How to Date a Flying Mexican: New and Collected Stories

by Daniel A. Olivas

How to Date a Flying Mexican is a collection of stories derived from Chicano and Mexican culture but ranging through fascinating literary worlds of magical realism, fairy tales, fables, and dystopian futures. Many of Daniel A. Olivas’s characters confront—both directly and obliquely— questions of morality, justice, and self-determination.

The collection is made up of Olivas’s favorite previously published stories, along with two new stories—one dystopian and the other magical— that challenge the Trump administration’s anti-immigration rhetoric and policies. How to Date a Flying Mexican draws together some of Olivas’s most unforgettable and strange tales, allowing readers to experience his very distinct, and very Chicano, fiction.
 

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Latinx, Anthologies, Hispanic

205 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2022

Reviews

[Glenda Nelms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating short story collection on Latinx culture and folklore. Most of the stories were emotional and other stories humorous. The stories take place mainly in Cailfornia and Mexico. Olivas has an interesting writing style that pull readers into the stories and meeting different characters along the way.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Date a Flying Mexican is a delight from beginning to end, a collection of short stories that surprises and rewards with a blend of whimsy, Chicanx sensibility, identity exploration, and a touch of magical realism. I'm not usually a big fan of short stories, but once I began reading How to Date a Flying Mexican, I couldn't stop until I'd read the whole book (hello, early morning reading hangover!). Whether you read it in one sitting as I did or parcel the stories out to yourself one or two at a time, this is a collection that's worth tracking down.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[Vanessa Christina Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorites from this collection were Good Things Happen at Tina’s Cafe, The Fabricator, The Fox, The Plumed Serpent of Los Angeles, La Queenie, Devil Talk, Los Otros Coyotes, and Elizondo Returns Home typing this as I take the Montebello 40 bus line down Beverly Blvd to Downtown Los Angeles.

[Sookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a wide range of stories in this collection that evoke myriad of emotions. The collection explores variety of ideas, folklore, fable, everyday stories from Latinx culture. The overarching theme is the culture in itself and Olivas delivers in a somewhat witty tone.

Thank you to Netgalley and University of Nevada Press for providing me with a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

[ywanderingreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

How cute is this cover and title? I didn’t even read the blurb and just request this off Netgalley. I am always going into books blind but this is how I find delightful reads and have a lower expectation on the book.

How to Date a Flying Mexican is a collection of short stories that is filled with Mexican culture, myths and folklores. Some of these stories are very entertaining and engaging while some are sad and frustrating. There were some that ended abruptly leaving you to guess the ending. A few of the stories touch on politics which I were my favourite. The stories are all quite different and there is definitely a story for everyone.

Like all short stories, there are bound to be hits and misses and I find that the stories in the middle are a little boring. I find the stories in the beginning and end are the best ones. I don’t have any particular favourites simply because there were so many stories to choose from but I definitely enjoyed reading this overall.

Thank you Netgalley and University of Nevada Press for the arc.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories, and like all of these, there are hits and misses. There was definitely a lull in the middle, with many of the best stories at the beginning and end of the collection. The lull isnt because the stories are bad, but they are less stories and more vignettes. The still life of writing as it were.

But there were many where I made my partner read specific stories because they were so good. This happened a lot more than most any short story collection Ive read in the past year or so.

If you need plots and completion, this collection is not for you. If you are a Trumpster, you may not appreciate some of the stories, but need them more than anyone. Overall, a strong book that Id recommend to a pretty wide group.

Thank you to Daniel Olivas, University of Nevada Press, and Netgalley for an advanced copy

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came for the title and stayed for the stories. So many great stories, mostly set in Mexico or Southern California. Magical realism and folklore, with short to long stories, I loved it. It made me think of my own abuela, who died over 20 years ago, a healer and beautiful soul.
It is hard to summarize with so many stories, but my favorites are probably the longer stories: The Fabricator, After the Revolution, La Queenie. The collection ends strong with the last two stories Los Otros Coyotes (about immigration and family separation) and The Chicano in You, where Javier Zambrano is able to occupy the body of animals and humans.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc of this book.

