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A Night of Screams: Latino Horror Stories
The movement of the old woman’s hands is quick and youthful as she works the dough for tamales on Mars’ dusty, dry surface where their cohete broke apart and crash landed. She, her husband and their only son survive, and the old man curses the coyotes who took his money for a rocket not built to accommodate his family of eleven. A storm is coming, and he rails at his wife that she’s wasting her time. “We’ll be dead by the time you finish your goddamn tamales.”
This riveting collection of horror stories—and four poems—contains a wide range of styles, themes and authors. Creepy creatures roam the pages, including La Llorona and the Chupacabras in fresh takes on Latin American lore, as well as ghosts, zombies and shadow selves. Migrants continue to pass through Rancho Altamira where Esteban’s family has lived for generations, but now there are two types: the living and the dead. A young man returns repeatedly to the scary portal down which his buddy disappeared. A woman is relieved to receive multiple calls from her cousin following Hurricane María in Puerto Rico, but she is stunned to later learn her prima died the first night of the storm! There’s plenty of blood and gore in some stories, while others are mysterious and suspenseful. Contributors include Ann Davila Cardinal, V. Castro, Ruben Degollado, Richie Narvaez, Lilliam Rivera and Ivelisse Rodriguez.
In his introduction, editor Richard Z. Santos writes it is no surprise these stories are brilliant and terrifying, given cartel violence, a history of CIA-backed dictatorships in Latin America, increasingly scary rhetoric from American politicians, decades of institutionalized racism and the demonization of Latinos in the media. “After all,” he says, “we are the faceless horde, invading zombies hellbent on upturning the world and replacing it with something foreign, accented and impossibly different.”
This riveting collection of horror stories—and four poems—contains a wide range of styles, themes and authors. Creepy creatures roam the pages, including La Llorona and the Chupacabras in fresh takes on Latin American lore, as well as ghosts, zombies and shadow selves. Migrants continue to pass through Rancho Altamira where Esteban’s family has lived for generations, but now there are two types: the living and the dead. A young man returns repeatedly to the scary portal down which his buddy disappeared. A woman is relieved to receive multiple calls from her cousin following Hurricane María in Puerto Rico, but she is stunned to later learn her prima died the first night of the storm! There’s plenty of blood and gore in some stories, while others are mysterious and suspenseful. Contributors include Ann Davila Cardinal, V. Castro, Ruben Degollado, Richie Narvaez, Lilliam Rivera and Ivelisse Rodriguez.
In his introduction, editor Richard Z. Santos writes it is no surprise these stories are brilliant and terrifying, given cartel violence, a history of CIA-backed dictatorships in Latin America, increasingly scary rhetoric from American politicians, decades of institutionalized racism and the demonization of Latinos in the media. “After all,” he says, “we are the faceless horde, invading zombies hellbent on upturning the world and replacing it with something foreign, accented and impossibly different.”
221 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2023
12 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 3, 2023
When I heard that Richard Z. Santos was editing a Latino Horror story anthology with some of my favorite authors as contributors and some new ones that were not on my rada.
I just knew I was going to be in for a treat, Con Chile y todo!
From the Introduction by Richard Santos to the contributors note, This collection is one that will stick with me for a long time. I loved the new fresh takes on Latin American/ Mexican-American Lore mixed in with immigration, cartel violence, demonization of Latinos in media, ghost, zombies, creepy creatures and so much more.
What I loved most is the fact that I was reading horror stories infused with Sci-fi, Magical realism, and poetry. These stories felt so lyrical and were able to portray the Latinx Struggle and cruel reality that we are faced with in the daily.
It was interesting to see some of my favorite authors to venture into new territories ( horror ) and felt so proud to know that..DAMN! They did so great! Anyway, Don’t let this collection sit on your TBR for too long.
It’s rare to come across a short story collection where you feel connected to every single story, and this was it for me. But i know my book besties are gonna ask which ones were my faves and for you , ✨My favorites are ✨
Migrants by Ruben Degollado
La Llorona happenings by Flor Salcedo
It said “Bellevue” by Sydney Macias
What the hurricane took by Ann Davila Cardinal
Chola Salvation by Estella Gonzales
Tamales by Jose Alanis
Detached by Leticia Urrieta
Anyway, Do not sleep on this anthology.
