave of intrigue, conflict, drama and a ticking clock of a thriller. From the Hardcover edition..… (more)
Media reviews
A Son Of The Rock
After Africa (Chaga - aka Evolution’s Shore -, Kirinya and Tendeleo’s Story), India (River Of Gods, Cyberabad Days) and Brazil (Brasyl), in The Dervish House McDonald now turns his attention to Turkey: specifically Istanbul.
The novel is set several years after Turkey has finally gained EU
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membership and joined the Euro (perhaps a somewhat more remote possibility now than when McDonald was writing) in an era when children can control real, mobile, self assembling/disassembling transformers and adults routinely use nanotech to heighten awareness/response in much the way they do chemical drugs at present. The fruit of what may have been a prodigious quantity of geographical and historical research is injected more or less stealthily into the text.The main plot is concerned with a terrorists group’s plans to distribute nano behaviour changing agents designed to engender a consciousness of mysticism, if not of the reality of God/Allah. The resultant, what would otherwise be magic realist visions of djinni and karin, is thereby given an SF rationale.
In the interlinked narratives of those who live in and around an old Dervish House in Adam Dede Square, and covering events occurring over only four days, there are subplots about contraband Iranian natural gas, corrupt financial institutions and insider dealings, the circumscription of non-Turkish minorities, tales of youthful betrayal and frustrated love, not to mention the discovery of an ancient mummy embalmed in honey, which last gives the author the opportunity to deploy a nice pun on the phrase honey trap. The usual eclectic McDonald conjunction of disparate ingredients, then, and somehow amid all this he manages to finagle football into the mix as early as page two. Fair enough, though; Turkey’s fans are notoriously passionate about the game.
While not quite reaching the heights of Brasyl or River Of Gods, The Dervish House still has more than enough to keep anyone turning the pages.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member TadAD
This isn't a particularly easy book to read if you come in with the expectation that this will be a near-future science fiction thriller. Of course, it is exactly that. However, after the opening pages in which a suicide bomber targets a tram, McDonald gets there rather slowly. He spins up five
However, I think it is well worth the wait. McDonald lets two story lines carry the weight of what makes this science fiction—breakthroughs in nanotechnology—and uses the others to give us a rich image of his world. To say the story is set in Istanbul is to understate everything; the city is as much a character in the story as any of the half-dozen human protagonists. Adnan, the brash commodities trader's, story shows us the modern Istanbul sitting astride, both physically and psychically, the intersection between Europe and Asia. As we follow Ayşe, the antiquities dealer, through the city in her quest for an artifact we encounter the Ottoman world of Sufi mystics and Sephardic microcalligraphers. Necdet's story draws in the push of Islam, while Georgios' exposes the intolerant underbelly of religious and national persecutions and purges.
Without all of this, it would have been just another terrorist thriller. With it, it became a rich and absorbing story.
It is, however, one that requires some attention. It has the usual challenges of reading a book where multiple, seemingly unrelated, story lines are forcing you to juggle narratives. And these stories are dense, full of asides to explain a bit of history or a piece of technology and flashbacks to give some insight into a character. Further, if you're not familiar with Turkish names (as I was not), several in the story seem rather similar and evoke that "now, who is this again?" lapse until you get them firmly embedded in your mind.
Yet worth it: complex, evocative, absorbing...deserving of the award nominations.
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distinct story lines that have no clear relationship to each other, advancing each in a round-robin fashion until you, like some of the characters, begin to discern patterns and connections in the mist. If you're demanding slam-bang action from the get go, you might want to look elsewhere.However, I think it is well worth the wait. McDonald lets two story lines carry the weight of what makes this science fiction—breakthroughs in nanotechnology—and uses the others to give us a rich image of his world. To say the story is set in Istanbul is to understate everything; the city is as much a character in the story as any of the half-dozen human protagonists. Adnan, the brash commodities trader's, story shows us the modern Istanbul sitting astride, both physically and psychically, the intersection between Europe and Asia. As we follow Ayşe, the antiquities dealer, through the city in her quest for an artifact we encounter the Ottoman world of Sufi mystics and Sephardic microcalligraphers. Necdet's story draws in the push of Islam, while Georgios' exposes the intolerant underbelly of religious and national persecutions and purges.
Without all of this, it would have been just another terrorist thriller. With it, it became a rich and absorbing story.
It is, however, one that requires some attention. It has the usual challenges of reading a book where multiple, seemingly unrelated, story lines are forcing you to juggle narratives. And these stories are dense, full of asides to explain a bit of history or a piece of technology and flashbacks to give some insight into a character. Further, if you're not familiar with Turkish names (as I was not), several in the story seem rather similar and evoke that "now, who is this again?" lapse until you get them firmly embedded in your mind.
Yet worth it: complex, evocative, absorbing...deserving of the award nominations.
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LibraryThing member JanetinLondon
The Dervish House has, for me, all the essential ingredients of a really good book – a clearly drawn, plausible, interesting setting, realistic, varied and sympathetic characters, exciting, well written stories, and a bit “extra” to “make you think”.
The book takes place over 5 very hot
The characters – even minor ones, some of whom only appear once – are fully drawn individuals, with personalities and histories, in excess of what is needed to drive the plot. They are different from each other – the world-weary Greeks in the coffee shop do not speak or behave in the same way as the geeky technology start-up guys, who are different from the religious group, from the slick high finance guys, from the 9 year old boy, and so on. They have different views on society, they use technology differently, they react to events differently. I found I could visualize pretty much all of the many characters, which I can’t always do.
