From weird to punk: The experiments of Eduardo Vaquerizo and Ramiro Sanchiz
Science fiction has traditionally been one of the strongest fantasy genres, especially because of the range of storytelling possibilities it offers. Today, despite the rise of fantasy in general in this century, signs of a possible return as the star genre are showing, especially through science fiction’s emergence as an excellent laboratory for experimenting with fusions with other genres and formats. Two authors who have made this genre their unique testing ground – with fantastic results – are Madrid’s Eduardo Vaquerizo and Uruguay’s Ramiro Sanchiz. The veteran Vaquerizo, whose background is in aerospace engineering, is one of the essential names in the genre, and his books have featured classic science fiction, as well as steampunk, dystopia and uchronia. In fact, one of his best-known novels is Danza de tinieblas, a steampunk alternate history. His latest publication, Coramante (Alamut), features a rural world of forgotten technology, where the protagonist rediscovers this knowledge. Meanwhile, the multifaceted writer Sanchiz includes all areas of science fiction in his 21 novels, from the genre at its most metaphorical and speculative to alternate histories and the New Weird. His latest novel, Los acontecimientos (Fondo de Cultura Económica), takes place in a near future where climate change is irreversible. Both authors, led by science fiction expert and fellow writer Cristina Jurado, will talk about the possibilities of science fiction, their experiences exploring it and the messages it can convey.
