Saladin Ahmed's "Throne of The Crescent Moon"

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Saladin Ahmed was born in Detroit and raised in a working-class, Arab American enclave in Dearborn, Michigan.

He holds a BA in American Culture from the University of Michigan, an MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College, and an MA in English from Rutgers. His poetry has received several fellowships, and he has taught writing at universities and colleges for over ten years.

His short stories have been nominated for the Nebula and Campbell awards, and have appeared in Year’s Best Fantasy and numerous other magazines, anthologies, and podcasts, as well as being translated into five foreign languages.

Here Ahmed dreamcasts an adaptation of Throne of the Crescent Moon, his first novel:

Well, there aren't exactly a ton of high-profile Arab or African actors in Hollywood, so casting Throne of The Crescent Moon is pretty tough, and inevitably involves a bit of ethnic drag:

For the fat old ghul hunter Adoulla: Some cloned amalgamation of Tony Shalhoub, Laurence Fishburne, and John Rhys-Davies.

For the conflicted holy warrior Raseed: Since the blog rules allow us to draw on actors who've passed away, I have to go with the late Brandon Lee.

For the shapeshifting tribeswoman Zamia: Girlfight/Resident Evil-era Michelle Rodriguez (playing young).

For the weary-but-powerful magus Dawoud: The late, great jazz master Sun Ra.

For the homesick but level-headed alkhemist Litaz: Sadly not a lot of hot, tough, middle-aged Black actresses working getting screen time in Hollywood today - maybe Angela Bassett?

Learn more about the book and author at Saladin Ahmed's website and blog.

The Page 69 Test: Throne of the Crescent Moon.

--Marshal Zeringue