These characters are put into interesting situations, some of their own making, some not. There are six main story threads, told in parallel – without giving much away, these include an audacious plan to make a killing in the stock market, a high tech start-up trying to get backing, a retired professor trying to understand and predict terrorist activities, a search for a semi-mythical lost artefact, a personal and spiritual awakening, and a 9-year old boy tracking down bad guys. Each of these has some side stories associated with it, so it feels like there are many more stories in all. Every one of them is exciting, packed with detail, totally plausible within its context, and fun to follow.
Beyond all this, the book also seemed to me to be about information and knowledge, about connectivity, and about the human place in the world. There are quite a few references, overt or otherwise, to information – what constitutes it, how we get it, how we store it, how we transmit and share it, and how, no matter how high tech, it still takes a spark of human genius, an “aha” moment, to see the patterns and the potential to turn information into knowledge. Characters get a lot of information from computers, but also from maps, books, discussions with others, “old wives’” tales, family traditions, spiritual beings and hidden messages built into the very fabric of the city itself. Similarly, there are many references to “connectivity”, both physical – tram lines connecting neighborhoods, the bridge connecting the two halves of the city (which McDonald likens to the two halves of the brain, with the river Bosphorus as the synapse – a connection which requires a spark), networks of underground tunnels and secret waterways, pipelines; and social/symbolic – wedding rings, family traditions and ties, handshakes, contracts.
Finally, there is the issue of “scale”. The universe is so huge, and contains so much and so many varied elements, that it can be hard for humans to see where they fit in. Yet, at the same time, very small things can contain so much. Computer chips are an obvious example, but we also get illuminating discussions about DNA, calligraphy, and string theory. I think I’ll end with a quote that sums this up for me, and which I think also applies nicely to writing and, at least sometimes, to reading:
“Big, little, little, big. How do I fit with this? How do I see the infinitesimally small and the inconceivably vast at the same time, in the same vision?”
The book takes place over 5 very hot
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days in Istanbul, about 20 years in the future. This near future setting is very cleverly used, allowing some things, primarily communications and surveillance technology, to have changed (believably) and others, such as dilapidated housing in poorer parts of town, torturous commuting, and the nature of big football matches, not. (There is a particularly good description of some of the characters going to a big match.) McDonald is good at referring to developments but not belabouring them, just letting them exist, sometimes important to the plot, sometimes just incidental. He also understands that new technologies don’t suddenly drive out everything that came before (a failing I often find in science fiction), and that older technologies still have a role, especially among older people who might not be interested in “upgrading” to the latest thing. His hypothesized changes aren’t all technological, either, but include demographic, economic, political, environmental and, especially, religious/spiritual/philosophical changes, and this seems right. Every aspect of Istanbul’s history, geography and culture, past and present, public, private and hidden, technological and spiritual, physical and metaphysical, is involved one way or another. I really felt I “understood” this Istanbul, and would now love to re-visit the city at some point.The characters – even minor ones, some of whom only appear once – are fully drawn individuals, with personalities and histories, in excess of what is needed to drive the plot. They are different from each other – the world-weary Greeks in the coffee shop do not speak or behave in the same way as the geeky technology start-up guys, who are different from the religious group, from the slick high finance guys, from the 9 year old boy, and so on. They have different views on society, they use technology differently, they react to events differently. I found I could visualize pretty much all of the many characters, which I can’t always do.
These characters are put into interesting situations, some of their own making, some not. There are six main story threads, told in parallel – without giving much away, these include an audacious plan to make a killing in the stock market, a high tech start-up trying to get backing, a retired professor trying to understand and predict terrorist activities, a search for a semi-mythical lost artefact, a personal and spiritual awakening, and a 9-year old boy tracking down bad guys. Each of these has some side stories associated with it, so it feels like there are many more stories in all. Every one of them is exciting, packed with detail, totally plausible within its context, and fun to follow.
Beyond all this, the book also seemed to me to be about information and knowledge, about connectivity, and about the human place in the world. There are quite a few references, overt or otherwise, to information – what constitutes it, how we get it, how we store it, how we transmit and share it, and how, no matter how high tech, it still takes a spark of human genius, an “aha” moment, to see the patterns and the potential to turn information into knowledge. Characters get a lot of information from computers, but also from maps, books, discussions with others, “old wives’” tales, family traditions, spiritual beings and hidden messages built into the very fabric of the city itself. Similarly, there are many references to “connectivity”, both physical – tram lines connecting neighborhoods, the bridge connecting the two halves of the city (which McDonald likens to the two halves of the brain, with the river Bosphorus as the synapse – a connection which requires a spark), networks of underground tunnels and secret waterways, pipelines; and social/symbolic – wedding rings, family traditions and ties, handshakes, contracts.
Finally, there is the issue of “scale”. The universe is so huge, and contains so much and so many varied elements, that it can be hard for humans to see where they fit in. Yet, at the same time, very small things can contain so much. Computer chips are an obvious example, but we also get illuminating discussions about DNA, calligraphy, and string theory. I think I’ll end with a quote that sums this up for me, and which I think also applies nicely to writing and, at least sometimes, to reading:
“Big, little, little, big. How do I fit with this? How do I see the infinitesimally small and the inconceivably vast at the same time, in the same vision?”
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LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
The Dervish House is a novel of the sort that Ian McDonald is best known for: science fiction set in the mid-21st century in a technologically developed metropolitan culture outside of the self-regarding "First World." In this case, the setting is Istanbul: a city of both the East and the West,
As is typical for McDonald's novels, five or more principal characters feature in their own narrative threads that coexist in a shared system of events, only very gradually coming to cross and tie with each other. There are mature nostalgia and regret, adult striving and passion, and the adventures of a Boy Detective.
