Reading the Southern Cone: Five Speculative Novels That Travel Well
A translator's shortlist of Argentine and Chilean science fiction now reaching English readers, with notes on what survives the crossing and what sharpens on the way over.
What contributors bring to every issue
Alienaward Press is put together by people who read the slush pile, argue over a translation choice, and decide which letters run. Here is what that editorial layer actually gives you as a reader.
Reporting from the small-press floor
Print runs, table fees, paper stock, and the quiet math behind a hundred-copy zine. Contributors walk the fairs in Buenos Aires and bring back what the catalogues leave out.
Translation notes, not just translated text
When a novel crosses from Spanish into English, something shifts. Our contributors flag what got sharper, what got flattened, and which small presses are doing that work.
Letters read by people, not filters
The letters section is edited by contributors, so a published response reflects a deliberate choice. Disagreements run for years here, and that is the point.
Criticism that stays with the book
Long-form reviews and essays on speculative fiction, indie genre film, and tabletop worldbuilding, written by contributors who follow these scenes closely rather than from a distance.
Curious how a piece moves from pitch to print? The editorial process walks through it step by step, and the service list covers what the newsroom handles week to week.