Al-Faẓia'الفظیع – the Horror

"What can one person's story tell us about an entire system of repression and torture? The physical and emotional torture Akram Al Saud endured in the Syrian regime's prisons reminds us of how all Syrians endured decades of fear, violence, and repression in pursuit of their freedom. The sensorial richness of the imagery teaches us about life under the Syrian regime in ways that very few books can. Al Saud's story does more than bear witness to Syria's horrors – it reminds us of the necessity of justice and healing for all of Syria's victims." - Samer Abboud, author of Syria and Betrayal of the Homeland

"The atrocities of the Assad regime and steadfastness of the Syrian people have been documented in scholarly research, human rights reports, memoirs, and other genres. Al-Faẓia' – The Horror breaks fresh ground in bringing the Syrian struggle to life in a completely new way. Related with sensitivity, courage, and care, this unforgettable graphic novel showcases a one-of-a-kind collaboration between a gifted storyteller and a gifted artist, supported by leading academic experts. The voice of one survivor and so much more, it is a tremendously valuable contribution and should be read far and wide." - Wendy Pearlman, author of We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria and The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora

"Representing what is essentially unrepresentable is the challenge Akram Al Saud and Tobi Dahmen committed themselves to undertake, and they have done so in graphic novel form, which is an unprecedented method of representing Syrians' experiences. Their work in seeking to put Al Saud's tormenting memories in order has acquired a new life after the long-awaited fall of the torturous Assad regime. It tells a typical story of many secularists' contributions in the struggle for freedom and justice in Syria – something that, presently, many tend to forget." - Yassin al-Haj Saleh, author of The Impossible Revolution: Making Sense of the Syrian Tragedy

"This graphic novel is a powerful account of the Syrian revolution and the horrors of Assad's prison system. It draws attention to the brutality that was meted out to those who resisted Assad's authoritarian rule, their courage to overcome, and the need for transitional justice for the hundreds of thousands whose stories we still do not know." - Leila Al- Shami, Co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War and Co-founder of From the Periphery Media

"Through his memories of revolt, imprisonment, torture, displacement and exile, Akram Al Saoud restores in this powerful graphic novel a human face to Syria's contemporary history. A necessary work of memory, dignity, and transmission." - Ziad Majed, American University of Paris