Culture Tag

[caption id="attachment_15923" align="aligncenter" width="630"] From the graphic novel, "Andean Sky," by Carlos Kwasek (click here for his homepage).[/caption] According to the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, to "describe what is being done in the field of science fiction in Ecuador one must consider the early Fantasy literature, then the Scientific Romances of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, continuing to Science Fiction in the present. The roots of science fiction in Ecuador are in Utopian texts written after the arrival of the Spanish in America. In these works myth is mixed with fantasy. The myths of El Dorado, where there are perfect and idyllic cities with buildings made of gold, and the Garden of Eden, are well described in some of the writings of the colonial chroniclers, such as Antonio de León Pinelo's book El Paraíso en el Nuevo Mundo ['Paradise in the New World']." Samples of Ecuadorian science fiction (live links): The short story, "Another Liliput," by Abdón Ubidia. Andean Sky, an interactive science graphic novel, set in Ecuador, by Carlos Villareal Kwasek. The short story, "The IWM 1000," by Alicia Yáñez Cossío, included in The Big Book of Science Fiction. Edited by Jeff VanderMeer and Ann VanderMeer (Penguin Random House, 2016). The first chapter from the novel, Los Improductivos (The Unproductive), by Cristián Londoño Proaño, translated by Lorraine Caputo. The short story, "The Package," by Cristián Londoño Proaño, translated by Joan Gavey, Paula Weiss, and Ricardo Segreda. Short film, "Héroe trabajando," ("Working Hero"), by José Zambrano Brito. Academic essays: The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction chapter on Ecuadorian science fiction, written by Ivan Rodrigo. "New Worlds Collide: Science Fiction's Novela de la Selva in Gioconda Belli and Santiago Páez," by Vaughn Anderson, PhD, (Rutgers University). Articles: "A Sci-Fi Vision of Ecuador: Carlos Villarreal Kwasek," from the website, latinorebels.com. "Lenin Paladines: Science Fiction from Ecuador," from the website, globalvoices.org,.      ...

There were notable female Ecuadorian poets and essayists going back to the 19th century. However, it took much longer in Ecuador for women to be honored for their efforts as authors of narrative fiction. Elysa Ayala, born in 1879, for example, wrote short stories about the poor who lived on the coast, and her work was published in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Cuba, and even the United States and Spain, but it was overlooked until many years after her passing. Ironically, today Ecuador's most recognized author, nationally, is Alicia Yáñez Cossío. With her 1971 novel, Bruna and Her Sisters in the Sleeping City, Yáñez Cossío, who along with Eugenia Viteri with her short stories, became one of the first Ecuadorian authors in the 1970s to challenge the sexism and hypocritical puritanism of Latin American and Roman Catholic culture. Other well-regarded women in this period include Carmen Acevedo Vega, Fabiola Solis de King, Violeta Luna, as well as Luz Argentina Chiriboga and Aminta Buenaño, both much-honored for their articulation of the Afro-Ecuadorian experience, and from a woman's perspective. There are samples of there work below, as well as newer voices such as Gabriela Alemán and María del Carman Garcés. Gabriela Alemán The short story, "Spears," translated by Dick Cluster.  The short story, "An Amber Prison," translated by Sarah Jane Foster. The short story, "Red Lips," translated by Juanita Coleman. Aminta Buenaño The short story, "The Strange Invasion that Rose from the Sea," translated by Susan Brenner. The short story, "The Woman Who Mislaid Her Body," translated by Juanita Coleman. Mónica Bravo The short story, "Wings for Dominica," translated by Susan Brenner. Fanny Carrión The short story, “The Idol.” The short story, “Illustrious Paths.” Luz Argentina Chiriboga The short story, "The Mansion," translated by Juanita Coleman. The first chapter from her novel, Drums Under My Skin. The first chapter from her novel, The Devil’s Nose . María del Carmen Garcés The short story, "The Blue Handkerchief," translated by Susan Brenner. Nela Martinéz The short story, "La Machorra," translated by Susan Brenner. Sonia Manzano The short story, "Leda," translated by Juanita Coleman. Eugenia Viteri The award-winning short story, “Shoes and Dreams,” from the anthology, A Taste of Ecuador. The award-winning short story, “The Ring,” included in the anthology, Fire in the Andes. Alicia Yáñez Cossío The first chapter from her novel, Bruna and Her Sisters in the Sleeping City. The short story, “The Mayor’s Wife." The short story, “The IWM 1000." Additional reading: Fire from the Andes: Short Fiction by Women from Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru, edited by by Susan E. Benner  Kathy S. Leonard. University of New Mexico Press. "Que cuenten las mujeres/Let the Women Speak: Translating Contemporary Female Ecuadorian Authors," by Juanita Coleman, B.A., Ohio University, (PDF download). "New voices: linguistic aspects of translation theory and application to the works of three Ecuadorian women writers," by Susan Brenner, Phd, Iowa State University, (PDF download). The Wikipedia list of women Ecuadorian writers....

The term minimalism is also used to describe a trend in design and architecture where in the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalist design has been highly influenced by Japanese traditional design and architecture. In addition, the work of De Stijl artists is a major source of reference for this kind of work....

The term minimalism is also used to describe a trend in design and architecture where in the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalist design has been highly influenced by Japanese traditional design and architecture. In addition, the work of De Stijl artists is a major source of reference for this kind of work....

The term minimalism is also used to describe a trend in design and architecture where in the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalist design has been highly influenced by Japanese traditional design and architecture. In addition, the work of De Stijl artists is a major source of reference for this kind of work....

The term minimalism is also used to describe a trend in design and architecture where in the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalist design has been highly influenced by Japanese traditional design and architecture. In addition, the work of De Stijl artists is a major source of reference for this kind of work....

The term minimalism is also used to describe a trend in design and architecture where in the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalist design has been highly influenced by Japanese traditional design and architecture. In addition, the work of De Stijl artists is a major source of reference for this kind of work....

The term minimalism is also used to describe a trend in design and architecture where in the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalist design has been highly influenced by Japanese traditional design and architecture. In addition, the work of De Stijl artists is a major source of reference for this kind of work....