[Mary Camarillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of important stories, funny, tragic, magical and mysterious.

[Mona Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Date a Flying Mexican: New and Collected Stories by Daniel A. Olivas, Attorney, Author, Playwright, and journalist, delves into the areas of magic, fables, and dystopian futures.

I really liked these nineteen short stories. They are steeped in Chicano and Mexican culture, using familiar" Spanglish" or what Mexicanos call Pocho language. Don't let this detract you from reading this, though, as it's all understandable in the context.

The stories are highly descriptive, often humorous, and show Olivas's skill in creating settings and characterizations. You'd swear you know people like a few described in the stories.

I especially enjoyed the title story (How to Date a Flying Mexican). I imagined a group of friends sipping wine in a living room or having a beer around a firepit and telling stories about their dating life. There would be enthusiastic nods, laughter, and someone would swear they know a woman like the main character:

"poor Conchita Lozano de la Peña finally
going loca. And, of course, they would proclaim, such madness
involved lust. See what happens when you don't settle down like
all good Catholic Mexican women and marry a man who can
give you children and something to look forward to in old age!
No God-fearing woman should enter her sixth decade of life—
as Conchita had two years earlier—without having walked down
the aisle to accept the sacrament of marriage.."

Driving to Ventura, Franz Kafka in Fresno and a boy named Eurt were other favorites because of the specific worlds the author can create in such short stories.

The touchstones of culture and language in the stories are uniquely Latinx/a/o, but the themes are universal: love, loss, family, and beginning again. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc on this collection.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

TW: mentions of rape, domestic abuse, incest (though none of it is graphic or detailed)

This is an enchanting collection of short stories and modern fables. I immediately felt immersed in the world that Olivas created, and despite the unique nature of each story they do seem to fit within the same fantastic universe. There were definitely some stories that appealed to me more than others, but regardless of my personal tastes I felt that each story was still strong and well-written,

I will say that there were a few instances of dialogue that felt stilted, or unusual phrases repeated that brought me out of my reading flow, however, I don't feel that these were large enough issues to detract from the entirety of the collection.

I truly enjoyed these stories and I would wholeheartedly recommend them to family and friends. I come from a Mexican-American household, which made it easy for me to relate to many of these characters and to feel at home in the world that Olivas built. However, I feel that this is a world that anyone could easily become immersed in, regardless of their cultural background.

[dani]

Such a mystical collection of stories! I loved the humorous and whimsical approach to these Chicano stories. Olivas truly has a talent for creating vivid and immersive stories. They were the perfect length and I loved the feeling of wondering what's to come for these characters. Even the sadder stories had an underlying sense of hope. Magical realism is one of my favorite genres and this one checked all the boxes. There were a good variety of themes that I'm sure anyone could find stories to enjoy. Would recommend to any other lovers of magical realism and Latinx stories. I can't wait to read more from this author.

*Thank you NetGalley and University of Nevada Press for the E-Arc*

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Date a Flying Mexican by Daniel A Olivas is a fascinating collection of short stories that spans his writing career. There are no weak stories here, even the ones I liked less were still very good.

The nature of a collection, whether stories or essays, even by a single author, is a certain amount of unevenness. That might not be the ideal word, it really is about which entries speak to a reader. In selecting the stories for this collection Olivas definitely chose well. Enough variety to appeal to most readers with at least some of the stories but also consistent throughout in bringing readers into the lives of his characters.

His characters, and the situations they find themselves in, are entertaining while also offering ways of gaining perspective on how others experience life. I am talking less about a non-Latinx reader, though that certainly holds true. I am talking more about the basic human variations on how we engage and make sense of our world. Regardless of nationality or ethnicity, readers will find characters here that will remind them of people they have known.

I would recommend this to any lover of the short story, there are stories that weave a spell from beginning to end, then there are ones that deliver a startling surprise with the last line.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Mukesh Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an advance digital galley copy from NetGalley. Loved the collection of stories in this book. The collection of stories was not only a collection of good short stories but you can also see the different kinds of stories, some of them leaving you to guess the ending your self.

