Pakistan’s literary canon in English appears to be dominated by fiction that offers recurring meditations on social and political realities. It is rare to come across a novel that pushes these boundaries and explores fresh terrain with confidence and rare insight. A few writers have made a conscious effort to explore genres that have otherwise been overlooked in the mainstream.
Muhammad Omar Iftikhar’s Divided Species moves beyond the clichés that we have come to expect from literature in English that has emerged from Pakistan. The author’s debut work falls within the purview of sci-fi. The genre hasn’t been given its due in English fiction in Pakistan despite the fact that South Asia boasts a rich array of sci-fi and speculative literature in various languages. In recent years, Pakistani writers such as Bina Shah, Sidra F Sheikh and Usman T Malik have produced compelling work that employs varied techniques to broaden the scope of sci-fi writing. Even so, there is always space for new sci-fi novels that benefit from a freshness of perspective and a creative spirit.
Iftikhar’s first novel aligns closely with the narrative techniques of Western writers such as H G Wells and Ursula Le Guin. Readers who are acquainted with the works of these authors may be drawn to the narrative. However, in an age where sci-fi films continue to redefine the parameters of the genre, skeptics may expect an entirely original premise. Such readers are cautioned against building up unrealistic expectations that the novel will satiate a growing appetite for dystopian fiction. In terms of its themes and plot, Divided Species pays homage to classical sci-fi narratives that have been churned out in films and books for decades. This technique comes across as the strength rather than the weakness of the novel.
Divided Species opens a vista onto the complex realities of the Taleykens, an extraterrestrial species who inhabit the fictional planet of Arplon. In the 18th century, they visit a city on planet earth that will later become known as Karachi. Once these expeditions to the foreign planet become more frequent, Taleykens are able to cultivate a deep connection with the city’s residents and subsequently make them the custodians of their prized mineral resources. Centuries later, the enemies of Taleykens seek to retrieve the valuable resources - a move that could spell disaster for Karachi.
Twenty-one-year-old Rayan finds himself at the fulcrum of this conflict. A business student who aspires to be a writer, Rayan is a misfit in his restrictive surroundings and struggles to measure up to his parents’ expectations. As a result, he is the ideal protagonist to steer the novel towards its action-packed conclusion. Other characters in the novel are equally fascinating, and compel readers to keep turning the page. As per a review published in The News on Sunday, “the novel is driven by the twin forces of empathy and good judgment, and doesn’t attempt to ‘other’ the extraterrestrial species’’. The characters in the novel vacillate between being paragons and villains. The likeability of characters is a key ingredient for readers to empathize with them. Iftikhar’s nuanced outlook on his characters makes them seem all the more believable.
Divided Species is Iftikhar’s maiden attempt to write fiction. At times, the mechanical, slow-moving prose makes it difficult for readers to forget this fact. As a consequence, a novel that bears tremendous cinematic appeal stands the risk of coming across as tedious. However, these lapses are ironed out by the novel’s gripping storyline that keeps readers engaged in a series of intricate events.
With its emphasis on a unique genre and a plot with unexpected twists and turns, Divided Species is a promising debut. The novel heralds the arrival of a new voice that will grow stronger with each successive book. – TS 
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