Omphalos' SF Book Reviews

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1. Cy Mathews 08.27.10 / 2am
   

   Thanks for this; I picked up an old copy of “No Heaven for Gunga Din” at a library book sale last year and, as I’m sure you’re aware, there isn’t much information about it available online. I’m afraid I have to disagree with you, however, regarding it’s ‘authenticity.’ I do believe that Ali Mirdrekvandi was the real writer of the book. My reasoning is as follows:

   1) If this is a satire, it’s a very odd one, in that much of it reads like an ‘in-joke’ – as it would be if, as the introduction claims, Ali was writing it expecting it to be read by his employers “the British and American officers.”

   2) – and this I think is most convincing – the 1000+ page long book “Nurafgan” (“Irradiant”) that Prof. R. C. Zaehner mentions Mikdrekvandi also having written does appear to exist; Prof. Zaehner gave two lectures on it at the British Institute of Persian Studies in Tehran in the 1960’s. A transcript of one of these lectures is published in the academic journal “Iran,” vol 30 (1992). It seems unlikely that the elderly Prof. Zaehner would have perpetuated such an elaborate hoax, and it’s very hard to read any satirical intent into his lecture on the topic.
2. Omphalos 08.27.10 / 8pm
   

   Very interesting! Thanks for the comment, Cy. Wondering if I know you by another name from somewhere on line? Your website looks familiar.

   Of the few things that I found on line when I originally read this book, I recall that a few took it seriously. I was thinking of writing or calling the original publisher to see if they had a historian who could shed some light on the subject. Never got around to it, but seeing your comment reminded me that this is still on the “to do” list.
3. Omphalos 08.28.10 / 1am
   

   Here’s another person who is interested in the provenance of this book, Bill Ectric.
4. Cy Mathews 10.21.11 / 10pm
   

   I feel embarrassed at such a slow response, but the fact is I forgot about my original post almost immediately after I posted it (2010 was that kind of year) and have only just now read your reply. Anyway, I’ve just posted on the topic over at Bill Ectric’s cite (and I see now I referred in that post to you, Eric, as Bill – apologies!).
5. Ali 06.14.14 / 3am
   

   The writer “Gunga Din” or Ali Mirdrekvandi is a lor (lur) from Luristan southeastern Iran. recently I read his grave was found in Borujerd a city of Lorestan province.
6. Omphalos 08.21.14 / 11am
   

   Thanks Ali. Looking at Google it appears that there is quite a bit more information out there on this book and author now. Looks like my assumptions were incorrect. Oh well!

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