I had expected a lot from this book, having previously enjoyed other work by the author, and knowing that this was a recent and well-regarded accomplishment. I was not disappointed.
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where the past and the future converge in terrorist espionage, nanotech-induced mysticism, quests for religious antiquities, and an Enron-style financial scandal, all over the course of a week at the climactic end of an oppressive summer heat. As is typical for McDonald's novels, five or more principal characters feature in their own narrative threads that coexist in a shared system of events, only very gradually coming to cross and tie with each other. There are mature nostalgia and regret, adult striving and passion, and the adventures of a Boy Detective.
I had expected a lot from this book, having previously enjoyed other work by the author, and knowing that this was a recent and well-regarded accomplishment. I was not disappointed.
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LibraryThing member RoboSchro
"A dark and perversely delicious fear gnaws Ayşe, the intellectual intoxication she experiences from opening a new manuscript or unwrapping an unseen miniature and knowing that she stands on the edge of the incomprehensible, that she holds in her hands a world and a way of thinking alien to her in
Ian McDonald's books have been touring the non-Western world for some time now. He seems to be on a mission to explore how various cultures might deal with near-future SF scenarios. This time, he fetches up in Turkey. McDonald doesn't just use the common trope of this nation's poised-between-Europe-and-Asia tension; he adds a tension between technology and faith, and another between progress and history. For much of the book the plot simmers away slowly, waiting until we've really gotten to know our cast of characters and how these tensions play out in each of them.
It's the characters that make this book: Ayşe Erkoç, power-dressing dealer in antiquities; Can Durukan, isolated boy with heart trouble and some very cool robots; Leyla Gültaşli, desperate to prove herself in the big city; Georgios Ferentinou, retired and broken professor of economics; Adnan Sarioğlu, master of the deal and lover of money; and Necdet Hasgüler, wastrel and psychopath. And dozens of others, each given care and time to breathe. Through them we also get a multi-faceted view of Istanbul. We learn about some of what this unique city has been through, and about how its people might respond to nanotechnology.
The SF is almost incidental, really. This is a novel about Istanbul, written by a man with an impressive ability to inhabit a huge variety of voices.
Take your time, listen to the voices, and enjoy.
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every way. The past is another universe: a long dead sect drew its truths across whole cities for generations it could not imagine."Ian McDonald's books have been touring the non-Western world for some time now. He seems to be on a mission to explore how various cultures might deal with near-future SF scenarios. This time, he fetches up in Turkey. McDonald doesn't just use the common trope of this nation's poised-between-Europe-and-Asia tension; he adds a tension between technology and faith, and another between progress and history. For much of the book the plot simmers away slowly, waiting until we've really gotten to know our cast of characters and how these tensions play out in each of them.
It's the characters that make this book: Ayşe Erkoç, power-dressing dealer in antiquities; Can Durukan, isolated boy with heart trouble and some very cool robots; Leyla Gültaşli, desperate to prove herself in the big city; Georgios Ferentinou, retired and broken professor of economics; Adnan Sarioğlu, master of the deal and lover of money; and Necdet Hasgüler, wastrel and psychopath. And dozens of others, each given care and time to breathe. Through them we also get a multi-faceted view of Istanbul. We learn about some of what this unique city has been through, and about how its people might respond to nanotechnology.
The SF is almost incidental, really. This is a novel about Istanbul, written by a man with an impressive ability to inhabit a huge variety of voices.
Take your time, listen to the voices, and enjoy.
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LibraryThing member HanGerg
I've been wanting to read this book for a quite some time, having been hugely impressed by the two previous Ian McDonald's I've read. This book is a bit more of a slow burner, and the plot takes a while to kick into top gear. When it does, it's very good, plus there's lots more on offer here than
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simply a thrilling finale. McDonald builds in layers of meaning and symbolism just like the layers of meaning in the Islamic art featuring micro-text that resolves into bigger words and symbols, that is a recurring motif in the story. The story is set in a thrillingly well realised, near-future Istanbul, which is packed with vivid sights, sounds and smells. There are also a host of memorable, well rounded characters with backstories, personality traits and plans for the future, all described in expert style. All this is standard McDonald. Somehow though, the various quests and journeys these characters are on didn't grab me as much as those in River of Gods, but that may just be a subjective view. I took something of a dislike to one of the central characters - Adnan, a strutting broker at a gas company, who along with his fellow young alpha-male friends has some kind of complicated scam going to sell gas in a way that will net them loads of untraceable money. It probably says a lot about me that I found this plot strand far more incomprehensible than the one involving the scientists that have created a whole new kind of nanotechnology that can store data in human DNA, making each human on Earth their own walking supercomputer. These are only a few of the many intriguing stories that are expertly woven together with a whole raft of other brilliant aspects, from men miraculously preserved in honey for hundreds of years and the secret name of God written in the architecture of the city, to robots that can endlessly reform into different shapes as they run through the streets. All of these imaginative flourishes and near-future inventions are grafted seemlessly onto the fictional recreation of a city that feels brilliantly realised and creates images and storylines that will live long in the memory. Perhaps not the absolute perfection I've come to expect from McDonald, but still a very worthwhile read. Show Less
LibraryThing member majkia
A typically complexly plotted and dense sci fi entry from McDonald. The location is a major part of the story with wonderful descriptions and atmosphere. The characters are intriguing and interesting, and you can't imagine how these disparate people will eventually come together to resolve this
I loved it.
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futuristic thriller.I loved it.
