I’m an Indian novelist, known mainly for SF and fantasy work. I’m also a film director and a writer of comics, animation, short stories, children’s books and nonfiction.
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What’s new
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport ( book page ) is out!
‘ …somehow manages to be both a weighty study of the responsible use of power and a sidesplitting farce about robot fighters, gangsters, oligarchs and the titular jinn-bot, which explains that it only grants three wishes because of the “free trial period” for unregistered users. ‘ – Charlie Jane Anders, The Washington Post
“Basu’s writing is immersive, evocative, sensory and it put me as a reader right into Shanti-port… peoples this world with a fascinating gallery of characters large and small.” – Nerds of a Feather
“rubs shoulders with the progressive cutting-edge of contemporary SF” – India Today
“…a fun, spectacle-filled adventure story with good quips from the wisecracking monkey-bot and occasional zingers from Moku” – The Wall Street Journal
“…you’ll end up loving Lina, Bador and Moku; you’ll be thinking about the practicalities of revolutions and about bot rights; and you’ll be wondering if parents try to program their biological children as ruthlessly as they might program a bot.” – Salon Futura
On the Unstacked podcast
Most-anticipated SFF of/2nd-half-of 2023 lists: Tor.com, LitHub, Book Riot, Goodreads, Library Journal, Book Riot, Bookbub, Coode Street Podcast, Netgalley’s We are Bookish, The Portalist, The Fantasy Review, Publisher’s Lunch, Transfer Orbit, The Mary Sue Book Club, Winter is Coming.net, Gizmodo
Read an excerpt from Chapter One
“Between Moku’s endearing charm and Bador’s expressive eyemojis and heroic ambitions, including winning a bot martial arts tournament, the bots steal the show in Basu’s fantastic, futuristic take on the “Aladdin” story.” – Library Journal
“This is a fun and thoughtful re-imagining of the Aladdin story in a high-tech future[.]”―Booklist
“Basu’s sharp social commentary and sense of pageantry enhance this wild romp. Readers will have no choice but to get caught in the whirlwind.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is a fabulous blend of Arabia and cyberpunk flair with a cast of characters I would die for.” – The Quill to Live
A very kind review of JB from KJ Charles on Goodreads – and more from Eliane Boey and Archita Mittra
‘Basu has taken these oh-so-familiar fantasy tropes and made them into something new. He has woven myth, fantasy and robot technology into a fascinating story filled with action and adventure. ‘ – Blogcritics.org
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Links
Contact: samitbasu(DOT)work(AT)gmail. Books agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary (NY). Film agent: Tulsea (Mumbai/LA).
Samit Basu 
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