This is one of the most entertaining short story collections ever. All of them have really interesting twists or premises! Highly recommend

“There is a Rio Grande in Heaven” is a set of short stories about Latinx characters. Ruben Reyes Jr. has a gift for creating complex and relatable characters while raving complex themes within the world of fantasy and science fiction. The elements of Central American Lore woven into the experiences of immigration, sexual identity, grief/loss, and family created stories that you could connect with despite the more fantastical elements. This was an amazing series of short stories and I can’t wait to add a copy to my own library!

I am not the biggest fan of short stories, but I loved this collection. My favorite stories were "Variations on Your Migrant Life," "The Salvadoran Slice of Mars," and "The Myth of the Self-Made Man." The choose-your-own adventure in "Variations of Your Migrant Life" was absolutely genius and is a must-read.

The second-generation Salvadoran American writer's debut employs science fiction and alternative history in its dozen varied stories about Latinx characters trying to connect with family and survive perilous situations. The longest story, "Variations on Your Migrant Life," is a second-person Choose Your Own Adventure. In one of my favorite stories, "Try Again," a gay man pays a company called SyncALife to implant brain tissue from his dead father into a robot. There is an elegiac tone to much of the book, but Reyes' playful approaches, including his blurring of genre lines, mostly temper any somberness. What is fated and what can be changed? Reyes asks. Are family and national origins defining, or do all possibilities lie open? These are compelling thematic questions, and science fiction, alternative history, and magical realism are apt vehicles for their exploration. (Reviewed in full at BookBrowse.)

There is a Rio Grande in Heaven is everything I look for in a short story collection: tight prose that borders poetry, a fearless approach to genre and form, and a speculative bent to many stories. Ruben Reyes Jr. writes so reverently about queerness, family, and immigration from a perspective that is underrepresented in the conversation. It was beautiful. It was sad. It was horrifying. I loved every minute of it. Stand outs for me include He Eats His Own and Try Again.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

wow, I really loved this. the collections of stories were captivating and interesting. this was a change of reading pace for me and i thoroughly enjoyed the shift. there was something very comforting in the way that reyes reflected central american experiences throughout each story.

This a wonderful, sharp, and beautiful short story collection grounded in speculative fiction and culminating in a poignant 'choose your own adventure'-style longer story that is a as incisive as it is clever. There's so much emotional depth here, at the same time that the narrative play really hooks you in and won't let go.

This book is a beautiful and deeply moving collection of stories based in Central America. The Salvadoran Slice of Mars was a personal favorite, and Variations on Your Migrant Life should be required reading in every American school.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This story collection was great. I really enjoyed it and felt each story brought something different to the table. There is a Rio Grande in Heaven is deeply rooted in El Salvador and Central American culture and references. I hope to read more from Ruben Reyes Jr. in the future! Congratulations!

This anthology blew me away and resonated with me deeply. It’s difficult for an anthology to have no misses at all, but Ruben Reyes, Jr. accomplishes that feat in this debut.

Review:

There is a Rio Grande in Heaven is powerful and spellbinding. Ruben pushes the boundaries of what readers can expect from an anthology, making it look effortless. El Salvador is the thread tying the stories together, and the realities of Central American identity are steeped deep in Ruben’s writing.

The stories in the anthology vary in genre, from contemporary to the speculative. There’s even a choose-your-own-adventure style story! Every story in the collection shares Ruben’s clear narrative voice, though each is markedly different from the others in the collection.

A few notable favorites of mine:

"He Eats His Own," where a man arranges for mangos to be delivered from his family in El Salvador. This story touches the edges of psychological quiet horror and goes to unexpected places. It is absolutely fantastic.

"Try Again," where a man brings back his late father’s consciousness into a robot.

"The Salvadorian Slice of Mars," where a man ends up in a detention center on Mars.

Final Thoughts:

I thoroughly loved this anthology. I highly recommend There is a Rio Grande in Heaven for fans of genre-blending works. I'm especially reminded of Emily St. John Mandel (especially Sea of Tranquility) and Premee Mohamed's lyrical novellas.

Rating: 5+/5 Stars

Thanks to Mariner Books for providing me with an arc! All the above thoughts are my own.