Image 1 of 1
About the author
Born José Miguel Sánchez Gómez, Yoss assumed his pen name in 1988, when he won the Premio David in the science fiction category for Timshel. Together with his peculiar pseudonym, the author's aesthetic of an impentinent rocker has allowed him to stand out amongst his fellow Cuban writers. Earning a degree in Biology in 1991, he went on to graduate from the first ever course on Narrative Techniques at the Onelio Jorge Cardoso Center of Literary Training, in the year 1999. Today, Yoss writes both realistic and science fiction works. Alongside these novels, the author produces essays, reviews, and compilations, and actively promotes the Cuban science fiction literary workshops, Espiral and Espacio Abierto.
About the Translator
When he isn’t translating, David Frye teaches Latin American culture and society at the University of Michigan. Translations include First New ChronicleandGood Government by Guaman Poma de Ayala (Peru, 1615); The Mangy Parrot by José Joaquín Fernandez de Lizardi (Mexico, 1816), for which he received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship; Writing Across Cultures: Narrative Transculturation in Latin America by Ángel Rama (Uruguay, 1982); and several Cuban and Spanish novels and poems.
Book Details
Paperback: $17
ISBN: 9781632062468
eBook ISBN: 9781632062475
Publication date: Jul 7, 2020
5.5" x 8.25" • 208 pages
Territory: World
Praise
“Cuban author Yoss (Condomnauts) brings a hard-boiled noir aesthetic to this uproarious space opera about a wisecracking, Raymond Chandler–loving robot detective…. Yoss plays the mix of sci-fi and square-jawed detective fiction for some big laughs while layering in loving allusions to the greats of both genres…. a cinematic shoot-out of a finale, complete with bullets, blasters, and samurai swords. This is good fun.”
“For readers similarly attached to Chandler, Raymond will be a delight. His narration is an immensely charming Philip Marlowe impression: goofily self-conscious, often laugh-out-loud funny, and perfectly translated. (I shudder to imagine how hard translating pseudo-Chandler must have been; Frye deserves a tip of the fedora Raymond never takes off.) Red Dust is pastiche at its finest, and it delivers a happy ending that seems to warm even Raymond's robot heart.”
—Lily Meyer, NPR
“Cuban sf writer Yoss adds a dash of detective noir to his latest space opera…. Yoss has created inventive and dimensional characters within a meticulously orchestrated, richly detailed, world-building mystery that will appeal to Terry Pratchett fans.”
—Adrienne Cruz, Booklist
“Experienced translator Frye goes with the flow beautifully in a book that code-switches between languages, cultures, literary eras, and genres. An absolute joy to read.”
—Bethanne Patrick, Literary Hub
“Raymond is a delight—not overly robotic, but also not entirely human—and the buddy/cop relationship with Vasily is handled with a good dose of humour and heart. Kudos then to Restless Books, who have now translated four of Yoss’s novels from Spanish into English—by the wonderful David Frye—with the most evocative and eye-grabbing of covers. It’s a privilege to read the work of a writer as inventive and erudite as Yoss, but it wouldn’t be possible without the terrific support of publishers like Restless Books.”
—Ian Mond, Locus Magazine
“There is something magical about reading a narrative in which the author’s unbridled joy pours from every sentence…. Restless Books has done a fantastic job by bringing Yoss’s work to English speakers, and translator David Frye has once again managed to translate a narrative with strange words, unique phrasing, funny turns of phrase, and even a hint of Spanglish without losing any of the spark and humor that make Yoss’s work such a pleasure to read. If you’re a fan of Yoss, this is a superb addition to his oeuvre. If you’ve never read Yoss, then this is the perfect place to start.”
—Gabino Iglesias, Southwest Review
“A wild ride from the first page, Red Dust is a highly entertaining space opera indebted to classic detective fiction…. Like Super Extra Grande, Red Dust showcases Yoss’s talent for deadpan humor mixed with some of the most outrageous alien species you’ll ever read about…. You have to hand it to translator David Frye, who perfectly captured the pitch of this unusual space opera.”
—Rachel Cordasco, Speculative Fiction in Translation
“A fast, furious, and genuinely fun read.”
“This inventive novel is stuffed full of attitude and characters that leap off the page…. chock-full of clever twists and turns. Bonus at the end: I guarantee you’ll close the book with a great big smile on your face.”
—Kay Wosewick, Boswell Book Company (Milwaukee, WI)
“Such a fun read! This book is a science fiction homage to old noir detective stories—sort of a Philip Marlowe in space. David Frye provides an excellent translation into English, while maintaining Yoss' Cuban flair for names and phrases.”
—Kerry Mayer, Auntie’s Bookstore (Spokane, WA)
Edited by Ilan Stavans
World Literature Today’s 75 Notable Translation of 2020
In this rich, eye-opening, and uplifting anthology, dozens of esteemed writers, poets, artists, and translators from more than thirty countries send literary dispatches from life during the pandemic. A portion of proceeds benefit booksellers in need.
As our world is transformed by the coronavirus pandemic, writers offer a powerful antidote to the fearful confines of isolation: a window onto lives and corners of the world beyond our own. In Mauritius, a journalist contends with denialism and mourns the last days of summer, lost to the lockdown. In Paris, a writer struggles to protect his young son from fear. In Chile, protesters who prevailed against tear gas and rubber bullets are now halted by a virus. In Queens, after thirteen-hour shifts in the ER, a doctor dons running shoes and makes the long jog home.
And We Came Outside and Saw the Stars Again takes its title from the last line of Dante’s Inferno, when the poet and his guide emerge from hell to once again behold the beauty of the heavens. In that spirit, the stories, essays, poems, and artwork in this collection—from beloved authors including Jhumpa Lahiri, Mario Vargas Llosa, Eavan Boland, Daniel Alarcón, Jon Lee Anderson, Rivka Galchen, Claire Messud, Ariel Dorfman, and many more—detail the harrowing experiences of life in the pandemic, while pointing toward a less isolated future. Together they comprise a profound global portrait of the defining moment of our time, and send a clarion call for solidarity across borders.