Industry Reviews
"There s a decidedly east coast and Caribbean lurch to the settings and characters, but for the most part decidedly raza. Gente will see themselves in these stories. Characters have brown skin, speak some Spanish or as in Junot Diaz story, get a hard time from friends for not speaking good Spanish, engage in word-play mixing languages. They have names like Mictan (not Mictlan but close), Jesus, Gordo (two of them, one in Ana Castillo s New Mexico-set story and Older s), and Paco. These are 'latina/o' stories as a result of character, setting, language, and writer. One thing the collection is not is an insider s fiction. It s highly accessible while providing intimate insights about the way these writers, and writers like these, see the world. For the most part, Latina/o Rising will keep any reader interested just because these are worthwhile, good stories." Em Sedano, labloga.blogspot.com"
"Authors of Latino descent mix literary elements with science fiction and fantasy in this eloquent anthology of intimate pieces, with the speculative elements often serving as background, support, or mirror . . . . There is a feeling of melancholy to many of these pieces, and others, such as 'Monstro' by Junot Diaz and 'The Drain' by Alejandra Sanchez, can best be described as horror. Urban fantasy readers will particularly enjoy 'Red Feather and Bone' by Daniel Jose Older, a tie-in to his Bone Street Rumba series . . . . [A] solid anthology." --Publishers Weekly
"There's a decidedly east coast and Caribbean lurch to the settings and characters, but for the most part decidedly raza. Gente will see themselves in these stories. Characters have brown skin, speak some Spanish or as in Junot Diaz' story, get a hard time from friends for not speaking good Spanish, engage in word-play mixing languages. They have names like Mictan (not Mictlan but close), Jesus, Gordo (two of them, one in Ana Castillo's New Mexico-set story and Older's), and Paco. These are 'latina/o' stories as a result of character, setting, language, and writer. One thing the collection is not is an insider's fiction. It's highly accessible while providing intimate insights about the way these writers, and writers like these, see the world. For the most part, Latina/o Rising will keep any reader interested just because these are worthwhile, good stories." --Em Sedano, labloga.blogspot.com
"Latino writers of speculative fiction have grown increasingly visible in the fields of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Now, for the first time, a representative cross-section of their work has been collected into a single volume: Latin@ Rising: An Anthology of Latin@ Science Fiction & Fantasy, released in January by Wings Press . . . . As a starting point for the serious exploration and study of speculative fiction as it flows from the pen of Latino writers, this volume has much to recommend it. It's also one hell of a ride." --David Bowles, McAllen Monitor
"Now Wings has made history by publishing the first-ever anthology of science fiction and fantasy by Latinos in America, Latin@ Rising. The 24 stories and poems in this nuanced and timely collection all seek to foreground brown voices . . . . It is certainly fair to call Latin@ Rising, a book that explores identity while delighting in dreams, a speculative success." --Roberto Ontiveros, Texas Observer
"The stories range in length from flash fiction to almost novelette length, plus a few poems and something akin to a photo-essay, so there's something for every attention span. The authors are male and female, straight and queer (various values thereof). There's science fiction and fantasy and magical realism and some stories that don't fit neatly into any one category. Many are rooted in our real world or variations of same, some take place farther afield. I highly recommend checking out Latin@ Rising. The variety of voices, all grounded in what is unique and shared about the Latin@ experience, is well worth listening to." --Anthony R. Cardno, anthonycardno.com
