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The Book of Wanderers
What do a family of luchadores, a teen on the run, a rideshare driver, a lucid dreamer, a migrant worker in space, a mecha soldier, and a zombie-and-neo-Nazi fighter have in common?
Reyes Ramirez’s dynamic short story collection follows new lineages of Mexican and Salvadoran diasporas traversing life in Houston, across borders, and even on Mars. Themes of wandering weave throughout each story, bringing feelings of unease and liberation as characters navigate cultural, physical, and psychological separation and loss from one generation to the next in a tumultuous nation.
The Book of Wanderers deeply explores Houston, a Gulf Coast metropolis that incorporates Southern, Western, and Southwestern identities near the borderlands with a connection to the cosmos. As such, each story becomes increasingly further removed from our lived reality, engaging numerous genres from emotionally touching realist fiction to action-packed speculative fiction, as well as hallucinatory realism, magical realism, noir, and science fiction.
Fascinating characters and unexpected plots unpack what it means to be Latinx in contemporary—and perhaps future—America. The characters work, love, struggle, and never stop trying to control their reality. They dream of building communities and finding peace. How can they succeed if they must constantly leave one place for another? In a nation that demands assimilation, how can they define themselves when they have to start anew with each generation? The characters in The Book of Wanderers create their own lineages, philosophies for life, and markers for their humanity at the cost of home. So they remain wanderers . . . for now.
Reyes Ramirez’s dynamic short story collection follows new lineages of Mexican and Salvadoran diasporas traversing life in Houston, across borders, and even on Mars. Themes of wandering weave throughout each story, bringing feelings of unease and liberation as characters navigate cultural, physical, and psychological separation and loss from one generation to the next in a tumultuous nation.
The Book of Wanderers deeply explores Houston, a Gulf Coast metropolis that incorporates Southern, Western, and Southwestern identities near the borderlands with a connection to the cosmos. As such, each story becomes increasingly further removed from our lived reality, engaging numerous genres from emotionally touching realist fiction to action-packed speculative fiction, as well as hallucinatory realism, magical realism, noir, and science fiction.
Fascinating characters and unexpected plots unpack what it means to be Latinx in contemporary—and perhaps future—America. The characters work, love, struggle, and never stop trying to control their reality. They dream of building communities and finding peace. How can they succeed if they must constantly leave one place for another? In a nation that demands assimilation, how can they define themselves when they have to start anew with each generation? The characters in The Book of Wanderers create their own lineages, philosophies for life, and markers for their humanity at the cost of home. So they remain wanderers . . . for now.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
About the author
Reyes Ramirez
9 books12 followersReyes Ramirez (he/him) is a Houstonian, writer, educator, curator, and organizer of Mexican and Salvadoran descent. He authored the short story collection The Book of Wanderers (2022) from University of Arizona Press’ Camino del Sol series and the poetry collection El Rey of Gold Teeth (2023) from Hub City Press. Reyes has been honored as a 2020 CantoMundo Fellow, 2021 Interchange Artist Grant Fellow, 2022 Crosstown Arts Writer in Residence, 2023 Dobie Paisano Fellow, and awarded grants from the Houston Arts Alliance, Poets & Writers, and The Warhol Foundation’s Idea Fund.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 10, 2025
I really enjoyed Ramirez’s Rey of Gold Teeth poetry collection, so my hopes were high here. He didn’t disappoint.
As in Rey of Gold Teeth, masculinity is a recurring theme throughout these stories, whether in modern day Houston, dystopian future Houston, or Mars. And what the men get when they look in the mirror is not always flattering. There is generational familial trauma among men (The Three Masks, Ni sabes, and The Last Known Whereabouts) and women (The Fates and Xitlali Zaragoza). Ximena DeLuna v. The New Mars Territory hints at what (the movie) Children of Men could have been if it had been an intergalactic courtroom drama instead of a gritty terrestrial dystopia. That last story bleeds just enough into The Latinx Paradox to hint at Ramirez fleshing out a speculative fiction novel in the (hopefully near) future.
