As If It Were Him

About this book

What if the most terrifying crimes were not committed out of evil alone, but out of mysterious motives transcending the limits of the human mind and the laws of nature? And what happens when a retired investigator comes upon a secret manuscript in which tormented souls confess what they perpetrated in the dark? In his exceptional short-story collection As If It Were Him, Bahraini writer and translator Hisham Al-Nahham opens a unique narrative window onto weird fiction, the metaphysical, and psychological crime literature. The 26 texts of the collection move across cosmic spaces, folk myths, and primitive rituals; where the ghosts of the dead materialize at secret banquets, ancient prophecies reveal terrifying destinies, and karma moves to settle the deferred bills of betrayal and treachery across decades. In a style blending psychological shock, tightly knit detective plotting, and deep philosophical symbolism, this collection places you before a mirror of your eternal obsessions: fear of the unknown, life after death, the struggle between faith and doubt, and the limits of reason before the supernatural. These are texts written in the breath of pioneers of classic weird literature such as Poe and Maupassant, offering a breathless reading experience that leaves the reader chasing the truth behind every word and shadow.