Overall, I really liked this collection and i would strongly recommend reading the book.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid collection of fables, stories, lists, and other short, magical writings from author Daniel A. Olivas. I found some of the stories amusing and some sad, but mostly I was intrigued by those that ended abruptly--and there were several--and why the author had made those choices. These short pieces tantalize, provoking the reading into wondering "what next?", all while feeling appropriately complete.

[Ashley Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED IT


I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Margo Perin · Rating 2 out of 5]

How disappointing. I loved the sound of this book and the style of writing is charming, reminiscent of Laura Esquivel, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and others whose style is termed in the US as “magical realism”. The book cover is beautifully eye-catching, which matches this writing style. But, ugh, yet another book that caricatures women through a one dimensional point of view. After a woman is strangled to death at the end of the second story, the first story also being totally male-centered, I couldn’t read any more. A woman whose only passion is to cook and clean for her master and competes with another woman to keep doing so. We so badly need a world where women aren’t constantly disrespected and unacknowledged as full human beings.

[Chad Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review. Woot!

I loved this collection of fables and stories! Daniel Olivas has an easy writing style that pulls you in and brings worlds to life around you. The stories in this collection are magical, cautionary, reflective, and strident in turn. Olivas creates lush worlds using a spare writing style, which I find particularly compelling.

The stories were well curated. They work together to describe Chicano and Mexican experience and culture, the mythology and complexity of religion, and the particular stress of the politics of the last six years. At times this collection felt like a novel. And I loved that.

[Coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as ARC in exchange for a review. Thank you University of Nevada Press for the opportunity to read How to Date a Flying Mexican.

This is a collection of previously published short stories by Daniel A. Olivas. I was not familiar with the author or his works but the description of the short stories, especially his heritage as a Mexican American, caught my interest. I was not disappointed! Each story is haunting, mysterious, supernatural and thought provoking.

Without any spoilers: Who killed the goat? What did the girl say? What happened to the boy? Read this book and reach out to me so that we can discuss.

[Leo Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure I'd say this collection is filled with "saucy magic" as one of the blurbs indicates.

But there were some standouts for me: Driving to Ventura, Don De La Cruz and the Devil of Malibu, Los Otres Coyotes, The Chicano in You, The Fox. Those stories had tighter prose and, for me at least, more built-in twinkles.

I'd recommend checking out this collection, for better and worse, if the description interests you. You'll probably like some better than others, possibly even find ones engaging and immersive that I did not. Props for a great hook in that title.

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This was a pretty solid collection short stories, which were comprised of fables, fairy tales, lists, etc. I feel like I can’t rate this one any higher because while a few stories really struck something in me many others just fell a bit flat and had me struggling to get to the next page. I think the pieces in the middle of the book were what made it drag on which is unfortunate since this had so much promise.

ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Cara Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to miss the strange companionship Daniel Olivas’ short stories provided me the past few weeks, so much that I’ll keep his book handy to read again. How to Date a Flying Mexican is the best kind of weird: the stories explore unexpected premises, off-beat characters, and supernatural mysteries both light and dark. All with an ear to the pulse of the many hearts of Mexican-American culture. I can’t wait for other people I know to read this collection so we can talk about it.

[Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up

Upon reflection, the main issue I had with this book is simply that it was a collection of very short, unconnected stories... something I absolutely knew before opening it. Somehow I still harbored this hope that there would be this spectacular moment where everything connected. I was a fool. Take that into consideration when you look at this review. I got so excited when I saw a name repeated in a different story... There were some clever connections by the end of the book, but they were not satisfying connections, my friends. I rounded the star count down for this reason.

It's definitely written in the voice of a book of fables without cow-towing to the very white voice most fairy tales are written in. It maintains a strong its connection to the culture. Thinking on this specifically presented an interesting discussion of what makes a story feel like a fable, and I was happy that it delivered on that front. I also really enjoyed some of the stories, but they all walked a fine line. There isn't always a motive or theme in fables. Sometimes the moral of the story is "gods like to fuck around sometimes." Sometimes the story just ends. This can either make their endings humorous and unpredictable, or it can make the ending anticlimactic and unpredictable. I was not impressed by the ratio of satisfying stories to unsatisfying stories.

