A book a day: Luis Carlos Barragán Castro: Perfect Parasites

perfect parasites It brings together thirteen stories of different lengths written by the Colombian Luis Carlos Barragán Castro. In all of them there are elements of science fiction, weird touches or a very interesting mix of both. Some of them share scenarios or premises.

What are they about? In “It’s not a meter, but it’s something” we witness a disturbing reunion. In “Symbiosis”, the journey of an addict after falling into the clutches of a mafia. In “Cephalomorphs”, the reconciliation between a man and his deceased sister. In “Black Highway”, the liberation that an obese teacher experiences after acquiring a vehicle and joining a tribe of nonconformists. In “Maschalagnia”, to the sexual fantasies of two individuals obsessed with armpits. In the story that gives its name to the group, a PhD student in Biology who joins the «bio», a group that voluntarily infests their bodies. In “Om-Phalos9”, two eunuch pilots who start a relationship. In “Blue Centipede”, an old woman is given the opportunity to confront her late husband. In “Tunnels”, a man who tries to get over the fact that his partner left him. In “The Face”, a soldier whose facial reconstruction allows him to control others. In “Amor de Gulgrumbo”, the advent of strange creatures that emerge after the consumption of a drug. In “Theology of Force Fields”, to a stronghold of civilization in which religious people hold power. In “Tinnitus”, a conflict between two factions present in two different timelines.

As I said before, there is always a touch of science fiction or weird adorning these premises. The addiction of “Symbiosis”, for example, is to other people’s memories. Reconciliation in “Cephalomorphs” occurs thanks to the mediation of mushrooms that take the shape of human heads and have telepathic powers. The “Black Road” tribe is dedicated to training their chariots and hunting and devouring others. In “Tunnels,” people abandon their tedious lives and social responsibilities by traversing a “modem.”

Some of these stories share a world. A world that is not at all futuristic, despite the geopolitical differences and technological advances that differentiate it from ours. A world in which Bogotá2 and Pluto exists has been conolized. A world in which insects of all kinds are used in a thousand different ways: as an APF Decoder, as a vehicle, as a slimming method, as a mobile phone, as a sexual partner, as a coffee maker and a long etcetera.

In almost all the stories, whether they share the world of insects or not, the worldbuilding is very detailed. After all, each world has its own fashions, professions and currency, for example. Likewise, Barragán Castro thoroughly explores the concepts being considered until all their possibilities are exploited; Thanks to this, we are presented with extremely ingenious ideas, such as NGOs that rehabilitate “human-animals”, the role of teachers when “16-year-old children know advanced concepts of quantum mechanics and are able to reproduce the mathematical formulations that “give rise to the standard system of particle physics” or the support group of Pilots Eunuchs Associated and Anonymous.

Barragán Castro’s influences are, at times, evident. It is clear that “Om-Phalos9” owes a lot to the novel Crash by JB Ballard; Likewise, “Maschalagnia” or “Perfect Parasites” seem to draw on Shintaro Kago’s ero-guro mangas about fetishes and paraphilias. Kago is also reminiscent of some of the interior illustrations of the volume (which I will talk about shortly), as well as the imagery of “The Face.” However, Barragán Castro manages to channel all these references into his own style and contribute his particular approach.

My favorite stories of the set are the oldest ones. Ultimately, they allow Barragán Castro to put his imaginative premises at the service of thematic searches (the precariousness of immigrants, drug addiction, political corruption, gender violence, life disenchantment, sexual frustration, etc… ).

I haven’t liked the short stories, except for a couple. And they limit themselves to delivering a creative idea that either lacks substance or is not taken to its limits. To this we must add that they can seem somewhat repetitive; After all, several of them narrate how a species of parasites take advantage of humans to expand, or homosexual relationships in which sexual intimacy is difficult for some reason. Still, even these weaker stories work because of the vividness of their scenes, very explicit, murky and unpleasant.

Summing up: perfect parasites It is an irregular anthology, but personal, imaginative and generally effective that lovers of science fiction, weird and decadent eroticism will especially like. I myself will undoubtedly reread some of his stories; surely the very successful and intense “It’s not a meter, but it’s something”, “Symbiosis”, “Black Highway”, “Om-Phalos9” or “Theology of Force Fields”.

Ah, I can’t finish this review perfect parasites without praising the cover and interior illustrations that adorn the volume. We owe them, like the stories, to Barragán Castro and, without being exceptional, they stand out for the creativity they reveal; Likewise, the format of the interior pages, arranged at the end of each story like encyclopedia pages, is quite pertinent.