Name: The Spirit of Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780735222854

Roberto Bolaño

"Set in Mexico in the 1970s, the novel charts the literary and romantic escapades of two Chilean aspiring writers, employing a range of genres, from epistolary novel to science fiction to satire"--

The Spirit of Science Fiction

i checked this one out because it was the only one of bolaño's works that was on nypl stavros' shelves (i am still on the holds list for 

). from reading other reviews, i see that this one was drafted early on his career, published posthumously, and better appreciated by fans already familiar with 

 and bolaño's mature career. even so, i enjoyed the experience of reading this book; it's funny that bolaño references gene wolfe and his propensity to hide things from the audience because the allusiveness (as well as the three intertwining storylines) here reminded me of how i felt reading 

alice

i checked this one out because it was the only one of bolaño's works that was on nypl stavros' shelves (i am still on the holds list for 2666). from reading other reviews, i see that this one was drafted early on his career, published posthumously, and better appreciated by fans already familiar with los detectivos salvajes and bolaño's mature career. even so, i enjoyed the experience of reading this book; it's funny that bolaño references gene wolfe and his propensity to hide things from the audience because the allusiveness (as well as the three intertwining storylines) here reminded me of how i felt reading the fifth head of cerberus (one of my favorite books ever) and the shadow of the torturer. great atmosphere.

Fasiha🌺🐧

Miguel Salgado Jr

Clare B

A tale of bohemian youth on the make in Mexico City from a master of contemporary fiction, and a sublime precursor to The Savage Detectives. Two young poets, Jan and Remo, find themselves adrift in Mexico City. Obsessed with poetry, and, above all, with science fiction, they are eager to forge a life in the literary world – or sacrifice themselves to it. Roberto Bolaño’s The Spirit of Science Fiction is a story of youth hungry for revolution, notoriety, and sexual adventure, as they work to construct a reality out of the fragments of their dreams. But as close as these friends are, the city tugs them in opposite directions. Jan withdraws from the world, shutting himself in their shared rooftop apartment where he feverishly composes fan letters to the stars of science fiction, and dreams of cosmonauts and Nazis. Meanwhile, Remo runs head-first into the future, spending his days and nights with a circle of wild young writers, seeking pleasure in the city’s labyrinthine streets, rundown cafes, and murky bathhouses. The Spirit of Science Fiction is a kaleidoscopic work of strange and tender beauty, and a fitting introduction for readers uninitiated into the thrills of Roberto Bolaño’s fiction. It is an indispensable addition to an ecstatic and transgressive body of work.

The Spirit of Science Fiction

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