Our guests in this conversation had never before met, even though they’re two of the leading voices in Catalan fantastic genres, one in Catalonia and the other thanks to his English-language New York Times bestsellers. We’re talking about Marc Pastor of Barcelona, creator of the Corvoverse and author of the recent Riu de safirs [River of Sapphires], and Edgar Cantero of Badalona, who’s back from the United States to participate in the 42 Festival and discuss his new book Ràdio Free Camaco [Radio Free City Slickers]. Two novels that, in this case, distance themselves from the more exuberant science fiction and fantasy of Pastor’s L’horror de Rèquiem [The Rèquiem Horror] and Cantero’s Meddling Kids, and share an interest in social critique, building on the consequences of colonialism in the case of Riu de safirs and, in Cantero’s case, economic inequality and the comedown from Catalonia’s most recent bid for independence. To delve into their works, linking them to the authors’ trademark sense of humour and (spoiler alert) fantastic and science fiction tie-ins featured in both books, we’ll be turning to one of the mainstays of the Festival: Tatiana Dunyó.

Guests:

Edgar Cantero

Marc Pastor

Moderator:

Tatiana Dunyó