And zombies. There are zombies. Can’t turn that down. And it’s a good zombie story.
The book is a brisk 176 pages, and I read most of it on a flight. Even though some of the stories reach around 30 pages, they’re really tough to put down once you start. The varied settings and protagonists help make this a real page turner. He writes both male and female protagonists quite well. I especially like the curandera character.
The book’s three sections are distinct (the first, lit fic; the second, leaning into fantastic; the third, sci-fi), and they hint at directions in which Ramirez could potentially go in the future. Personally, I would like to see him pick a direction and follow it through in a longer narrative—this book feels like a (successful) demonstration of his abilities and, having shown his fireworks, it would be stellar if we could get something more thoroughly developed. I think the results would be stellar. In the meantime, The Book of Wanderers has plenty of wrinkles to keep up busy.
As in Rey of Gold Teeth, masculinity is a recurring theme throughout these stories, whether in modern day Houston, dystopian future Houston, or Mars. And what the men get when they look in the mirror is not always flattering. There is generational familial trauma among men (The Three Masks, Ni sabes, and The Last Known Whereabouts) and women (The Fates and Xitlali Zaragoza). Ximena DeLuna v. The New Mars Territory hints at what (the movie) Children of Men could have been if it had been an intergalactic courtroom drama instead of a gritty terrestrial dystopia. That last story bleeds just enough into The Latinx Paradox to hint at Ramirez fleshing out a speculative fiction novel in the (hopefully near) future.
And zombies. There are zombies. Can’t turn that down. And it’s a good zombie story.
The book is a brisk 176 pages, and I read most of it on a flight. Even though some of the stories reach around 30 pages, they’re really tough to put down once you start. The varied settings and protagonists help make this a real page turner. He writes both male and female protagonists quite well. I especially like the curandera character.
The book’s three sections are distinct (the first, lit fic; the second, leaning into fantastic; the third, sci-fi), and they hint at directions in which Ramirez could potentially go in the future. Personally, I would like to see him pick a direction and follow it through in a longer narrative—this book feels like a (successful) demonstration of his abilities and, having shown his fireworks, it would be stellar if we could get something more thoroughly developed. I think the results would be stellar. In the meantime, The Book of Wanderers has plenty of wrinkles to keep up busy.
April 28, 2022
Fantastic short story collection from a dope Latinx Houstonian writer! Each character in these stories is so alive and the worlds Ramirez creates are so real. The last story, "An Adventure of Xuxa, La Última," will especially stick with me. (Also, special shout out to this book for keeping my spirits up while I'm sick with COVID)
September 16, 2023
I was exposed to this book because of it being a finalist for the Young Lions Fiction Award. As a Latina and someone who lived in Houston for a while this book struck a cord in me. It’s been a while since I read short stories but after getting accustomed to the structure just wow. Every short story has a theme and larger societal/cultural issue it talked about in an almost subconscious way and that was remarkable and creative. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was left wishing for some of the short stories to be an entire book.
Thank you for writing this book, I wish there were more like it.
Thank you for writing this book, I wish there were more like it.
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November 5, 2022I like it! Worked pretty hard on it.
January 3, 2022
3.5 stars - I adored these stories for their relatable characters and an impressive sense of setting. The first half are based in Houston, where I've lived about 7 years, and the last few are set on another planet and a zombie ridden Earth.
The very last one combines the best aspects of TWD and Colson Whitehead's Zone One - even in an apocalypse, racism and xenophobia and prejudiced minds are still doing their stick work.
The very last one combines the best aspects of TWD and Colson Whitehead's Zone One - even in an apocalypse, racism and xenophobia and prejudiced minds are still doing their stick work.
October 8, 2025
One of the things I enjoyed the most about this book is its relatability. It’s a no brained that any good book will make itself relatable to its reader but this one was different. For one, there’s such a home-y familiarity since most of the stories are based within Houston. Nothing brings back this feeling of community and nostalgia like the bumps and bruises on familiar roads or vibrant communal areas like second ward and Montrose. Places I’ve been to personally after a long work week or as a kid hanging out with family.
Then there’s the connection of the stories at hand. A luchador who’s aware of the curse of fame but that is bound to repeat the cycle of generational trauma and traps. The rigidness in suppression of emotion in the machismo working class that offers both an uncomfortable familiar guidance that raises flags of toxicity with and warmth in its cultural and familial significance and routine. The loss of family, specifically a mother which is such a massive and yet unsung hero within the Latin community and how much of a hole that leaves not only within the family, but inside of ourselves. Like a lighthouse dimming out as a ship makes its way to the harbor. A limbo that seems endless, like an emotional purgatory and that snails pace journey one has to take to overcome and start to bear the weight of this loss.
Wandering is the through line of every story and the key of perseverance that comes almost unconsciously. Like we naturally move through life, always trying to make it to something better because we know that there is something more. It’s instinctual. And it’s not always easy. It almost never is and there’s beauty in that struggle. There’s beauty in the journey and that pain and everything in between.
Traditions like curaderas, natural medicine and brujeria weave through these stories without ever feeling forced onto the reader. The intermixing of Spanish in between sentences glides through to create a natural sense of speaking when living as a Latino in America. It’s the blending and assimilation of cultures while still being heavily rooted in culture and tradition.
There’s a wonderful mix of genres with the last stories including elements of sci-fi and horror that pairs well with the horrors of anti-immigrant policies, racism, and erasure of culture as assimilation and repression carries on.
This has been my favorite read of the year so far and I can’t wait to read more from Reyes!
Then there’s the connection of the stories at hand. A luchador who’s aware of the curse of fame but that is bound to repeat the cycle of generational trauma and traps. The rigidness in suppression of emotion in the machismo working class that offers both an uncomfortable familiar guidance that raises flags of toxicity with and warmth in its cultural and familial significance and routine. The loss of family, specifically a mother which is such a massive and yet unsung hero within the Latin community and how much of a hole that leaves not only within the family, but inside of ourselves. Like a lighthouse dimming out as a ship makes its way to the harbor. A limbo that seems endless, like an emotional purgatory and that snails pace journey one has to take to overcome and start to bear the weight of this loss.
Wandering is the through line of every story and the key of perseverance that comes almost unconsciously. Like we naturally move through life, always trying to make it to something better because we know that there is something more. It’s instinctual. And it’s not always easy. It almost never is and there’s beauty in that struggle. There’s beauty in the journey and that pain and everything in between.
Traditions like curaderas, natural medicine and brujeria weave through these stories without ever feeling forced onto the reader. The intermixing of Spanish in between sentences glides through to create a natural sense of speaking when living as a Latino in America. It’s the blending and assimilation of cultures while still being heavily rooted in culture and tradition.
There’s a wonderful mix of genres with the last stories including elements of sci-fi and horror that pairs well with the horrors of anti-immigrant policies, racism, and erasure of culture as assimilation and repression carries on.
This has been my favorite read of the year so far and I can’t wait to read more from Reyes!
November 30, 2024
As goes with most books of short stories, some were better than others. I loved the movement through time with through-lines of the same motifs and the repetition of history. Though we move through time there’s not much movement through space, staying mostly in the Texas (Houston) area and to a future state Mars settlement which was interesting. Which on second thought is a huge move through literal space. The stories hold truths about racism towards Latinx people and how they get forgotten and ignored in lots of ways. I appreciated the way that Ramirez allowed characters the space to explore these issues through our lens as we see it in everyday life and through mystical and science fiction themes. He hit what feels like all genres in these few stories.
I gave it three stars, but it’s probably 3.75 for me!
I gave it three stars, but it’s probably 3.75 for me!
April 22, 2026
Talented and careful writer. Frustrating only in the spaces where it's supposed to be frustrating. I especially enjoyed the more speculative pieces in this collection, I look forward to the novel that's brewing in there.
March 16, 2026
Really enjoyed part 3
October 21, 2022
I read this for a class I'm taking. I did enjoy the Houston specific details. My favorite story was Xitlali Zaragoza, Curandera. There were grisly or disturbing details in some of the others that are just not to my taste.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews