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About the Book

On the intergalactic trading station William S. Burroughs, profit is king and aliens are the kingmakers. Earthlings have bowed to their superior power and weaponry, though the aliens—praying-mantis-like Grodos with pheromonal speech and gargantuan Collosaurs with a limited sense of humor—kindly allow them to do business through properly controlled channels. 

That’s where our hero comes in, name of Raymond. As part of the android police force, this positronic robot detective navigates both worlds, human and alien, keeping order and evaporating wrongdoers. But nothing in his centuries of experience prepares him for Makrow 34, a fugitive Cetian perp with psi powers. Meaning he can alter the shape of the Gaussian bell curve of statistical probability—making it rain indoors, say, or causing a would-be captor to shoot himself in the face. Raymond will need all his training—and all his careful study of Chandler’s hardbitten cops—to meet his match. 

As he did in his brilliantly funny and sharp science-fiction parables A Planet for Rent, Super Extra Grande, and Condomnauts, Yoss makes the familiar strange and the strange familiar in Red Dust, giving us an unforgettable half-human hero and a richly imagined universe where the bad guys are above the laws of physics.

Praise for Red Dust

“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.”

—Publishers Weekly

“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.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“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)

Praise for A Planet for Rent

"A Planet for Rent is the English-language debut of Yoss, one of Cuba's most lauded writers of science fiction. Translated by David Frye, these linked stories craft a picture of a dystopian future: Aliens called xenoids have invaded planet Earth, and people are looking to flee the economically and socially bankrupt remains of human civilization. Yoss' smart and entertaining novel tackles themes like prostitution, immigration and political corruption. Ultimately, it serves as an empathetic yet impassioned metaphor for modern-day Cuba, where the struggle for power has complicated every facet of society."

—Juan Vidal, NPR, Best Books of 2015

"In prose that is direct, sarcastic, sexual and often violent, A Planet for Rent criticizes Cuban reality in thinly veiled terms. Cuban defectors leave the country not on rafts but on 'unlawful space launches'; prostitutes are 'social workers'; foreigners are 'xenoids'; and Cuba is a “planet whose inhabitants have stopped believing in the future.” The book is particularly critical of the government-run tourism industry of the ’90s, which welcomed and protected tourists — often at the expense of Cubans — and whose legacy can still be felt today."

—Jonathan Wolfe, The New York Times

“Some of the best sci-fi written anywhere since the 1970s.… A Planet for Rent, like its author, a bandana-wearing, muscly roquero, is completely sui generis: riotously funny, scathing, perceptive, and yet also heart-wrenchingly compassionate.… Instantly appealing.”

—André Naffis-Sahely, The Nation

"This hilarious and imaginative novel by Cuba's premiere science-fiction writer gets my vote for most overlooked novel of the year. Yoss's book imagines a world where Earth is run as a tourist destination by capitalist aliens who have little regard for the planet or its inhabitants. A Planet for Rent is a perfect SF satire for our era of massive inequality and seemingly unchecked environmental destruction."

—Lincoln Michel, VICE

"A Planet for Rent is devastating and hilarious and somehow, amidst all those aliens, deeply deeply human."

—Daniel José Older, author of Half-Resurrection Blues

“A compelling meditation on modern imperialism…. A fascinating kaleidoscope of vignettes…. A brilliant exploration of our planet’s current social and economic inequities…. Yoss doesn’t disappoint, sling-shotting us around the world and the galaxy…. Striking, detailed.… Yoss has written a work of science fiction that speaks to fundamental problems humans deal with every day. This is not just a story about alien oppression; it’s the story of our own planet’s history and a call for change.”

—Rachel Cordasco, SF Signal, 4.5-star review

Praise for Super Extra Grande:

“Intergalactic space travel meets outrageous, biting satire in Super Extra Grande…. Its author [Yoss] is one of the most celebrated — and controversial — Cuban writers of science fiction…. Reminiscent of Douglas Adams — but even more so, the satire of Rabelais and Swift.”

—Nancy Hightower, The Washington Post

“A lighthearted space-opera adventure by Cuban author Yoss…. This novel's madcap tone is very similar to Douglas Adams'—so much so that it's almost impossible to avoid drawing such comparisons (although Adams didn't joke about oral sex with aliens, as Yoss does here). As in Adams' works, the galaxy's species are terrifically alien, sporting six breasts and no teeth or breathing methane instead of oxygen. There are also lots of fun references and wordplay throughout the book: the giant amoebas, for example, live on planet Brobdingnag, which orbits a star called Swift-3, while Jan Amos Sangan Dongo is a riff on sangandongo, Cuban slang for "really big." But possibly the most enjoyable aspect of this strange world is that it takes place in a future in which an Ecuadorean Jesuit priest discovers faster-than-light travel, and the first space flight proving his theory is announced by unfurling a banner on Mars that reads "Suck on this, dumb-ass gringos!" Also, the lingua franca of this future is Spanglish, and all the dialogue appealingly follows suit: "el amor—don't we know it bien!—goes beyond lo físico, even lo químico. Far beyond." An exceptionally enjoyable comic tale set in a fully realized, firmly science-fictional universe.”

