In these nine stories Salman Rushdie looks at what happens when East meets West, at the forces that pull his characters first in one direction, then the other. Fantasy and realism collide as a rickshaw driver writes letters describing his film star career in Bombay; a mispronunciation leads to romance and an unusual courtship in 60’s London; two childhood friends turned diplomats live out fantasies hatched by Star Trek; and Christopher Columbus dreams of consummating his relationship with Queen Isabella. The stories in East, West show extraordinary range and power of Rus-hdie’s writing. He remains a writer who, rising beyond ideology, refuses to choose between East and West and embraces the world. East, West by Salman Rushdie, paperback, published by Vintage Books, pp 216, Rs 798