Michael David Lukas books

Akashic Noir Reading Order

Standalone Novels

Michael David Lukas is an American author and editor based in Oakland, California. His fiction draws on the history of the Middle East and Jewish diaspora communities, combining historical research with literary storytelling. He has published two novels – The Oracle of Stamboul (2011) and The Last Watchman of Old Cairo (2018) – and has also worked extensively as an editor and contributor to anthology series.

The Oracle of Stamboul is his debut, set in the late Ottoman Empire and following a young Jewish girl whose remarkable intelligence brings her to the attention of the Sultan. The novel has the quality of a fable while remaining grounded in historical detail. The Last Watchman of Old Cairo is a more complex work, moving between a medieval Cairo Jewish community and a present-day American student researching his Egyptian Jewish family history, centered on an ancient manuscript with a troubled provenance.

His editorial work, particularly in connection with the Akashic Noir series, has made him a significant figure in the crime fiction anthology world beyond his own novel-length fiction. Lukas is associated with the San Francisco Bay Area literary community and has taught and spoken widely on the intersection of history, identity, and fiction.