—Kirkus, Starred Review

“Super Extra Grande is another funny critique about Western politics…. For readers in Cuba, Yoss's new novel about exploring the insides of leviathan beasts could remind them of their independence leader José Martí. The poet described living in America as the experience of a very small person living inside of a much bigger animal. And for Latinos, Super Extra Grande could similarly be a story about immigrant families who have to dig in the bowels of a much larger United States to find their piece of the American dream….. In this sense, Super Extra Grande is an enormous mirror that unearths deep roots connecting Cuba with the United States and the universe.”

Arturo Conde, —NBC News Latino

“Yoss's latest novel Super Extra Grande is a work of welcome imagination, steeped in science and imbued with satire and philosophy…. One of the most endearing elements of the novel is the use of Spanglish that is peppered throughout….[speaking to a]  highly probable future in which jumbled English and Spanish is an embraced universal dialect. Not unlike his main character, it's evident that Yoss — as an artist and cultural anthropologist — is intent on doing the dirty work, on digging through the ugly insides of human identity in order to arrive at something pure and lasting. I kept imagining the novel causing a stir during the peak of Fidel Castro's reign, the dictator pacing like mad and shouting "Que locura!" at the mention of multisex species and atomic fusion. But Yoss seems more concerned with looking ahead. And in Super Extra Grande, he reconfirms that a future without a literature of the future is really no future at all.”

—Juan Vidal, NPR Books

“This newly translated novel by Yoss, considered one of the masters of contemporary Cuban sci-fi, transports us to a bizarre vision of the far future, where humanity has mastered space travel and discovered it is but one small corner of a vast, very strange intergalactic tapestry (think planet-sized amoebas, talking lizards, and female creatures that exist, mantis-like, on “substances” from the males of the species). Odder still, our hero is Jan Amos Sangan Dongo, an interspecies veterinarian tasked with hunting down a giant creature that has swallowed two Galactic Community ambassadors—each of whom Jan happens to have slept with—before the fragile peace between the galaxy’s seven sentient species collapses.”

—Joel Cunningham, Barnes and Noble Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of 2016

Praise for Condomnauts: 

“Yoss (Super Extra Grande) is an eminent Cuban SF writer who also fronts a heavy metal band; his iconoclastic spirit and rock-and-roll aesthetic are on full ingenious display in this daring, rollicking, and joyous novel…. The novel is recognizable as a space opera, but everything from human history to the economics of galactic trade is seen from a richly irreverent angle. Josué is a three-dimensional, well-rounded protagonist whose flaws can be genuinely aggravating without overwhelming his natural charm. When hilarity ensues, as it often does, the laughs are earned and heartfelt. This extended dirty joke is also an impressive science fiction novel with much to say about sex, culture, and what it means to be alien.”

—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Yoss (A Planet for Rent, Super Extra Grande) is Cuba’s most celebrated contemporary science fiction author, and we’re delighted another one of his gonzo works has been translated into English.”

—Jeff Somers, Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“The book pays off in a climax that a well-trained Condomnaut would be proud of. What I loved about Condomnauts isn’t just its unusual structure or how Yoss (mostly) avoids the obvious smutty gags, it’s how he makes this a story about the marginalised. Those earlier scenes detailing Josué’s nightmarish upbringing tie into the book’s overall discussion about those who exist outside the mainstream, whether it’s because of their colour, their class, or their sexuality, and who find themselves, due to a strange set of circumstances, empowered to act…. Condomnauts, brought brilliantly into life by David Frye’s translation, is an unconventional space opera that’s heartfelt, brazen, exciting, and just a little bit naughty.”

—Ian Mond, Locus Magazine

“This wacky tone and eccentric approach to science fiction is a hallmark of Yoss, whose previous two novels, Planet for Rent (Restless, 2015) and Super Extra Grande (Restless, 2016), announced him as an offbeat, satirical master of the genre.”

—Sean Guynes-Vishniac, World Literature Today

“In Condomnauts, Yoss takes readers to the 24th century-Rubble City, Cuba, where Josue Valdes makes a living racing cockroaches. But he finds his true calling as a sexual adventurer in space, where he serves as an ambassador for the Nu Barsa colony. Yoss is Cuba’s preeminent writer of science fiction, and this raucous novel is a fun introduction to the universe he’s populated with humans who use sex to seal intergalactic treaties.”

—Lorraine Berry, Signature

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 Chronicle and Good 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
Science Fiction: Cuban / Space Opera / Detective
Territory: World

Books by Yoss