Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology

by Alex Hernandez (Editor), Matthew David Goodwin (Editor), Sarah Rafael García (Editor)

In a tantalizing array of new works from some of the most exciting Latinx creators working in the speculative vein today, Speculative Fiction for Dreamers extends the project begun with a previous anthology, Latinx Rising (The Ohio State University Press, 2020), to showcase a new generation of writers. Spanning diverse forms, settings, perspectives, and styles, but unified by their drive to imagine new Latinx futures, these stories address the breadth of contemporary Latinx experiences and identities while exuberantly embracing the genre’s ability to entertain and surprise. With new work for new audiences in their teens and up, and especially for Latinx people navigating their identities in the ever-shifting, sometimes perilous, but always promising cultural landscape of the US, this book is for dreamers—and DREAMers—everywhere.

Contributors: Grisel Y. Acosta, Stephanie Adams-Santos, Frederick Luis Aldama, William Alexander, Nicholas Belardes, Louangie Bou-Montes, Lisa M. Bradley, Eliana Buenrostro, Diana Burbano, Pedro Cabiya, Steve Castro, Fernando de Peña, Scott Russell Duncan, Samy Figaredo, Tammy Melody Gomez, J. M. Guzman, Ernest Hogan, Pedro Iniguez, Ezzy G. Languzzi, Patrick Lugo, Roxanne Ocasio, Daniel Parada, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, Reyes Ramirez, Julia Rios, Sara Daniele Rivera, Roman Sanchez, Tabitha Sin, Alex Temblador, Rodrigo Vargas, Laura Villareal, Sabrina Vourvoulias, Karlo Yeager Rodriguez

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy, Fiction, Anthologies, Latinx, Horror, Science Fiction

430 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2021

About the author

Alex Hernandez is a Cuban American science fiction writer. His work often explores themes of migration, colonization, and posthumanism, while blending the subgenres of space opera and biopunk. His first novel, Tooth and Talon, was published by EDGE. He lives in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only listened to Tía Abuela’s Face, Ten Ways by Lisa M. Bradley from this collection through the LeVar Burton Reads podcast. Coping with death can be very challenging, as a space anthropologist finds when she arrives back at Earth to find that her beloved great-aunt has died. Chided by some family members at not being there at the end of her aunt’s life, she takes it upon herself to honor her in an extreme way. Set sometime in the speculative future, technology enables her to transform her face into what her Tía looked like. Although she seems sane, I felt this was an incredibly unhealthy way to deal with her grief. My mother and aunt both recently died within five months of one another, and while I miss them terribly and like to wear jewelry of theirs or use some of their household belongings in my own home, what the woman in the story does is disturbing. An excellent and thought-provoking story.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology and feel like it has enough to charm every reader. There were poems, plays, comics, flash fiction, and short stories that ranged from near future to far future science fiction, serious reflections and adventurous romps, historical fantasy and surrealist explorations… The editors did a magnificent job of ensuring a range and depth worthy of the most daring dreamers.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories, fragments, poems and comics by latinx authors. A couple of the standouts include The Clarification, everyone on Hispaniola turns white and to some form of blonde, Homebound, forced sterilization of undocumented immigrants. It's a very mixed bag, and this is the second book from OSU on the topic. Current authors, not much history. A decent read for the most part.

[Veronica RB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for reviewing purposes and wow! I loved each and every story! So happy to see an inclusive collection of Latinx voices merging tradition with futuristic elements. I can’t recommend this anthology enough!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't get to read through the whole thing before my loan was up but I really enjoyed the like 75% I did manage to read! Speculative fiction is becoming a really appealing genre for me, in order to explore alternative, racialized and colourful worlds and ways of being.

[Méli]

mixed bag 3.5⭐
some of them were very good, and others I couldn't care less
fun inclusion of poems, comics, and theater plays

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting anthology of science fiction and fantasy stories by people from Latin America. There's more fantasy than science fiction. There's also a few stories in a graphic novel format. I especially liked “Saint Simon of 9th and Oblivion” by Sabrina Vourvoulias, “Do As I Do” by Pedro Iniguez, “The Chupacabra Next Door” by Roxanne Ocasio, and “Madrina” by Sara Daniele Rivera.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

'I have had such odd dreams,' I told her. 'Bitter and sweet at once.'
'Like life then,' the old woman said.

In the vein of Love, Death + Robots and Cloud Atlas, Speculative Fiction for Dreamers delivers exactly what the title promises. A promising short story anthology from diverse up-and-coming writers with a lot of potential, unfortunately it hits a snag that many such short story collections encounter—while a few of the stories are standouts in terms of story and nuance, as a whole it is a mixed bag. Incredibly creative, but a number of the stories simply were not my style, is all.

No one can erase you while you live and breathe. Your existence is the antidote.

[Adriana Porter Felt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories will leave a lasting impression on me; others are forgettable. Unevenness is a common challenge for short story collections. My favorite is "Tía Abuela's Face, Ten Ways," which hit me deep in the heart while also exploring science fiction and body horror themes.

I'm not sure that the editor and I hold the same definition of speculative fiction. To me, speculative fiction must have an imagined futuristic technology or scientific discovery (although it doesn't need to be "hard" sci-fi). Some of the stories seemed more squarely fantasy. Maybe I'm confusing speculative sci-fi with a more expensive genre of speculative fiction. My disappointment with some of the stories therefore might stem from my misplaced expectations.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many anthologies are uneven, with a few gems, a few duds and most of the stories being just "okay." I found this to be an amazing anthology, in style, in content, in range. From super short stories, to poems, to 10 page epics I was satisfied with every single story, something I had not encountered before. The Latinx range is also satisfying. There is the Chicano experience, the Caribbean experience, the Central American experience, etc. This anthology is not skewed towards one subsection of the Latinx culture, nor is it skewed to one historical aspect. I also enjoyed stories that shifted from fantasy to science fiction to mystery. The best anthology I've read in decades.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any collections I liked a few and didn't like a few. I'll be looking for more from four authors: Lisa Bradley (Tia Abuela's Face, Ten Ways); Louangie Bou-Montes (Like Flowers Through Concrete); Pedro Iniguez (Do as I Do); Roxanne Ocasio (The Chupacbra Next Door). Worth reading.

[Frances]

(Cannot currently get this working on my Kobo)

[Arturo Serrano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for the blog Nerds of a Feather:
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2021/11/...

[Ernest Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, it's got a story by me. And a lot of other great ones, too. Buy it. Read it. Live it.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why can't I find more by these authors? This stuff is awesome!

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories were a hit or a miss. I'm glad I took my time reading them.

[Malana Giustina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of stories is truly vibrant at its core. Using a variety of short stories, poetry, comics, plays etc. to expand into a world of possibility the creators of this book bring together new outlooks on our current reality and offer new hope to the latinx community.

It’s amazing and interesting seeing the creative ways the authors interpreted certain situations around the world and implanted them Into the sci-fi genre. Not only does this help offer different perspectives to the reader but it also opens new doors in the realm of literature.

[Lex]

Not bad, but a mixed bag overall

[MilkywayCrossing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a collection of stories told in many different styles. Some of the stories were interesting, but a bunch of them were just confusing. I can’t always tell if it’s because I don’t have a Latinx background.