10 Awesome Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books by Latinx Authors

​Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Many people aren’t sure what this holiday is all about, so here’s a link to a great article explaining what Cinco de Mayo celebrates.
 
What we’re here for today is not tacos and cerveza but BOOKS, of course! (Although we might just be eating tacos for dinner....) We compiled a list of ten awesome sci-fi and fantasy books by Mexican and Latinx authors.

​(We also wanted to say: Happy first publishing anniversary to The Land of the Purple Ring!)

1. Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
This is a story about narco vampires in Mexico City. A mortal has a love affair with a descendent of Aztec blood-drinkers; they’re caught between rival vampire gangs and also have a cop on their tail.
 
2. Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was by Angélica Gorodischer, trans. Ursula Le Guin
This is a collection of stories woven together about a nameless, fabled empire and its numerous rises and falls; the stories have both political and fairy-tale elements.
 
3. Red Dust by Yoss, trans. David Frye
This is a sharply funny space opera set on an intergalactic trading station where aliens control Earthlings’ commerce and a robot detective pursues a fugitive who can twist the laws of physics.
 
4. The Island of Eternal Love by Daína Chaviano
A journalist investigating a “phantom” house in Miami befriends an elderly Cuban woman, who spins the fascinating tale of her family saga, spanning from China to Africa to Spain, and then to Cuba. Popular and beloved, this is the most-translated Cuban novel of all time.
 
5. Ink by Sabrina Vourvoulias
This is a dystopian novel dealing with immigration issues; because of institutionalized population control, immigrants are monitored and forced to get a biometric tattoo. Four narrators grapple with feelings of “otherness.”
 
6. Cat’s Whirld by Rodolfo Martínez, trans. Steve Redwood
This is a blend of thriller, cyberpunk, and space opera; a ragtag band of hackers and cyberthieves is caught between warring empires.
 
7. Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera
The teenage leader of an all-female gang aspires to a better life, but to achieve that, she must undertake a dangerous task for her city’s founder.
 
8. Nocturna by Maya Motayne
A grieving prince and a talented faceshifter, who’s being forced to steal a legendary treasure or lose her magic, accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power and have to stop it from devouring the world.
 
9. Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez
A woman of court with moonlight-weaving magic must hunt for a missing relic that can restore power to the true royal family; but she questions her desire for revenge when she learns that the politics aren’t as black-and-white as she thought.
 
10. Love. An Archaeology by Fabio Fernandes
This is a collection of fourteen sci-fi/fantasy stories involving time travel and alternate realities, all with a love-related theme.

Have you read any of these, or do you have any other excellent SF/F books by Latinx authors to recommend? Tell us in the comments!

​P.S. - If you enjoyed this list of recommendations, why not sign up for our newsletter? Twice a month, we'll send you a themed list of fantasy and/or sci-fi book recommendations, and sometimes music or movies too!

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Sarah M. Awa

Sarah writes books about werewolves and lives with two hairy guys. Her debut novel is Hunter’s Moon. Check out her author website at www.sarahmawa.com.