I just knew I was going to be in for a treat, Con Chile y todo!
From the Introduction by Richard Santos to the contributors note, This collection is one that will stick with me for a long time. I loved the new fresh takes on Latin American/ Mexican-American Lore mixed in with immigration, cartel violence, demonization of Latinos in media, ghost, zombies, creepy creatures and so much more.
What I loved most is the fact that I was reading horror stories infused with Sci-fi, Magical realism, and poetry. These stories felt so lyrical and were able to portray the Latinx Struggle and cruel reality that we are faced with in the daily.
It was interesting to see some of my favorite authors to venture into new territories ( horror ) and felt so proud to know that..DAMN! They did so great! Anyway, Don’t let this collection sit on your TBR for too long.
It’s rare to come across a short story collection where you feel connected to every single story, and this was it for me. But i know my book besties are gonna ask which ones were my faves and for you , ✨My favorites are ✨
Migrants by Ruben Degollado
La Llorona happenings by Flor Salcedo
It said “Bellevue” by Sydney Macias
What the hurricane took by Ann Davila Cardinal
Chola Salvation by Estella Gonzales
Tamales by Jose Alanis
Detached by Leticia Urrieta
Anyway, Do not sleep on this anthology.
February 22, 2024
Loved it! My favorites were “Detached,” “Purveyors and Puppets”, and “Between Staying and Going.” Not 5 stars cause some were a struggle to get through and some were pretty cringe. I wouldn’t call all of the stories ‘horror’ stories but I’m not a die hard horror fan so that’s fine with me.
October 5, 2024
some stories were better than others
August 6, 2023
Just read a selection of them. Not all that many but I'm still counting completed.
December 9, 2024
Mostly a collection of sketches, many of them quite short. Some compelling ideas, though. Does a hurricane leave ghosts in its wake? Is an aging couple stalked by El Chupacabra or the idea of death? Is the noise next door La Llorona or an even more terrifying reality? Little evocative ideas are often better than drawn out novels in this genre.
October 6, 2023
Horror thrives in the liminal spaces and few spaces are more liminal than in between two cultures. Richard Z. Santos curates a great group of stories exploring the horrific in the spaces between cultures.
August 5, 2023
An amazing collection of stories that frighten and challenge. An wonderful primer for anyone looking to engage with Latino history and culture in the horror genre.
January 16, 2024
I never DNF a book but I don’t know if books like these are my thing but I couldn’t get through it. I know there are several “stories” they weren’t even scary, or even like WOW.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2024
i’m not sure if anthologies are my thing. i would’ve loved to read more of some of the stories. my favorite was definitely “purveyors and puppets” by pedro iniguez.
November 25, 2024
I'll have to come back and rerank these stories with the poetry in mind cuz they didn't strike me and I usually need to redead them more than a few times. So here is my ranking of the short stories:
01. Between Going and Staying
02. Indian Blood
03. A Night of Screams in Austin, TX
04. La Llorona Happenings
05. Cruz & Me
06. What the Hurracaine Took
07. Migrants
08. Excerpt from Before We Became a New People
09. Detached
10. Purveyors and Puppets
11. A Curious Encounter
12. It Said "Bellevue"
13. A Thing With Feathers
14. Tamales
15. Chola Salvation
16. Night Shifts
17. Dark Lord of the Rainbow
18. The Boy Called Chupa
Ranked as: That's cute, Pumpkin
01. Between Going and Staying
02. Indian Blood
03. A Night of Screams in Austin, TX
04. La Llorona Happenings
05. Cruz & Me
06. What the Hurracaine Took
07. Migrants
08. Excerpt from Before We Became a New People
09. Detached
10. Purveyors and Puppets
11. A Curious Encounter
12. It Said "Bellevue"
13. A Thing With Feathers
14. Tamales
15. Chola Salvation
16. Night Shifts
17. Dark Lord of the Rainbow
18. The Boy Called Chupa
Ranked as: That's cute, Pumpkin
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews