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“Matthew D. Goodwin has assembled a dynamic team of creative heavy-hitting intellects to tackle the provocative synthesis of Latino expressivity with Science Fiction and Fantasy literature. The result is an incisive and entertaining book that not only challenges the intellect but expands the imagination.” —Adilifu Nama, author of Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes and Black Space: Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film
“Latinx Rising challenges the stereotype of Latinxs only writing magical realism in the best possible way: with a gorgeous mix of stories, poems and art exploring a wise array of styles and experiences. Guaranteed to inspire wonder and thought. A must read!” —Julia Rios, editor of The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction (2013) and Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories
It has been half a century since a few now-canonical Latin American writers introduced magical realism to the world. In that time, new generations of Latinx writers and artists have used that watershed moment as a springboard into new and bold explorations of speculative and fantasy forms. Collectively, they have found exciting new ways to delve into Latinx identities and cultures across genres. Latinx Rising, the first anthology of science fiction and fantasy by Latinxs living in the United States, exuberantly displays the full range of their art.
The new and established voices assembled here (including Kathleen Alcalá, Carmen Maria Machado, Ernest Hogan, and other luminaries) invite us to imagine a Latinx past, present, and future that have not been whitewashed by mainstream perspectives. As in the best mixtapes, this anthology moves satisfyingly through the loud and brash, the quiet and thoughtful. There are ghosts, space aliens, robots—and a grandmother who unwittingly saves the universe through her cooking. The result is a deeply pleasurable read that pushes beyond magical realism and social realism to demonstrate all the thrilling possibilities of what Latinx literature can be.
Matthew David Goodwin is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey.
Contents
Foreword: Matthew David Goodwin
Introduction: Frederick Luis Aldama
Kathleen Alcalá: “The Road to Nyer”
Pablo Brescia: “Code 51”
Pedro Zagitt: “Uninformed”
Pedro Zagitt: “Circular Photography”
Sabrina Vourvoulias: “Sin Embargo”
Daína Chaviano: “Accursed Lineage”
ADÁL: “Coconauts in Space”
Ana Castillo: “Cowboy Medium”
Ernest Hogan: “Flying under the Texas Radar with Paco
and Los Freetails”
Junot Díaz: “Monstro”
Richie Narvaez: “Room for Rent”
Edmundo Paz-Soldán: “Artificial”
Steve Castro: “Through the Right Ventricle”
Steve Castro: “Two Unique Souls”
Alex Hernandez: “Caridad”
Carmen Maria Machado: “Difficult at Parties”
Giannina Braschi: “Death of a Businessman”
Giannina Braschi: “Burial of the Sardine”
Carlos Hernandez: “Entanglements”
Alejandra Sanchez: “The Drain”
Daniel José Older: “Red Feather and Bone”
Carl Marcum: “A Science Fiction”
Carl Marcum: “SciFi-ku”
Marcos Santiago Gonsalez: “Traditions”
Acknowledgments
Permissions, Publication Histories and Translation Credits
About the Editor
About the Author of the Introduction
