Midnight's Children (1981) is Rushdie's compelling novel about Indian history and identity. Focusing on the story of Saleem Sinai, who was born at the moment of Indian independence, the work includes elements of magic realism and alludes to classic texts, including the Christian Bible and Arabian Nights.

Nicholas Mosley's Hopeful Monsters (1990), winner of the Whitbread Prize in 1991, is the story of two European intellectuals and their journey around the world as they become involved in the scientific, political, and religious controversies of the era.

Rushdie's Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism, 1981—1991 (1992) is a collection of seventy-five articles ranging from political to religious to artistic subjects, and it includes two of Rushdie's key articles in response to the circumstances following his publication of The Satanic Verses.

Rudyard Kipling's Kim (1901) is the classic colonial British novel about the orphaned Kim O'Hara and his...