Chicanonautica: Guerrilla Mural Certified Radical

by Ernest Hogan

My story collection Guerrilla Mural of a Siren’s Song: 15 Gonzo Science Fiction Stories has been out for almost a year and there have been no “real” reviews, and it’s been largely ignored except for here at the intersection of Latino Lit and Sci-Fi. I was leaning toward depression . . . then . . . a review on video declares the book “Certified Radical.”

The upstart responsible for this subversive act is Alli Dubin, who describes herself as "a student of latinx sci-fi as someone who walks through the world with white privilege, as someone who is interested in the perspectives of other people and spending time in other worldviews.”

Take that, those of you who assume that my work is only of interest to microminority intellectual vatos locos!

She also gets what I’m doing:

“. . . combines something called rasquache and science fiction together and the result is absolutely hilarious.”

Yes, she comprendes rasquache!

 Made good use of some of my artwork.

Here to emphasize quotes from her favorite story, “Flying Under the Radar with Paco and Los Freetails”:

Hope she knows about the other Paco Cohen stories . . .

As well as providing some great quotes that I will be exploiting soon:

“. . . pulls little bits and pieces from politics and pop culture and literature and music and he filters it all through his Chicano identity and the result is you get this hilarious form of empowerment and resistance.”

And:

“ . . . very enriching while at the same time just a ton of fun. ”

I love it when reviewers remind people that my work is fun, and funny. 

Also, being “Certified Radical by Alli from Radical Reads” makes me proud.

So, watch the review yourself:

Ernest Hogan is a living example that Chicano is a science fiction state of being, and is also the author of Smoking Mirror Blues, in which Tezcatlipoca manifests in Hollywood during a futuristic festival combining Halloween and the Days of the Dead. ¡Feliz Dead Daze!