Daína Chaviano in her own world

Daína Chaviano´s entreé to the literary scene is as surprising as her work: while still a university student, she won the first David Prize for Science Fiction for her short story, “Los mundos que amo”. She had no plans to compete, but her mother´s sage advice convinced her to submit the stories she used to write on lonely afternoons in Cuba. From there she found fame, more prizes, and—after founding the first literary workshop for science fiction and fantasy in Cuba— exile.

The recent U.S release of Los mundos que amo (The worlds I love) confirms the interest Chaviano´s work has generated in this country. And what are the world´s Chaviano loves? “These worlds are inhabited by fairies, magicians, artists from every age, and the great scientific thinkers”, says the author who has lived in Miami since 1991.

But the book is not simply a treatment of fantastic settings and weird poetics. There is an invisible law here that includes paradox and is never without beauty. So fluid is Chaviano´s handling of science fiction and fantasy that her stories hold appeal far beyond the fans of these genres.

                         

                                                                                                             Vera

Review Los Mundos que Amo (Loft Magazine)