Mentioned in Podcasts

Person

Every book Omar El Akkad recommended on podcasts

Key facts

  • Omar El Akkad has recommended or discussed 2 books on podcasts, as of July 30, 2021.
  • Omar El Akkad has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of July 30, 2021.
  • Those books came up in 1 episode, as of July 30, 2021.
  • The 2 books Omar El Akkad has mentioned in the most episodes, as of July 30, 2021: American War and What Strange Paradise.
  • The latest episode with a book mention from Omar El Akkad aired on July 30, 2021.

Updated

Guest on The Book Review · 2 books · 1 episode across 1 podcast

Omar El Akkad appeared on The Book Review podcast to discuss his creative process, the origins of his literary works, and the reception of his fiction. As an author whose writing often explores dystopian futures and the harsh realities of displacement, El Akkad shared insights into how journalism and real-world events heavily influence his narratives. He discussed the conceptual origins of his debut novel, American War, noting how a reporting assignment on polio vaccinations directly shaped a scene in the book. He also reflected on the surprising reader reactions his novel generated, including a startling blurb from a Texas bookseller who viewed the story as a warning about the brutality of a hypothetical second civil war. Furthermore, El Akkad contrasted American War with his subsequent novel, What Strange Paradise, describing the latter as a much shorter, quieter book that serves as a contemporary, allegorical reinterpretation of the Peter Pan myth through the lens of a child refugee's journey.

Books recommended by Omar El Akkad

Who said what is determined automatically. In hand-checked samples, at least 6% of mentions were credited to the wrong speaker — sometimes an interviewer’s line recorded as the guest’s, sometimes the reverse. Every entry below quotes the words and links to the episode, so you can check it.

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  1. American War

    Omar El Akkad · Discussed · 1 episode

    American War by Omar El Akkad is a dystopian debut novel that imagines a fractured United States caught in the throes of a second civil war in the late twenty-first century.

    Discussed
    “so that was the premise around which American war coalesced”
    The Book Review Echoes of a Fairy Tale in a Devastating Novel 2021-07-30 Listen at 3:46
    Where to get it
    AmazonListen on Audible

  2. What Strange Paradise

    Omar El Akkad · Discussed · 1 episode

    What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad is a contemporary novel that reinterprets the classic story of Peter Pan through the lens of a child refugee surviving a perilous migrant journey.

    Discussed
    “it's a reinterpretation I suppose of of Peter Pan it's a story of Peter Pan retold as as the story of a contemporary child Refugee and it's a much shorter quieter book than American war”
    The Book Review Echoes of a Fairy Tale in a Devastating Novel 2021-07-30 Listen at 13:06
    Where to get it
    AmazonListen on Audible

Books Omar El Akkad wrote

Every book by Omar El Akkad mentioned on podcasts →

Appearances

EpisodePodcastDateBooks
Echoes of a Fairy Tale in a Devastating NovelThe Book Review2021-07-309
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing American War
“it's a reinterpretation I suppose of of Peter Pan it's a story of Peter Pan retold as as the story of a contemporary child Refugee and it's a much shorter quieter book than American war”
The Book Review Echoes of a Fairy Tale in a Devastating Novel 2021-07-30 Listen at 13:06
Passing American War
“recently I was I was rereading a section of American war”
The Book Review Echoes of a Fairy Tale in a Devastating Novel 2021-07-30 Listen at 18:22