Heaven on Earth
Jordan

Heaven on Earth

by Fadi Zaghmout

Society & Class Science Fiction Fiction 2017

Summary

What would happen if science made it possible to remain young forever? Set in Jordan in the 2090s, Heaven on Earth imagines a future transformed by advances in biotechnology and nanotechnology that allow people to reverse the aging process. Yet the promise of eternal youth brings unexpected moral, social, and emotional dilemmas.

At the heart of the novel is Janna Abdallah, a journalist navigating a world where humanity has gained unprecedented control over life and death. Her brother, Jamal, who contributed to the scientific breakthroughs behind this new reality, makes the controversial decision to reject age suppression and allow himself to die naturally. His choice unsettles the family and challenges the assumptions of a society that has come to regard aging as a problem to be solved. Meanwhile, strict reproductive regulations complicate the family’s hopes for the future.

Blending speculative fiction with social commentary, Zaghmout explores the ethical limits of scientific progress, individual autonomy, family relationships, and the meaning of a fulfilling life. By placing these questions within a distinctly Jordanian cultural setting, he invites readers to reconsider the boundaries between technological possibility and human freedom.

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Country
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About the author
Fadi Zaghmout
Fadi Zaghmout

Fadi Zaghmout is a Jordanian novelist, blogger, and advocate for gender equality, sexual freedom, and body rights. Born in Amman in 1978, he grew up observing the social expectations and taboos that shape personal relationships in Jordanian society. He initially gained recognition through his English-language blog, launched in 2006, which explored individual freedom, gender, and sexuality—subjects rarely discussed openly in mainstream Jordanian media. Zaghmout made his literary debut with The Bride of Amman (2012), a bestselling and controversial novel that examines the lives of four women and one gay man confronting social restrictions in contemporary Amman. The book was translated into English by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp and published in 2015. His other works include Heaven on Earth, Laila, and The Man of Middling Height, which uses an imagined society divided by height to explore discrimination and social inequality. Zaghmout holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing and Critical Thinking from the University of Sussex. His fiction challenges conventional assumptions about gender, sexuality, identity, and belonging, contributing to broader conversations about individual rights and social change in the Arab world. In 2024, he received a Study UK Alumni Award in recognition of his social impact in the United Arab Emirates.

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Details
Published
2017
Author
Fadi Zaghmout