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LibraryThing member kaipakartik
This is McDonald's third in his novels about developing cities in the future. The law of trilogies tell me that this will be his last in the genre for some time to come.
The Dervish house is set in Turkey which is at the heart of a nano tech revolution. River of gods was about AIs in India and
The thing with McDonald is that you know what you are going to get. You know that the prose is going to be bloody brilliant, the plotting is going to be virtuoso but he always manages to surprise. This one is no different.
There are passages of such staggering beauty, sections of such brilliance that they make the book worth reading all on their own. No one can meld philosophy and and an action sequence in a single breath the way he does. Also no one, no one writes a football game the way McDonald does. I said this in Brasyl and that seems to hold true here as well.
As always his descriptions of technology are spot on and eye openers. He has the uncanny ability to see how the greatest advances in technology will be used by the most conservative societies. He has that vision about how developing countries will interact with the future.
And what do you say about the characters. Wonderful, fully realized, vividly etched out by favorite just happens to be the Kebab master chef.(who albeit has an extremely minor role)
The Dervish House is an excellent book. A deserving awards nominee(and by my reckoning one of the best books I have read this year).
The Dervish house is set in Turkey which is at the heart of a nano tech revolution. River of gods was about AIs in India and
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Brasyl about Quantum in Brazil so I think he has got his bases covered. The plot deals with a few characters linked by a Dervish house and a bomb blast which turns out not to be one.The thing with McDonald is that you know what you are going to get. You know that the prose is going to be bloody brilliant, the plotting is going to be virtuoso but he always manages to surprise. This one is no different.
There are passages of such staggering beauty, sections of such brilliance that they make the book worth reading all on their own. No one can meld philosophy and and an action sequence in a single breath the way he does. Also no one, no one writes a football game the way McDonald does. I said this in Brasyl and that seems to hold true here as well.
As always his descriptions of technology are spot on and eye openers. He has the uncanny ability to see how the greatest advances in technology will be used by the most conservative societies. He has that vision about how developing countries will interact with the future.
And what do you say about the characters. Wonderful, fully realized, vividly etched out by favorite just happens to be the Kebab master chef.(who albeit has an extremely minor role)
The Dervish House is an excellent book. A deserving awards nominee(and by my reckoning one of the best books I have read this year).
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LibraryThing member santhony
The Dervish House is the latest, third world, futuristic work by Ian McDonald. Set in Istanbul, Turkey in 2027, the novel has much the same feel and style as his earlier effort, River of Gods. And while I enjoyed River of Gods, I found it somewhat difficult to follow. I had hoped that this would be
Now, I guess if Ian McDonald is far more literate and intelligent than I am, that’s largely my problem. But I’m a fairly well educated (post graduate degree) and well read person. If he is writing over my head, then his target audience is somewhat limited. In addition, the plethora of Turkish terms and names merely added to the difficulty.
Most of my reading is done at night, prior to sleep. I try to get in 60-90 minutes every night. This is an extremely difficult novel to stay on top of at that rate. If you want to fully enjoy this work, I’d recommend taking it on a lazy vacation and spending lots of time at each sitting. Even though the page count seems easily doable in 2-3 days, unlike most works, which artificially expand their length through spacing, margins and chapter breaks, this book reads far longer than its 410 pages. Couple this with the dense writing style and you get the equivalent of a 750 page work.
I was able to finish the final 100 pages over the course of a weekend and, as a result, pulled together the various threads and was able to appreciate the magnificent writing style and story telling. Had I been able to read the entire book at this rate, I think I would have enjoyed it far more.
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an easier read, but was disappointed to find that it was quite the opposite.Now, I guess if Ian McDonald is far more literate and intelligent than I am, that’s largely my problem. But I’m a fairly well educated (post graduate degree) and well read person. If he is writing over my head, then his target audience is somewhat limited. In addition, the plethora of Turkish terms and names merely added to the difficulty.
Most of my reading is done at night, prior to sleep. I try to get in 60-90 minutes every night. This is an extremely difficult novel to stay on top of at that rate. If you want to fully enjoy this work, I’d recommend taking it on a lazy vacation and spending lots of time at each sitting. Even though the page count seems easily doable in 2-3 days, unlike most works, which artificially expand their length through spacing, margins and chapter breaks, this book reads far longer than its 410 pages. Couple this with the dense writing style and you get the equivalent of a 750 page work.
I was able to finish the final 100 pages over the course of a weekend and, as a result, pulled together the various threads and was able to appreciate the magnificent writing style and story telling. Had I been able to read the entire book at this rate, I think I would have enjoyed it far more.
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LibraryThing member stellarexplorer
McDonald has done it again. This latest of three third world near-future SF books lives up to -- perhaps surpasses -- River of Gods and Brasyl. And RoG in particular set the bar high. This one, set in Istanbul 2027, conveys the lush, sensual sights and sounds of this potential place. Truly the city
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is an integral character here. Believable lives, the complex interweaving of storylines, the gritty saturation of detail: this book demands much of the reader, and delivers more. Show Less
LibraryThing member macha
currently fascinated by the works of Ian McDonald, and i`ve been reading my way through all of his work, which i think is important. he writes beautiful, complicated post-cyberpunk near-future worlds, in which diverse populations are connected by events that seem to be discrete, drawing ever closer
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together by quantum processes, chaos theory, and the human heart.this one is set in Istanbul. Show Less
LibraryThing member paulhoff
An excellently written book and a strong plot to support it. As they say, I didn't want it to end.
LibraryThing member Strider66
Pros: lyrical writing, intricate and complex plot, exotic setting, Can's bitbots are cool
Cons: have to pay close attention (sudden flashbacks/memories, lots of minute details), minor character & place names are unusual and similar enough that they're easily confused when jumping between so many
The novel is set in the Istanbul of 2027. Turkey is part of the EU. Nanotech is used to give people a mental edge, especially in businesses like trading and finance. And the lives of the people from the Dervish House at Adem Dede Square are about to change.
It all starts with a tram bomb. Necdet's on his way to work and is horrified when a woman blows her own head off. Traumatized by the event, he doesn't realize how badly he was affected by it until he starts seeing djinn everywhere.
Can Durukan, a 9 year boy, sends his computerized bitbot robots to the site of the bombing to see what he can see. Another robot attacks his and he's thrust into a mystery he's determined to solve.
Meanwhile, Ayse, an art dealer is offered a million Euro to find a legend, a Mellified Man.
Her husband has a deal of his own, a deal that could make him millions, or land him in jail.
Their stories and more intertwine to form a dazzling mosaic through 5 days in Istanbul. It's a sensory explosion, of names, places and actions. The plot becomes intricate fast, so pay attention when reading.
My only complaint was that so many names were similar enough between places and people, that when they were mentioned again I often couldn't remember who they were.
If you liked the lyricism of Guy Gavriel Kay's Under Heaven, you'll love The Dervish House.
Cons: have to pay close attention (sudden flashbacks/memories, lots of minute details), minor character & place names are unusual and similar enough that they're easily confused when jumping between so many
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storylines (Ogun Saltuk, Selma Ozgun, Oguz, Ozer)The novel is set in the Istanbul of 2027. Turkey is part of the EU. Nanotech is used to give people a mental edge, especially in businesses like trading and finance. And the lives of the people from the Dervish House at Adem Dede Square are about to change.
It all starts with a tram bomb. Necdet's on his way to work and is horrified when a woman blows her own head off. Traumatized by the event, he doesn't realize how badly he was affected by it until he starts seeing djinn everywhere.
Can Durukan, a 9 year boy, sends his computerized bitbot robots to the site of the bombing to see what he can see. Another robot attacks his and he's thrust into a mystery he's determined to solve.
Meanwhile, Ayse, an art dealer is offered a million Euro to find a legend, a Mellified Man.
Her husband has a deal of his own, a deal that could make him millions, or land him in jail.
Their stories and more intertwine to form a dazzling mosaic through 5 days in Istanbul. It's a sensory explosion, of names, places and actions. The plot becomes intricate fast, so pay attention when reading.
My only complaint was that so many names were similar enough between places and people, that when they were mentioned again I often couldn't remember who they were.
If you liked the lyricism of Guy Gavriel Kay's Under Heaven, you'll love The Dervish House.
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LibraryThing member viking2917
a crazy mix of nanotechnology, Turkish culture, terrorism, financial chicanery and politics. good fun.
LibraryThing member gsmattingly
I enjoyed the book but almost put it down during the first half. It was rather slow & more unnecessarily detailed than I thought appropriate. I was put off by a pronunciation guide at the beginning. I don't like such things or books where it is necessary. I did finish. Skimming helped. I thought
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the last half was more enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member pgmcc
While the core story of The Dervish House spans only a few days in the year 2027 the tale incorporates legend, myth, history, politics and religion spanning centuries, if not millennia. Its themes include unrequited love, betrayal, revolution, cultural sexism, terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism,
Ian McDonald tells his intricate story through the lives of six individuals who are linked in various ways to an ancient wooden tekke (a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood) located in Istanbul, the Dervish house of the title. This building has survived centuries and in 2027 contains several dwellings and an antique dealership.
The action starts on the third page with a suicide bomber detonating her explosive device on a tram. We are then treated to how this terrorist act affects each of the six characters; the teenager on the tram who survives the explosion but is traumatised by his experience; a young marketing graduate whose journey to her important job interview is disrupted by the ensuing traffic chaos; the nine-year-old boy, confined to his apartment and a world of silence by a rare heart condition; the retired Greek economist whose past has brought him into conflict with the authorities; a dealer in ancient artefacts who receives an offer she cannot refuse; the yuppie commodity dealer with plans for a killing that will set him up for life.
The Istanbul of McDonald’s novel is in a Turkey that has become part of the European Union, and is experiencing an economic boom based on great advances in nanotechnology and its applications. Turkey’s strategic location at the meeting point of Europe and Asia plays a big part in the economic success of the area, and also in the potential targeting of its ancient capital city by terrorist groups wishing to make their mark.
Does Ian McDonald succeed in producing a good book with so many diverse strands and elements?
In my opinion, yes, he does.
His characters are full and rounded. Their actions are rational and coherent in the context of the story and the situations in which they find themselves. Family backgrounds and personal experiences are presented and prove consistent with how the individuals are portrayed.
The Science Fiction elements in the story, nanotechnology and robotics, are critical to this near-future tale, but they have not been allowed to push character development or plot into the shade. This novel is an excellent political techno-thriller with some heart-touching romance, and is populated with characters who have everyday lives and real concerns. It deals with a wide range of issues pertinent to today’s global reality, and deals with them in a historically accurate context.
I learned a lot about Turkey’s history from this book, and have been prompted to read more about this fascinating and turbulent part of the world.
This was a book that I enjoyed immensely.
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prejudice, fraudulent commodity trading, clashing cultures, the isolation of the individual, and the day-to-day reality facing people on the streets of Istanbul.Ian McDonald tells his intricate story through the lives of six individuals who are linked in various ways to an ancient wooden tekke (a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood) located in Istanbul, the Dervish house of the title. This building has survived centuries and in 2027 contains several dwellings and an antique dealership.
The action starts on the third page with a suicide bomber detonating her explosive device on a tram. We are then treated to how this terrorist act affects each of the six characters; the teenager on the tram who survives the explosion but is traumatised by his experience; a young marketing graduate whose journey to her important job interview is disrupted by the ensuing traffic chaos; the nine-year-old boy, confined to his apartment and a world of silence by a rare heart condition; the retired Greek economist whose past has brought him into conflict with the authorities; a dealer in ancient artefacts who receives an offer she cannot refuse; the yuppie commodity dealer with plans for a killing that will set him up for life.
The Istanbul of McDonald’s novel is in a Turkey that has become part of the European Union, and is experiencing an economic boom based on great advances in nanotechnology and its applications. Turkey’s strategic location at the meeting point of Europe and Asia plays a big part in the economic success of the area, and also in the potential targeting of its ancient capital city by terrorist groups wishing to make their mark.
Does Ian McDonald succeed in producing a good book with so many diverse strands and elements?
In my opinion, yes, he does.
His characters are full and rounded. Their actions are rational and coherent in the context of the story and the situations in which they find themselves. Family backgrounds and personal experiences are presented and prove consistent with how the individuals are portrayed.
The Science Fiction elements in the story, nanotechnology and robotics, are critical to this near-future tale, but they have not been allowed to push character development or plot into the shade. This novel is an excellent political techno-thriller with some heart-touching romance, and is populated with characters who have everyday lives and real concerns. It deals with a wide range of issues pertinent to today’s global reality, and deals with them in a historically accurate context.
I learned a lot about Turkey’s history from this book, and have been prompted to read more about this fascinating and turbulent part of the world.
This was a book that I enjoyed immensely.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
Meh. slow and contrived co-incidence rules ok in future past Istanbul. Not really part of a series, but does contain at least one character from his other novels.
Never really got into this. The first half at least is tediously slow and confusing. Eventually you get a grip on most of the major
In terms of plot there isn't really one per se, but a bunch of intermingles threads that vaguely resolve themselves. A suicide bomb causes the layabout to experience visions, the ill boy seems something unusual in the aftermath of the bomb, the old Greek takes this up with national security think tanks. The artist is commissioned to search for a legendary object and her husband attempts to run am economics scam with a bunch of his friends. Meanwhile the girl joins an nano-tech company looking for seed money to develop atomic scale nano. Even from this brief summary you can begin see how they all converge - except that there is no real reason for them to do so. None of the characters initially knows any of the others, and except for authorial influenced chance would have any reason to do so. The girl could have joined any number of start-ups, the economist was always an unlikely fit for a think tank, etc, etc.
The science part of it is fairly well done - no explanations - but some interesting thoughts on the role nano-tech may play int he future and how society will and won't change to it's presence. It makes great toys, although I was very surprised they weren't more widespread. And has been rapidly exploited by the forces of law and order. Other than that it has had remarkably little impact, which I suspect would not be the case. Many of the devices remain unexplained - a ceptep for instance. Some sort of cross between a laptop a phone and a wearable computer. I never quite worked out what it stood for. Auto driven cars was a better example that was well thought through. The politics never really made any sense - and was a background at best. I'm not quite sure why lingering Greek resentment over the divides between Muslim and Christian influence in Istanbul was included. It didn't had anything except pages, murkied the already unclear plot lines, and is likely to be inaccurate anyway what with the increasing rise of secularism in Europe.
Overall it was readable enough if you've the Patience to force through the first third, but ultimately whilst it was at times interesting, I was always ready to put it down and do something else - never the hallmark of a good book.
Never really got into this. The first half at least is tediously slow and confusing. Eventually you get a grip on most of the major
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characters and all their orbits coincide, picking up the pace a little bit, before it all ends. Unfortunately this a) very predictable, and b) feels excessively contrived. The characters all centre on the Dervish House of the title. It's an old building in Istanbul that has survived to the near future 2025 or so. It's never quite properly described, but seems to be surround half of a courtyard, and be sub-divided up into various units. A bunch of old Greek economic philosophers sit around and drink tea; a child with health problems plays with nano-tech robots; an artist runs a gallery; a secretary looks for work; and in a disused corner a layabout enjoys a quiet spliff with his brother. We follow these people in a confused and disjointed way through intermingled snapshots of their lives over a period of a week. At least the chronology is mostly continuous, (apart form a few reminiscences of the old Greek) but for at least the first third of th book it's very difficult to remember what background goes with what character. In terms of plot there isn't really one per se, but a bunch of intermingles threads that vaguely resolve themselves. A suicide bomb causes the layabout to experience visions, the ill boy seems something unusual in the aftermath of the bomb, the old Greek takes this up with national security think tanks. The artist is commissioned to search for a legendary object and her husband attempts to run am economics scam with a bunch of his friends. Meanwhile the girl joins an nano-tech company looking for seed money to develop atomic scale nano. Even from this brief summary you can begin see how they all converge - except that there is no real reason for them to do so. None of the characters initially knows any of the others, and except for authorial influenced chance would have any reason to do so. The girl could have joined any number of start-ups, the economist was always an unlikely fit for a think tank, etc, etc.
The science part of it is fairly well done - no explanations - but some interesting thoughts on the role nano-tech may play int he future and how society will and won't change to it's presence. It makes great toys, although I was very surprised they weren't more widespread. And has been rapidly exploited by the forces of law and order. Other than that it has had remarkably little impact, which I suspect would not be the case. Many of the devices remain unexplained - a ceptep for instance. Some sort of cross between a laptop a phone and a wearable computer. I never quite worked out what it stood for. Auto driven cars was a better example that was well thought through. The politics never really made any sense - and was a background at best. I'm not quite sure why lingering Greek resentment over the divides between Muslim and Christian influence in Istanbul was included. It didn't had anything except pages, murkied the already unclear plot lines, and is likely to be inaccurate anyway what with the increasing rise of secularism in Europe.
Overall it was readable enough if you've the Patience to force through the first third, but ultimately whilst it was at times interesting, I was always ready to put it down and do something else - never the hallmark of a good book.
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LibraryThing member ianjamison
Once again, McDonald impresses with his ability to seamlessly weave together an exciting and cutting edge cyber-punk story with an exploration of different cultures. In this case the cultural melting pot of a near future Istanbul; the city where the tensions between Asia and Europe have always been
Very good stuff indeed.
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played out. It's good stuff, racing along, cutting sharply between a well-developed cast of diverse characters. As always he demonstrates considerable sympathy for the cultures that he explores, and there are some moments of real joy as elements of the story that one expected to be impossible are manifested...Very good stuff indeed.
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LibraryThing member CarsonKicklighter
Hugo-nominee The Dervish House is captivating because of its authentic, copious, engaging details. It’s satisfying and thought-provoking because it interweaves themes and motifs into a steadily moving plot.
I’ve never read a near-future sci-fi book set in Instanbul, so I was fascinated by the
The main nano-terrorism plot takes a while to get going, but the sub-plots are fun: searching for a man mummified in honey, and tracking down half of a miniature Koran to seal a business deal. (Although I’m still rather bewildered by what Adnan’s plan was with the oil. Could someone explain it to me?) At some point, all of the plots touch on the contrast between the large-scale world of information and commerce and the small-scale world of nano-machines and people. Technology is steadily expanding at either end of the spectrum, and McDonald draws a parallel with a God who is both transcendent and immanent.
And, there is a snake made out of nano-machines that can also turn into a monkey.
I’ve never read a near-future sci-fi book set in Instanbul, so I was fascinated by the
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cultural mix of Greeks, Turks, and Eastern Europeans. Home, food, politics, lifestyle: Ian McDonald paints them all with vivid, specific details. Unfortunately, these details often slow down the book and make reading more exhausting than usual.The main nano-terrorism plot takes a while to get going, but the sub-plots are fun: searching for a man mummified in honey, and tracking down half of a miniature Koran to seal a business deal. (Although I’m still rather bewildered by what Adnan’s plan was with the oil. Could someone explain it to me?) At some point, all of the plots touch on the contrast between the large-scale world of information and commerce and the small-scale world of nano-machines and people. Technology is steadily expanding at either end of the spectrum, and McDonald draws a parallel with a God who is both transcendent and immanent.
And, there is a snake made out of nano-machines that can also turn into a monkey.
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LibraryThing member JenneB
The writing was a little overdone, and there just wasn't anything pulling me in.
LibraryThing member bunwat
I started out not at all sure I was going to like this one. I've read a few books in the past year that seem to have some commonalities, they are set in the near future and they are intricate and interesting and full of literary craft but they are also pretty fascinated with the perverse, the
For awhile I thought that's where this was going too. So I was feeling pretty dang squinty eyed about it. But no, it went in a different and much more interesting direction. There was a fantastic integration of futuristic elements, so seamless that they almost seemed not to be futuristic at all. The characters began to do interesting things instead of just lying about being defeated and nihilist, threads started to knit up with other threads, connections started to get made between different groups of individuals in complex and unexpected ways. Also there were toy robots, and really who can resist that?
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brutal, the grotesque, with cruelty and failure and stupidity among the predatory and the self destructive. Which fine, if that's what a writer wants to be fascinated with, more power to him, but its not for me. I just start to get bored and annoyed and feel like I'm being droned on at by an intellectualized version of a kid who likes to pull the wings off of flies. For awhile I thought that's where this was going too. So I was feeling pretty dang squinty eyed about it. But no, it went in a different and much more interesting direction. There was a fantastic integration of futuristic elements, so seamless that they almost seemed not to be futuristic at all. The characters began to do interesting things instead of just lying about being defeated and nihilist, threads started to knit up with other threads, connections started to get made between different groups of individuals in complex and unexpected ways. Also there were toy robots, and really who can resist that?
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LibraryThing member WDBooks
Picture
I have heard many good things about the Sci-Fi books written by Ian McDonald, but this was the 1st time I took the time to read one. In general I prefer fantasy and standard fiction (James Patterson, Richard Russo, etc). I do enjoy Sci-Fi, but more in a limited sense.
The Dervish House is set
Over all the story is very sci-fi “light”, there are many components that are futuristic but they are not , in general, issues that are out in the stratosphere. The Dervish House is a series of interwoven stories ranging from a child with a pet robot to a aging Greek who has a past he isn’t proud of to a young Islamist who suddenly sees djinn along with an a few other interesting people.
It’s a pretty interesting and moderately intriguing story with a decent plot and good pacing. It is rich in details and delves into Istanbul while immersing the reader in the sights and sounds of the city. I have no real knowledge of Istanbul and I don’t know if Ian McDonald does either, but the book sure reads like he knew what he was writing about.
Rest assured I will be reading more of Ian McDonalds books when I get a chance.
