Science Fiction Novels by Latin American Authors

National Hispanic Heritage month recognizes the contributions and achievements of Latin Americans. Two of my favorite recent reads are science fiction novels that highlight environmental issues written by authors from Latin American.  

Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías; translated by Heather Cleary

Living in a nearly abandoned coastal South American city, a woman balances her relationship with her aging mother and hospitalized ex-husband while caring for a boy who suffers from a strange eating disorder. Pink Slime’s unnamed narrator watches the world around her deteriorating while struggling to maintain normalcy amid toxic winds, food shortages, power outages, and police patrols. As she recalls key moments from her past she wonders if there’s any connection between her town's new meat processing facility and some of the odd happenings. 

Author Fernanda Trías was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia, where she teachers a creative writing MFA program. She is the award-winning author of three novels. Pink Slime has been Longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature and named a Best Book of 2024 by NPR, Esquire, Publishers Weekly, and ScreenRant. 

Adventure Begins at Your Library - Explore New Genres

 

In keeping with Forsyth County Public Library's summer reading theme, Adventure Beings at Your Library, visitors to the Sharon Forks Library can explore new genres and find reading suggestions in themed picnic baskets throughout the branch. 

Our June picnic basket themes highlight books for foodies, short stories, classics, and green reads, which include fiction and nonfiction books that have an environmental angle.  

The foodie basket includes colorful cookbooks, fun and fascinating fiction for cooks and gourmets, and even a Thai comic cookbook, Noodles, Rice, and Everything Spice by Christina de Witte.

Staff Picks: Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman

Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman

Are fish intelligent? 

You may be surprised to learn that some species of fish demonstrate high levels of intelligence. Fish have been known to use tools to crush shells, deceive and manipulate predators, and even use massage to regulate stress.  A fictional creation of author Ned Beauman, the venomous lumpsucker, is the subject and title of a cautionary science fiction novel set in the near future.  

Venomous Lumpsucker paints a bleak but comic portrait of an environmental apocalypse and is part of a growing subgenre of books called eco-thrillers.