Mexicans on the Moon: Speculative Poetry from a Possible Future

by Pedro Íñiguez, Gabino Iglesias (introduction)

Weaving science-fiction, Mexican folklore, and magical realism, this 50-poem collection explores the wonders and pitfalls of humanity in a future yet to come. Experience a faraway world where sapient flora sing melodic tunes; behold orbit-plunging taco trucks as they make planetfall; observe as El Cucuy becomes a stowaway on a space shuttle; witness a neurologically-enhanced lobster become President of the United States; bear the agonizing wave of shrink-ray-gun violence plaguing public schools. All these sights and more await in Mexicans on the Speculative Poetry from a Possible Future!



"Iniguez takes us on a galactic journey to a poignant future in "Mexicans on the Moon" through entertaining and thought-provoking poetry by adding powerful twists to current social and ecological situations. I completely enjoyed the haunting tales told in Iniguez's remarkable poems, here is a poet who knows how to engage the reader!"



-Linda D. Addison, award-winning author, HWA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and SFPA Grand Master.



"The smooth blending of Cultural Poetics and Scientific Genius that is Pedro Iniguez gleams brightly through his new book of poems, MEXICANS ON THE MOON, dropping on us like "a beautiful bomb." This book is a wonderful reminder of what we, Brown People, are also capable of in shaping our would-be futures and in some cases without past colonial intervention. This style, which is essentially the poetic form of Chicano Futurism, and like very few before him, combines short glimpses of verse with real science, a touch of alternate history, and a spicy taste of science fiction that makes some of us wish, "What if, ese?"



The refined words within remind me of the ones I could find in the pages of OMNI and other magazines like it back in the last century when I was reading them. These words also remind me of the great possibilities for speculative poets with Spanish sounding names that are sometimes excluded from the overabundant flow of an English-speaking mainstream. But this isn't about politics. This is about Great Poetics! And MEXICANS ON THE MOON is a Great Book of Poems! I am extremely proud of Pedro Iniguez's superior endeavor. This truly is a great book to build new dreams... or die from them. Exito!"



-Juan Manuel Pérez, author of Bury My Heart Under The Martian Sky, 2019-2020 Poet Laureate Of Corpus Christi, Texas



"Ever fleeting, yet intimate, and fantastical, with a rhythm of wonder and charm and care, Pedro Iniguez' Mexicans on the Moon is sometimes tender, often tragic, but ever so gentle and loving."



-Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Crime Scene

Genres: Poetry, Science Fiction

90 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2024

About the author

Pedro Iniguez is a speculative fiction writer who also enjoys reading and painting.

His work can be found in magazines and anthologies such as Space and Time Magazine, Crossed Genres, Dig Two Graves, Tiny Nightmares, Deserts of Fire, and Altered States II.

His cyberpunk novel, Control Theory (Indie Authors Press,2016) and his 10-year collection, Synthetic Dawns & Crimson Dusks, (Indie Authors Press,2020) are available on Amazon.

Originally from Los Angeles, he now resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he is currently working on his second novel.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mexicans on the Moon is a Masterpiece. I absolutely LOVE this book and its notions. It falls under the genre of speculative poetry, but pieces of this collection read as a future that's inevitable. As someone who loves and appreciates mother nature and feels that humanity is the most destructive species not only to our planet but to each other, I connected with this book on many levels. It got under my skin in the best of ways. Coming from an intellectual like Iniguez, my thinking feels validated. His writing is savvy, bold and magnificent.

One of my now all-time favorite poetry pieces is "Gods of the Landfill" but there are a number of pieces and quotes that stand out. I've re-read this book and know Its one I'll always come back to again and again.

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire collection is amazing, but one poem in particular stuck out to me: Confessions of a Disintegrated Soldier. Each poem feels like a short story. Iniguez is playing with concepts here in such a fabulous way.

[Rachel Brune · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of engrossing poems that suck you in and have you reeling from the emotional blows tucked neatly in its pages.

[Robin Rose Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly stellar collection of SF poetry I never wanted to end! Not a single dud in this collection!

Some real standouts for me were "The Border Wall Shrinks," "Babysitter of Tomorrow," "Intergalactic Rest Stop," "Terrestrial Tacos," "Last Act of a Doomed Man," and "Gods of the Landfill."

This is a must read for fans of speculative poetry!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good! Quite enjoyed the range on display here, a collection of poems in four parts detailing different aspects of societal collapse, discrimination, war, class, technology, space exploration, and the apocalypse. A few poems had a nice humorous edge to them, a few were sharp in their commentary, and some were quite inventive in how they reimagined various thing like La Llorona but after the apocalypse.

I'd be glad to read more from Iniguez in the future and this is a very promising collection.

[Lindsey Goddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this poetry collection is like boarding a spacecraft and taking a galactic journey to a different world, beyond the stars, but there’s one catch. This is no vacation! It seems no matter what world we humans inhabit, we bring our problems with us! Destruction, hierarchy, and discrimination still plague the characters in this speculative poetry collection that repeatedly asks: “What if?”

