Aik Bot: (An Idol, a Horror Novel) -Language: urdu

The role of popular fiction in the popularity of Urdu has been prominent and of prime importance. Popular Literature is responsible for the diffusion of Urdu literature into the abode of the common realm. The absence of popular literature would have deemed Urdu Literacy to a confinement within Palaces, libraries and the Royal Courts, forsaking the common people of beautiful yet staggering pieces of Urdu literacy.

Besides Ibn-e-Safi, there were many stalwarts of popular fiction, such as Gulshan Nanda, Adil Rasheed, Badnaam Rafiei, Dutt Bharti, Raees Ahmed Jafri, Saeed Amrit, Ranu, Izhar Asar, Siraj Anwar and Salamat Ali Mehdi etc. who contributed to the cause of development of such literary taste.

Salamat Ali Mehdi, had gained immense fame by writing mysterious and horror novels. He himself writes in the preface of one of his mysterious novels supporting the stand of popular literature that: "A series of horror novels is nothing new. In Urdu literature, this trend is a product from the West and some translations of epic novels were very popular in Urdu. In western literature, countless novels had been written on such subjects and gained immense popularity during those periods."

This book is one of Salamat Ali Mehdi's best horror novels that follows the course of events experienced by a princess and her eventual transformation into "Aik Bot (An Idol)".

Salamat Ali Mehdi is one of the stalwarts of Urdu popular fiction. He had gained immense fame by writing mysterious and horror novels, such as Aik Bot (An Idol), Aik Billi (A cat), Aik Rooh (An Spirit), Aik Khopdi (An skull).

Syed Mukarram Niyaz, a writer and journo from Hyderabad, working as a Civil Engineer, started many websites to promote Urdu language in new generation of Urdu speakers. Mukarram has a long history of love with language and literature, for the past 25 years He is writing essays and short stories for different Urdu newspapers and magazines.