People who often speak against sci-fi, magical realism, or any fiction pieces argue that they prefer more realistic content. Although many works of this genre fail to make a connection between fantasy and reality, quality fiction shows through its fantastic scenarios aspects about humanity that are often too dark to face as pure realism. Fiction readers like me know this and never fail to find the realistic commentary hidden in spaceships, aliens, or robots. As a fan of the genre, reading Ruben Reyes Jr.'s debut, There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven, was exhilarating. Reyes creates a collection of stories where the rules of each world differ; however, they connect in their devastating outcomes. More importantly, the author draws the challengingly blurry line between fantasy and reality with effortless caution, making readers question the difference between the two—if any.
Reyes showcases his peculiar storytelling abilities in twelve stories (some short fiction and some flash fiction). He creates a narrative from perspectives rarely seen in science fiction. Queerness, Latinx culture, and Central American history are displayed in his stories, and readers don’t need to belong to said communities to understand them. They must, however, be aware of them—and have respect for them. He expects us to be clever enough to grasp what’s being told behind the imaginative aspect of his work, limiting his exposition and committing to the weirdness of his stories. The flash fiction pieces set the tone, where readers get settled in alternate realities from a well-known history. Then, in the longer stories, the speculative details are so carefully curated that one could easily forget they are not real. The imagination is engrained in the issues Reyes so well displays in his work, leaving us with a bitter taste in our mouths after each chapter—and if you are anything like me, with a few tears in your eyes.
“[Reyes Jr.] creates a narrative from perspectives rarely seen in science fiction. Queerness, Latinx culture, and Central American history are displayed in his stories, and readers don’t need to belong to said communities to understand them. They must, however, be aware of them—and have respect for them.”
One story is about grieving someone even before their death, where a son deals with the loss of his homophobic father and tries to form a new one who could love him for who he is. Another one builds a world where US Citizens are treated similarly to the immigrants trying to reach the border, but this time Americans try to reach Mars, facing violent repercussions if discovered. In both pieces, the author uses sci-fi elements to speak about truths about humanity and the ways we treat each other. Furthermore, Reyes does what at least I have never witnessed in Latinx literature: point at the ways the community hurts itself. Whether it is inside our home countries or as immigrants, we natives of the other two Americas tend to take advantage of our neighbors. Some stories in Reyes's work emphasize this issue. From a Latinx-owned company based in the US that underpays its employees to an exploited magical mango tree, Reyes tells disturbing facets of our community that are often ignored.
I found myself unable to put the book down. I remember telling my husband after each chapter, “That was devastating. I need to keep reading.” And I often came back to sections that I particularly loved. Especially its last chapter, where Reyes gives readers the chance to create their own immigration story, which I found insanely creative and fun—and frustrating whenever I took the wrong turn. With all that said, I am certain this book is not only meant for speculative fiction readers. It is for anyone ready to face wounding immigrant realities through richly imaginative worlds. And for anyone ready to question how similar real life is to our deepest nightmares.
Roxanna Cardenas Colmenares is a Venezuelan writer living in New York City who loves to consume, study, and create art. She explores multiple genres in her writing, with a special interest in horror and sci-fi, while working on her B.A. in English with a Creative Writing concentration.
Her work has made her a two-time recipient of the James Tolan Student Writing Award for her critical essays analyzing movies. She has also won The Henry Roth Award in Fiction, The Esther Unger Poetry Prize, and The Allan Danzig Memorial Award in Victorian Literature.
In her free time, she likes to watch movies, dance, and draw doodles that she hopes to be brave enough to share one day.