That’s not to say there is no hope to be found here. Poems such as Two Quarters for a Rocket Ride give a feeling of hope. And there was also some clever use of comedy in poems like Resting Glitch Face and The First Jokes as Told by Budding Martian Lifeforms which help lighten the collection as a whole and lend it balance.

Strap in for some heavy subject matter, though! Iniguez took full advantage of the speculative writing practice of asking “what if?” and used that freedom to think outside the box on topics that are hard to process, such as school shootings (The Epidemic of Shrink-Ray-Gun Violence Plaguing Our Schools Must End) and suicide (From Your Tears, Life). Some of these poems play familiar heart strings (The Payphone), so I recommend that if you read it in public, just tell people there’s something in your eye and find a tissue ASAP. The author even managed to include bits of folklore from his Mexican heritage. For instance, La Llorona makes an appearance and explores the sci-fi universe created in these pages.

Some of the poems in Mexicans on the Moon: Speculative Poetry from a Possible Future speak on the struggles of marginalized people. Transhumanist Classroom and Scabs: A Capitalist Love Story did a lovely job of packing a massive point into a super short word count. But I want to make it clear that despite all the societal commentary, this book is a lot of fun! Honestly, somehow Pedro managed to make daunting topics digestible. Pretty impressive. And speaking of digestible… I’ll be damned if I don’t want a terrestrial taco now!

5/5 stars

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed my time with these poems which are equal parts hopeful and dystopian and come from a perspective that is different enough to be enlightening. There are devastating poems and clever ones and funny ones and a few that contain all these elements. I think the best poetry is full of surprises and lines that you never see coming and this had plenty of wonderful surprises. Highly recommended!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved them all.
The introduction by Gabino Iglesias was *chefs kiss*
If you want to feel seen, read this.
If you want to feel heard, read this.
If you want to feel understood, read this.
If you want to feel all the feelings, READ THIS.
Migrations & La Llorona Amidst the Ruins were my top two.

[Brooklyn Attic Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I did not expect La Llorna to pop up in this, but there she is! Had a fun trip to the moon and back with this collection.

Warning: Must be ok with morbid topics.
Definitely Recommend

[Jessica Constant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning poetry

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's no surprise I liked the poems about death the best...

[Ellice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Movements like Afrofuturism challenge the stereotype that Black and Brown people don’t exist in the futures we commonly encounter in books, television, and movies. In Mexicans on the Moon, Pedro Íñiguez challenges that same stereotype in poems that examine how the prejudices we hold and the challenges that marginalized groups face today might (or might not) persist across centuries, despite technological advances. Some depict Latine men and women living (if not always thriving) in science-fictional scenarios where they run taco trucks, laboriously knead Pan de Muertos, and dance to mariachi songs on other planets. Others depict more generalized potential futures—an America that elects a neurologically-enhanced lobster as president before electing a woman, a grave with hologram technology that turns out to be corrupted, an old man who waters his marigolds as a planet succumbs to total annihilation. The author’s cutting wit helps balance the bleakness and his language is simple and straightforward, which allows the reader space to ponder how to ensure the more distressing futures shared here never come to pass.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mexicans on the Moon takes the reader on a journey through the universe of Pedro Iniguez. I was so excited to read this book and delve into this writer's art and perspective. I underlined a lot while reading, sometimes entire poems. Every poem has a fantastic and often important idea at its core, so even when I wasn't underlining I still floated to the next work impressed. I enjoyed the book totally and my personal favorite poems were "The Epidemic of Shrink-Ray-Gun Violence Plaguing Our Schools Must End," "Holograms from Beyond," "Perish and Live Forever," "Lullabies of a Distant World," "Transhumanist Classroom," "The First Jokes as Told by Budding Martian Lifeforms." And my favorite poem of the collection is "Gods of the Landfill." I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Pedro Iniguez!

[Lumilda Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pedro’s words and how he is able to bring to light the struggles one insures in a different light. The magic of poetry and how he can tell a story in a poetic manner and make you feel the pain through his words. A great book to add to my collection of poetry books.

[Michael Shotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very quick yet satisfying read for lovers of speculative fiction and poetry. Featuring many clever, thought-provoking, and well-executed concepts, this collection of 50 short poems touches on a variety of classic science-fiction, horror, and speculative themes in the context of examining potential near and distant futures for humanity. As fans of those genres should expect, there is plenty of social commentary scattered throughout these works but it's all executed with a deft and thoughtful touch that made it all feel perfectly appropriate and reasonable, and not too heavy-handed or overdone. That's always a difficult line to walk and I'd say the author did so quite masterfully here.

It is worth noting that several of the poems are very brief, reading more like fragments or haiku but even most of these managed to make an interesting point or provide some form of emotional resonance despite their brevity. Among the longer efforts, there were a few obvious standouts that felt "just right" to me, which I'm sure will linger in my mind for years to come, but a few did leave me wanting a bit more. It could be argued that these may have been intentional, conscious attempts to provide the reader with aspects to ponder but the degree to which this was effective varied somewhat in my case.

