Sleep Phase

Dreams and reality blur in this caustic and Kafkaesque tale from Egyptian author Kheir (Slipping). Translator Warif Shaheen finds his native Cairo transformed upon his release after seven years in prison for a Facebook post. Chain cafés have replaced market stands, busy intersections have been converted to parks, and, most troubling, every organization and government bureau is staffed by foreigners, who provide a stipend to the locals in exchange for the right to be there. All Warif wants is his old job as a translator back, and as he goes through a series of condescending interviews, it ironically comes to light that the current situation mirrors the one he’d flippantly called for in his offending post, in which he’d suggested the country would be better off if it were run by foreigners. Warif attempts to adjust to the new normal with the help of his on-and-off girlfriend, Sally Adam, and childhood friend Wagdi, but he’s plagued by panic attacks and flashbacks to his time in prison. The plot ramps up after Wagdi goes missing and Warif discovers a dark, perplexing secret of the new regime. This eerie and taut tale will leave readers with plenty to chew on. (May)