Batallas Argentinas Vol. 1 by Armando S. Fernández

The only exceptions are indicated in the text. Generally, this compilation does not include forms of the sf genre such as poetry, film scripts, films, or comic books. The selection criteria do not necessarily imply aesthetic or other value judgments. That first attempt was written in Spanish and included coverage of regional works published between 1775-1999.1 While we have expanded this version of the Chronology into the twenty-first century, we are nonetheless aware that it may still be incomplete and welcome additional titles for a future edition. An earlier version was published in November 2000 in Chasqui, a journal devoted to Latin American literary criticism. The objective of this Chronology is to continue to inventory this type of cultural production in Latin America and to present it here in English for the first time. Therefore, this and any chronology of Latin American sf will of necessity include texts not always or exclusively identifiable as science fiction, especially to readers accustomed to works from parts of the world with more established sf traditions and stronger ties to the critical and market sectors. Historically, in the absence of sustained attention from the literary establishment, Latin American writers have been free to disregard the more stringent genre boundaries that shaped early sf production in the US. The term “sf” has now become internationally accepted, however, and is widely used, sometimes to differentiate subgenres within the overall rubric of the fantastic and at other, less fortunate times, to label those works as “sub-literature.” Although we use the designation “sf” here, we must point out that sf is often intertwined with other speculative forms in Latin America (most commonly horror and the fantastic).

(Oftentimes, this misperception is fueled by publishers, who are unconvinced of the market appeal of a book labeled “science fiction.”) Any foray into the speculative that comes from Latin America runs the risk of being classified as either magical realism or the fantastic, as if those genres were somehow endemic and unavoidable. Many readers and critics possessing only a superficial acquaintance with Latin American science fiction erroneously assume the works to be mere variations of the more prestigious genres, magical realism and the literary fantastic.

Elizabeth Ginway, Luis Pestarini, and Juan Carlos Toledano RedondoĬhronology of Latin American Science Fiction, 1775-2005

Yolanda Molina-Gavil án, Andrea Bell, Miguel Ángel Fernández-Delgado, M.

Batallas Argentinas Vol. 1 by Armando S. Fernández