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A review by oleksandr
Terra Nova: An Anthology of Contemporary Spanish Science Fiction by Víctor Conde, Teresa P. Mira de Echeverría, Lawrence Schimel, Mariano Villarreal, Juanfran Jiménez, Erick J. Mota, Sue Burke, Lola Robles, Felicidad Martínez
3.0
This is a collection of SFF/Horror stories translated from Spanish, by authors from Spain, Cuba and Argentina. I read is as a part of monthly reading for February 2021 at Speculative Fiction in Translation group.
There are six stories and they vary for me from meh to good. Here is the decription.
The Texture of Words by Felicidad Martínez a society were women are blind and are held in some closed space to serve men, who go outside for resources and to fight someone. A story is narrated by a baby/girl/woman as she growth. Interesting and it finished not the way I expected. 3.5*
Deirdre by Lola Robles a woman narrator buys a female robot, who should be her friend/lover. But if the robot is so good that it feels, isn’t it a slavery? 3*
Greetings from a Zombie Nation by Erick J. Mota a novel take on zombie apoc – this time from Cuba, where a drug was created to make zombies docile, and military to want to make good solders with it. A critique of problems of ordinary life in Cuba, quite fresh. 4.5*
Light a Lone Candle by Víctor Conde more usual zombie apoc, from kind of global communication via minds, with just a few freaks remaining as individuals; a steam of conscious of a man who drives to his love to supply her with a medicine. He is half-crazy on LSD. 2*
Bodies by Juanfran Jiménez there is a way to temporarily exchange bodies, a criminal (?) narrator uses it. Some use it as a way to migrate to Europe, namely Spain. 3*
Memory by Teresa P. Mira de Echeverría an ‘old SF Mars’ story with a boy falling in love with a Martian – a genetically changed humans made to terraform Mars. While interesting, feels underdeveloped. 3*
Science Fiction from Spain by Mariano Villarreal a list of writers, their works, SFF magazines and awards.
There are six stories and they vary for me from meh to good. Here is the decription.
The Texture of Words by Felicidad Martínez a society were women are blind and are held in some closed space to serve men, who go outside for resources and to fight someone. A story is narrated by a baby/girl/woman as she growth. Interesting and it finished not the way I expected. 3.5*
Deirdre by Lola Robles a woman narrator buys a female robot, who should be her friend/lover. But if the robot is so good that it feels, isn’t it a slavery? 3*
Greetings from a Zombie Nation by Erick J. Mota a novel take on zombie apoc – this time from Cuba, where a drug was created to make zombies docile, and military to want to make good solders with it. A critique of problems of ordinary life in Cuba, quite fresh. 4.5*
Light a Lone Candle by Víctor Conde more usual zombie apoc, from kind of global communication via minds, with just a few freaks remaining as individuals; a steam of conscious of a man who drives to his love to supply her with a medicine. He is half-crazy on LSD. 2*
Bodies by Juanfran Jiménez there is a way to temporarily exchange bodies, a criminal (?) narrator uses it. Some use it as a way to migrate to Europe, namely Spain. 3*
Memory by Teresa P. Mira de Echeverría an ‘old SF Mars’ story with a boy falling in love with a Martian – a genetically changed humans made to terraform Mars. While interesting, feels underdeveloped. 3*
Science Fiction from Spain by Mariano Villarreal a list of writers, their works, SFF magazines and awards.