conversations.from: human
conversations.value: a description for a book titled Escape from Baghdad! about Iraq, Baghdad!</I, I>Escape with the genre: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: <div>"Saad the author's perplexingly weird debut novel, <I>Escape From Baghdad!</I>, captures the pure insanity of the Iraq War. At the same time, it's not a war novel. Instead, it's a skillfully constructed literary IED that brings together the sharpest aspects from multiple genres. It's a Tarantino-esque <I>Heart of Darkness</I> set in war-torn Iraq, filled with absurdism and dark humor, a mash-up of satirical Joseph Heller-style comedy and sci-fi fantasy with a gratuitous mixture of good old-fashioned ultra-violence." &#151; Colby Buzzell, <I>VICE</I><BR><BR>"Set in the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, Bangladeshi author Saad the author&#8217;s debut novel is a riot of mordant humour and gonzo storytelling&#133; The Gulf war may just have found its <I>Catch-22</I>." &#151; James Lovegrove, <I>The Financial Times</I><BR><BR>"the author&#8217;s <I>Escape From Baghdad!</I> may be the hippest, weirdest, most creative and visionary book yet to emerge from the full-on debacle that was W&#8217;s still-simmering Iraq war. the author's unique blend of satire, mythology and speculative fiction makes <I>Escape</I> a hold-onto-your-hat tilt-a-whirl joy to read. And, quite possibly, a future classic in its own right." &#151; Jerry Stahl, author of <I>Permanent Midnight</I>, <I>Happy Mutant Baby Pills</I>, <I>I, Fatty</I><BR><BR><B>One of <I>Library Journal</I>'s Key Spring Titles for 2015</B><BR><BR>"the author daringly shows us that war isn&#8217;t just hell but absolutely insane." &#151; Barbara Hoffert, <I>Library Journal</I><BR><BR>"Saad the author has given us a hilarious and searing indictment of the project we euphemistically call 'nation-building.' With nods to <I>Catch-22</I>, <I>Frankenstein</I>, <I>The Island of Doctor Moreau</I> and the Golem myth, <I>Escape from Baghdad!</I> weaves fantasy, absurdity and adventure into a moving counter-narrative to the myth of the just war." &#151; Daniel Jos&#233; Older, <I>NPR</I><BR><BR>"It&#8217;s a marvelous mix of genres, blending the visceral atmosphere of a war movie with the casual nihilism of <I>Catch-22</I> or the original M.A.S.H. complete with an Indiana Jones&#150;style treasure quest&#133; A gonzo adventure novel that shreds the conventional wisdom that pulp can be pigeonholed." &#151; <I>Kirkus Reviews</I><BR><BR>"<I>Escape from Baghdad!</I> is a virtuoso performance, both utterly heartbreaking and riotously, laugh-out-loud funny... I wanted to stand up and applaud when it was finished, but I didn't want it to finish. I could not recommend it enough." &#151; Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award winning author of <I>Osama</I>.<BR><BR>"Saad Z the author&#8217;s upcoming <I>Escape from Baghdad!</I> (The Unnamed Press, March 2015) is the sci-fi and fantasy writer&#8217;s debut novel, characterized as an Arabian&#150;Nights&#150;esque thriller. Having set the book in modern-day Iraq, the author started off his research reading blogs written by American soldiers in Iraq, and then braided together Norse and Greek mythologies." &#151; <I>Ploughshares</I><BR><BR>"Saad the author is the author of <I>Escape from Baghdad!</I>, an engrossing cross between Zero Dark Thirty and Raiders of the Lost Ark that takes a sobering look at America's troubled legacy in Iraq."&#151; <I>Bookslut</I><BR></div>
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the first three paragraphs for this book
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Escape from Baghdad!
  It took Dagr a moment to focus; it was difficult to wrench his mind back, the world in the past was too strong, too richly colored compared to what was now left over. "Hmm, Al Kindi?" he finally said. "You're on the right track, but I've tried that already."
  The unmistakable snicker of an East German Makarov cocking cut him off. "Really, I'm serious. What the hell are you guys talking about?"
  TOMMY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH HOFFMAN, BUT he had his orders to stay put, and he was pretty sure the Army would fall apart if people stopped following orders. The apartment they had appropriated was a bare shell with mattresses, table fans, and little else. The Humvee was parked outside. They had stripped out the electronics, TV, and Xbox so that the men at least had something to do in the sweltering heat. They were bored, uncomfortable, and getting fractious.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: five more paragraphs
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conversations.value: They were forced to move on. They soon came to a dining room that was filled up with an immense table, seating ten to each side, although there was barely enough room for the chairs. Candles and place settings of tarnished silver gleamed in the darkness. Everything was covered in cobwebs.
  They moved into the next room, swaggering a little bit now, even though they had yet to apprehend any of the prime targets. Yakin figured it was something primal about taking women captives. He tried to get a glimpse of the two prisoners, but they were so thoroughly shielded in black that it was impossible to guess anything; although one pair of eyes looked middle aged and the other seemed nice and young. He contrived to bump against the younger one several times, until one of the Fanatics swore at him and pushed him away.
  The younger eyes glared at him, and he could see her lips moving beneath the veil. He felt something shrivel in his crotch and panic flooded his brain.
  Yakin, who could not much see the difference between the two, lacked the courage to say so and simply ducked into line behind a veteran Fanatic. They entered another interminable hallway the walls warped and cracked, lathered in crazy shades of white paint. The floors vibrated with a peculiar buzzing sound. It got into Yakin's head like a bee inside his skull, a manly baritone bee droning some kind of Coptic chant just below the frequency of registered speech.
  Fanatics didn't get nervous, fueled by the same insanity that drove Salemi, but the True Believers had their hands on their triggers and the Opportunistic Faithful class was looking distinctly jittery. It was clear to Yakin that there was something very wrong with this house, aside from the unnatural width and breadth of its rooms and the impossible number of twisting corridors and staircases. Men were getting lost in here, coming out from distant rooms harried by the lunatic cook who leapt from space to space like a quantum particle with a knife-wielding disdain for things like time and distance.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the last two paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Many thanks to Chris and the people at Unnamed Press for your fantastic editing and for taking a long shot.
  In the off chance that I should become famous, I shall strive to forget all of you as quickly as possible.