I once had the good fortune to moderate an SF panel (at Chicon 8, “Cyberpunk Traditions Outside the United States—Panel”), and Mohammad was one of the Muslim cyberpunk authors I cited in my presentation with his epic novel ‘Zhand’ (or Rags). So naturally, I had to talk to him.

By Emad Aysha

The Iranian science fiction author starts by explaining that he studied mining engineering and is now an author. He also farms and, more recently, manages several beehives.

Asked about his favourite writer, he said: “I have too many favourite writers to list them all. For instance, I enjoy the descriptions of David Gemmell, the world-building of Richard A. Knock, the notions of Philip K. Dick, and the verbal games of Reza Amirkhani and KarbalaeiLoo, who do not have anything to do with science-fiction or fantasy.”

What draws you to cyberpunk, and how do you define it?

“Cyberpunk is the precise instant when most things are split. By this, I don't only mean morality, society, or technology. Cyberpunk emerges in the exact location where all notions were drastically split. This wide gap enables us to question, comprehend, critique, and even derive new ideas. The same thing that piques the interest of every curious mind.

The science-fiction genre is a good place for asking philosophical and human questions, and its subgenre, cyberpunk, is where one can depict these questions in great detail and allow us to discuss them explicitly.”

Interestingly, you splice (Iranian) myths into your cyberpunk.

“The process of writing a book is internal. It must originate from within the individual and the culture in which they reside. Furthermore, myths could be considered this culture's abstractions.

Western models, I believe, also make use of their mythology. Although it may be less common for them to incorporate myths into stories directly, their ideas still rely on these beliefs overall.

I would have liked to play a mental game here to demonstrate how the Er myth relates to the central tale of Cyberpunk 2077, but for brevity’s sake, I won’t.

However, we can discuss the destruction of humans by a creature he made. For example, we projected that robots and AI would outrun and eliminate humanity after the singularity. Isn't it familiar?

We are reenacting the myth of Prometheus. Prometheus, who gave humanity fire as a gift, is the one who hits the final enter key for robots. Zeus was aware that humans would surpass him and end the age of the gods (humans) if they internalized the light and knowledge.

Of course, the dark side of the story is not the only one. However, it demonstrates the relationship between myth and cyberpunk.

I am gaining experience, of course. Mythology was given more of an emphasis in the original Rag version than it is now, but these myths are still somewhat present in the work's core. Myths will be a more common feature in my stories, though, as I have had other encounters with them.”

What other genres do you write in?

“What genre do I not write in? That is the right question! Short stories were my first choice. First, allegorical short stories, then realist short stories, and then magical realist.

My first publication is "Giv," a fantasy work.

I wrote "Destruction of a Man Who Just Woke Up" after that, which is a dystopian science-fiction book. Then, the same Cyberpunk book that caused our auspicious friendship. The book "Seed of Blood" is also an alternate history of Iran.

God knows what I will do with such a record in the future.”

PLAYING IT SAFE: Muhammad Faezifard doesn't just toy around with the not-too-distant future but also with forgotten pages of the past, making him one-of-a-kind in this crowded neighbourhood.

Concerning alternate history, is this popular in Iran, and why do you think we need it?

“The alternate history reminds us where we are standing and why.

It allows us to ponder. It proposes "ifs," the change of which is important and determinant. It is a window for a deeper understanding of history and, of course, the present.

Authors in Iran have shown a recent tendency toward this kind of science-fiction literature. For example, Yaminpoor's "Apostasy" proposes "ifs" about the Islamic revolution of Iran, and Azarbad's "The Cold Attack" is about the Magnolia attack on Iran and the Islamic World.

I discussed another "if" in "Seed of Blood." If ISIS had reached Iran, what would have happened, and how would the people's lives have changed? However, this event forms the basis of the story of "Seed of Blood," and the main subject is tracing a tragedy.

Finally, would you like to be published and read in the Arab world?

“Why not? We are nations with deep, ancient, and rooted civilisations. So, we have many stories for one another, tales as exquisite as the proportions and contrasts among our civilisations.”