8/10
I have heard many good things about the Sci-Fi books written by Ian McDonald, but this was the 1st time I took the time to read one. In general I prefer fantasy and standard fiction (James Patterson, Richard Russo, etc). I do enjoy Sci-Fi, but more in a limited sense.
The Dervish House is set
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in a futuristic Istanbul (2027) where the past and present continue the dance of ages upon the streets of a city steeped in history and intrigue. The ancient face of Istanbul is alive with new additions, new fears and the same time honored addiction to making money.Over all the story is very sci-fi “light”, there are many components that are futuristic but they are not , in general, issues that are out in the stratosphere. The Dervish House is a series of interwoven stories ranging from a child with a pet robot to a aging Greek who has a past he isn’t proud of to a young Islamist who suddenly sees djinn along with an a few other interesting people.
It’s a pretty interesting and moderately intriguing story with a decent plot and good pacing. It is rich in details and delves into Istanbul while immersing the reader in the sights and sounds of the city. I have no real knowledge of Istanbul and I don’t know if Ian McDonald does either, but the book sure reads like he knew what he was writing about.
Rest assured I will be reading more of Ian McDonalds books when I get a chance.
8/10
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LibraryThing member SChant
Not quite as good as River of Gods, bit too disjointed.
LibraryThing member blodeuedd
I do not know how to review this book because it was so well-written, and the imagination of it all, and the knowledge of the city showed that he really had aspired to learn as much as much as he could. And even if I liked it, it was still too confusing for me to really get lost in it.
There is so
The thing is that it would all have worked for me if it had not jumped so much. I was reading about Adnan and turned the page and suddenly I was reading about Can. For me it was just too jumpy and I got confused. I did not know who was who and what they were doing. It took a really long time for me to get into the book and understand what was going on. Even then I have no idea what Adnan was up too. But then his plot was just too complicated.
This book has a lot going on. Hidden relics, trying to find terrorists before they strike again, people not wanting to be a part of the EU. A hot summer where gas is wanted. People who see djinn and other things that should not exist. And it is interesting.
The best part is the new world he has built up. Where nanos are inserted into our bloodstream to make us concentrate better, and everything you could imagine. Where we can see what is happening on our retina, like a computer. It is a new world but at the same time an old world, and the changes are not big, instead they are believable.
It is a book to read slowly. That is my advice.
Conclusion:
Even if the book was not for me I was impressed by the science fiction parts and how these lives came together like a puzzle.
There is so
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much going on, and there are a lot of characters. Adnan is a trader with a get rich scheme with his buddies. His wife Ayse owns a gallery and buys religious art. She is hired to find the mellified man, a man who became honey after his death (do not get me started, it has to do with how he lived on honey and became mummified.) Georgios, an old Greek who is a professor in Economics, Can who is nine and who with his robots uncovers a terrorist plot and won't let go. Leyla who wants a job in marketing and later has to hunt something down for her new job. Necdet who after being caught in a suicide bombing starts seeing djinn.The thing is that it would all have worked for me if it had not jumped so much. I was reading about Adnan and turned the page and suddenly I was reading about Can. For me it was just too jumpy and I got confused. I did not know who was who and what they were doing. It took a really long time for me to get into the book and understand what was going on. Even then I have no idea what Adnan was up too. But then his plot was just too complicated.
This book has a lot going on. Hidden relics, trying to find terrorists before they strike again, people not wanting to be a part of the EU. A hot summer where gas is wanted. People who see djinn and other things that should not exist. And it is interesting.
The best part is the new world he has built up. Where nanos are inserted into our bloodstream to make us concentrate better, and everything you could imagine. Where we can see what is happening on our retina, like a computer. It is a new world but at the same time an old world, and the changes are not big, instead they are believable.
It is a book to read slowly. That is my advice.
Conclusion:
Even if the book was not for me I was impressed by the science fiction parts and how these lives came together like a puzzle.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
Cory Doctorow will not steer you wrong! ;-) He highly praised this book on BoingBoing and I decided to read it, even though I'd really disliked McDonald's Desolation Road.
This is a completely different kind of book; I'd never have guessed it was the same author. And it is really an excellent book:
It follows the events of several days among a group of characters who live or work in an old building in a near-future Turkey, who are affected by the concatenation of events following a baffling act of terrorism - involving political plots, shady business dealing, art dealing, nanotech research, religion, love, and more...
This is a completely different kind of book; I'd never have guessed it was the same author. And it is really an excellent book:
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thought-provoking, timely, complex, and well-structured.It follows the events of several days among a group of characters who live or work in an old building in a near-future Turkey, who are affected by the concatenation of events following a baffling act of terrorism - involving political plots, shady business dealing, art dealing, nanotech research, religion, love, and more...
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LibraryThing member DebbieBspinner
I'm not going to finish this. I've been trying to read it for 3 weeks. It's just not worth my time. I'm quitting it halfway. The dialogue is clunky, the prose is purple, the characters are uninteresting. For me, this is all setting and no substance. DNF.
Since Goodreads only allows me to choose
Since Goodreads only allows me to choose
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"read, currently reading, want to read", I'm marking it as "read", but I only read to page 150. Show Less
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 2011)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2012)
Locus Award (Finalist — Science Fiction Novel — 2011)
SF Site Reader's Choice (1 — 2010)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Winner — Science Fiction — 2011)
SF Site Editor's Choice (2 — 2010)
John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (Winner — 2011)
Arthur C. Clarke Award (Shortlist — 2011)
British Science Fiction Association Award (Shortlist — Novel — 2010)
Locus Recommended Reading (2010)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010-06
2010
Physical description
410 p.; 6.23 inches
ISBN
9781616142049