For the Future Skye that will read this review (and everyone reading it now) I am ending the review with this, one of my favorite moments in the book: "Is there a moral to this story? No, not really. But there is an old Mexican dicho that applies: “Si se muere el perro, se acaba la rabia.” If the dog dies, the rabies will be gone. But, mis amigos, I promise you this: the dog is not dead. She is alive and well in a little town called El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de la Porciúncula."

P.S. The beginning lulls you into a false sense of security, but the end of the book pulls no punches. It hits close to home, and it hits really fucking hard.

Edit: I changed the review to round up because of the end of the book. It just really did the damn thing.

[Giorgia ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nel complesso una lettura con valutazione più che sufficiente.
Era partito molto bene con il primo racconto - strambo, simpatico e magico - mentre i successivi sono stati solo... Ok.
Tw: come già detto da altri lettori si nomina la violenza sulle donne e lo stupro (non grafici) e mi ha fatto molto effetto soprattutto perché non essenziali allo svolgimento della trama.
In alcuni racconti sembra non ci sia stata la revisione di un editor, perché i passaggi sono lunghissimi e superflui, che potevano essere se non proprio tagliati, almeno rifiniti.
Mi è piaciuta tantissimo la scelta di utilizzare sia termini inglesi che spagnoli (sud America) perché ha dato calorosità e "cuore" alla narrazione.
Gli ultimi racconti della raccolta sono i più emblematici, nonché i più recenti (cronologicamente parlando) e sono tra i migliori.
Mi sono piaciuti gli elementi del realismo magico e l'inserimento di figure "mitiche" nella narrazione come La Morte (La Muerte) e il Diavolo.
La lettura è nel complesso consigliata, ma non si tratta di una raccolta di racconti abbastanza d'impatto nel suo messaggio complessivo.

[Aidee Villeda · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was gifted to me by my brother, thank you mark.
however, magical realism/fantasy isn’t my cup of tea — i definitely would not have picked this up on my own. i enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone, although the stories are unique and well written, my rating is a 3.

it may be because i don’t read the genre often, but some of the stories were a bit confusing. i couldn’t grasp or comprehend the meaning of some stories because i didn’t really understand the author’s metaphors.

maybe i’m just too dumb for this genre lol

[Robert Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. I gave it five stars, but it’s really four-and-half and probably a bit more… Hold on… okay, what am I talking about? It’s a solid five stars. There were stories here that gave me that almost electrical feeling producing goosebumps and making me cry at the same time. Stories that stayed with me long after I put the book down. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a “Tina’s Café,” but it’s a place (or maybe it’s a feeling?) I’ll definitely be looking for as I wander through my city. I look forward to reading more by Olivas, I reckon any book that leaves me wanting to read more of an author who got me all goosebumpy and emotional deserves a solid five stars.

[Miranda Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just really, really loved this collection of short stories. My only complaint and less than five star rating is due to the brevity of some of these! I would be drawn in and ready to get into the meat of the story, and then abruptly walk off a cliff at the abrupt ending. It's a shame that some of some of these weren't developed into longer form stories (The Plumed Serpent of Los Angeles, Belen, etc.).

There was not one miss in this collection, although they all ended on a discordant note of sadness, fear, and darkness. I don't think I'll ever get over the pain of "The Fox".

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

How to Date a Flying Mexican is like opening a bag of mixed candy: many different flavors—but all of them are worth tasting. Daniel A. Olivas combines magical realism, sharp satire, and heartfelt glimpses of Mexican American identity, crafting stories where everyday life collides with flying men, ghosts, and the enduring tug-of-war between justice and absurdity.

It’s uneven at times—some tales soar while others feel less engaging—but when it works, it’s funny, strange, and sneakily profound.

[Luis Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy to read with some beautiful stories

The best of the short stories is the first and titular story, the author has a great written style that I enjoyed reading even if I didn’t enjoy all of the stories as much.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately I found myself struggling to get through the stories. A few touched my soul yet others found be struggling to finish the page.

[Tianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow every story completely transported me and left me absolutely speechless. I’m so glad to have picked this one up. Im not hugely into short stories but this one proved me wrong.