Still, the overall reading experience was quite strong and worthwhile, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend "Mexicans on the Moon" to anyone with the slightest interest in the aforementioned things that I believe it convincingly and impressively provides.

[María Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn! I know that's a strange way to start a review, but this collection will leave you awed! Starting with the compelling introduction by my compa, Gabino Iglesias, to the four-part book divided into sections "Earth"; "Frontiers"; "Futures"; and "Aftermath", you will be gripped.

As a non-binary person of color and poet, I found these verses to be true to our pueblo, our gente who are surviving technological advances. I loved all of the poems, some more than others like "Lobster-in-chief". The poetry focuses on issues of identity to racism to hope. Bonafide hope.

If you love science fiction and a mix of political prowess, this is your jam!

I hope to use this book this semester for my Creative Writing class because I loved it so much.

Now, get off your feeds and get your copy before the bots annihilate us all. Pa'lante!

[Adam Hulse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to slow myself down while reading this superb collection of SF poetry because I wanted to absorb its content rather than greedily consume each short poem. That being said, I could read thousands like the ones Iniguez has collected here. Beneath the mesmerising style and creativity on display, there's a bubbling anger and frustration with the state of the current world and its politics. Sardonic humour abounds in superhuman quantities, bringing smiles to our cynical lips. Mexicans on the Moon is a playful, richly entertaining and thought-provoking look at our future, but most of all, it is an important read for our immediate present.
I will follow the career of Iniguez with great interest and respect.

[unstable.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this 50-poem collection, Pedro has woven together science-fiction and Mexican legend & folklore. He explores themes of racial inequality, climate change, futuristic landscapes (reminiscent of Ray Bradbury) along with many other topics relevant today. At moments tragic, thought-provoking and even humorous, I highly recommend picking this up. Mexicans on the Moon is a wonderful collection and I loved it. It also recently won a Bram Stoker award for Superior Achievement in Poetry AND Pedro is the very first Mexican-American to have won a Stoker! I have some exciting stuff coming up in relation to this book so if you do not follow my social media, you may want to so you don't miss it!!

[Devin M. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the book directly from the author, so I could get it signed and personalized. "¡Vamos a la Luna!" Was the inscription that stuck with me as I began my journey to the moon and beyond.
Poems that struck me as astoundingly good:
"Lobster-in-Chief"
"Stowaway"
"Mexicans on the Moon"
"Terrestrial Tacos"
"From Your Tears, Life"
"Option One"
"Scabs: A Capitalist Love Story"
"La Llorona Amidst the Ruins"
"The Things That Killed Us: A History Through Art"
I'll be honest though, there was not a single poem that I didn't enjoy. Yes, yes. A double negative, but proof positive that I highly recommend this speculative poetry collection!

[Mike Trippiedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely purchase poetry, but had a gut feeling about this one. My instincts proved to be right. Timely, thought provoking, and spot-on observations of the not so distant future. This recent winner of the Bram Stoker award for poetry is one of those books that I will purchase many times to give as gifts. It is a true, one of a kind, gem.

[Kent Priore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes funny, sometimes bleak, always thoughtful, Mexicans on the Moon provides much needed social commentary about the environment and climate change, as well as social constructs on race, through poetry which dares to have an edge, and is deeply imaginative in its view of a potential future amongst the stars.

Everyone should have this book on their shelves.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite poems included in this collection:
-Perish and Live Forever
- Two Quarters for a Rocket Ride
- The Things That Killed Us: A History Through Art
-Gods of the Landfill

[Stephanie Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow! Just wow. ❤️

[Alma Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a little hard to write a review for poetry like this because you never really never stop reading it once you find it, little pieces come back time to time and make it so that you never really feel like you’re done analyzing it. But, here is my still evolving take. These poems are witty and political, without really employing politics. They are full of nostalgia, and family, and time. They weave fantasy with reality and make non human things human. It does what poetry should do. It stops time, it captures it, in these fragments, there is a picture of our world, the way it is, the way it could be considering the way it is. And there is a message at the core of that perspective, a message of hope, of resilience. But that’s just my evolving take. Get your own and evolve your own take. It’s stunning work.

[Ryan Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mexicans on the Moon made me a Perdo Íñiguez fan for life.

[Maritza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not the biggest fan of poetry. Mostly because I don’t understand it. This was different. It wasn’t flowery, and it was relatable. My favorite sections were Part 1: Earth, and Part 4: Aftermath.

[jayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent poetry collection! especially pick this up if you're a sci-fi fan. i will definitely check out more of this author's work.

[Liliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this Book!

What a great book! I loved the descriptions so much that I could see myself in the moon. What a gift!

[Paul Tenorio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful poems with a forward looking perspective on Chicano and Mexican cultural themes.

[Aditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

stunning
i am shook