Following their successful speculative fiction anthologies for West Asia and North Africa, including Palestine +100, Egypt +100, and Kurdistan +100, Comma Press has now released their latest — and perhaps most complex — compilation, Iran +100, edited by Fereshteh Ahmadi, Peter Adrian Behravesh, and Leila Elder.
Set in 2053, one hundred years after the western-backed coup that overthrew Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, the authors of Iran +100 use the future setting to engage in a deep introspection of their country’s strife-laden history. Their stories aim to be optimistic but are inevitably weighed down by that history.
Without a doubt, Iran+100 is a rich compilation that incorporates various aspects of Iranian society into its pages.
From delving into the effect of the country’s rich energy resources to its various social movements, including the Jîna Mahsa Amini 'Woman, Life, Freedom' protests, and exploring diverse familial dynamics, the authors and their editors paint a nuanced picture of Iran.
They also acknowledge groups such as Kurds, Afghans, and Lurs, successfully showcasing the diversity and complexity of a nation too often reduced to simplistic and Orientalist narratives of the millennia-old nation.
At the very start, particularly with Nasim Marashi’s opening story, Oil, readers begin to understand that Iran+100 aims to take extraordinarily bold directions.
Nasim envisions a future where Iran has complete control over its oil resources, free from foreign interference. While this should be unequivocally positive, the obsession with crude has left its mark on the land, both literally and figuratively, creating an unnerving story.
Similarly, Sholeh Wolpé’s Eye for an Eye envisions an Iran in which gender power roles are entirely reversed, turning the oppressive patriarchal system into an oppressive matriarchal one directed at men.
By extending empathy towards men in Iran, Sholeh questions just how far a pursuit of justice can or should go. The approach is unusual, but it is likely to be effective in achieving its aim.
Hope hidden in melancholy
Many, if not most, of Iran+100’s stories are laden with tragedy — not necessarily because the authors want them to be, but because it feels inescapable.
Within the lens of speculative fiction, the anthology becomes an important reflection of Iran’s past, as the authors explore where the country may go amid political upheaval, shifting geopolitics, societal reckonings, climate change, and more.
The stories do not ignore reality; they work within it, even when engaging in the intriguingly bizarre sci-fi of Ebrahim Farokh’s Staring into the Void.
Naseem Jamnia’s The Blaze of Abadan particularly examines whether Iran is doomed to repeat cycles of corrupt and inept political dynasties, resulting in persistent socioeconomic disparities and unrest.
Ultimately, Naseem demonstrates a keen understanding of the power dynamics among the country’s elite and highlights how these dynamics contribute to Iran’s ongoing struggles. While not imagining the most optimistic future, her story offers both a warning and the possibility of an escape from such repetitions.
That said, the melancholy outlook continues in Porochista Khakpour’s Tala and Mahtab, where the two titular friends reflect on their society’s past and potential future. Porochista beautifully explores their dynamic through the lens of their country’s history, which resonates with virtually all Iranians, both in the homeland and the diaspora.
In these stories, the melancholy is, fittingly, part of the beauty of Iran and its history. Though mournful, there is comfort in the storytelling itself. The anthology may not depict the rosiest picture of 2053, but it remains inspiring, highlighting the richness of Iranian society and its struggles.
Realism over pessimism
Upon finishing this book, it seems the authors share the prevailing view that Iran will, unfortunately, continue to struggle to find better days.
However, this is not necessarily a pessimistic outlook, but a realistic one: the country has already endured so much, both internally and from external forces seeking to dominate it, yet never truly succumbing. In acknowledging this perseverance, Iran+100 still offers a perspective inspirational for its readers.
With Iran +100, Comma Press once again celebrates a proud nation and its people’s aspirations for a better, if imperfect, future. Iran is one of the world’s most ancient nations, and this anthology captures its history with searing prose and a clear love for its people and their struggles.
Even if the stories are not the rosy picture the reading audience might crave, Iran+100 still envisages an overall pathway for the future to pursue, even if it’s not immediately obvious from its pages.
Like they say, we just need to read between the lines for this more promising future, and see Iran and all its various people as prosperous as they can be.
Swara Salih is a writer and podcaster who writes for several outlets, including The Nerds of Color, But Why Tho?, and Nerdist. He co-hosts The Middle Geeks podcast, which covers all things SWANA/MENA representation
Follow him on BlueSky:@spiderswarz.bsky.social