Chicano Frankenstein
by Daniel A Olivas
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A modern retelling of the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley classic that addresses issues of belonging and assimilation
An unnamed paralegal, brought back to life through a controversial process, maneuvers through a near-future world that both needs and resents him. As the United States president spouts anti-reanimation rhetoric and giant pharmaceutical companies rake in profits, the man falls in love with lawyer Faustina Godnez. His world expands as he meets her network of family and friends, setting him on a course to discover his first-life history, which the reanimation process erased. With elements of science fiction, horror, political satire and romance, Chicano Frankenstein confronts our nation's bigotries and the question of what it truly means to be human.
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9781942436591
- Binding
- Paperback
- Authors
- Daniel A Olivas
- Publisher
- Forest Avenue Press
- Published Date
- March 5, 2024
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 222
- Physical Info
- 8.9 in L x 5.9 in W (0.7 lb)
This was an endearing and horrifying book. It was so politically fraught and timely. What a clever retelling and I think Olivas did a beautiful job bringing Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN into current times.
I picked up a copy on the recommendation of my good friend Cina Pelayo. The book did not disappoint! 5-stars all around.The world building was outstanding, and I loved the main character who is a flat main character, given his reanimated condition. Well, he was flat for most of the book. I appreciated how well-crafted his "stitcher" voice was and the anonymity was ideal.One of my favorite aspects was the parallel from that world to today's wackadoo politics of alt-right nuttiness. The president in that book seems to be a more verbal shadow of Trump and other neo-con fools, trying to destroy our country, much like the politicians in that story are destroying the existence of animated people in that novel. The working class issues were also sublime. I loved the parallels with stitchers taking jobs from the living, much like people allege undocumented workers do here, in America.In that regard, the work was intelligent without proselytizing. Fine work overall.I loved this novella and look forward to reading more of Olivares' work.
Good read for a quick getaway
This book took me a minute to get into, but once I did I became very engaged. The storyline was intriguing but the book ended abruptly which I found very disappointing. It wasn’t even much of a cliffhanger, but felt more like the author got bored and decided to stop writing.
A little (reanimated) slice of life feel and jam packed with modern juxtapositions. This a wonderfully written novella with a little pinch from multiple genres. Olivas creates a compelling story through a Chicano lens about identity, discovery, love and what it truly means to be alive. I really enjoyed the jarring transcripts from the different governing bodies paralleling the protagonist’s storyline. I also really enjoyed this unique found family narrative. I could not put this book down and it’s a delectable in-one-sitting read. It’s set up so well to be expanded and I would love to see more stories about this reanimated community.
