I adventured through many a bookstore, but was frustrated. I hadn’t done as much research as I would have liked to do. I’d only brought one book with me, and I hadn’t thought through what to buy next. I’d read nonfiction before I left, but little fiction. I’d done all my research too late. I tried to find some fiction on the shelves last minute before I left, but couldn’t find the right titles. So call this list a correction. It’s the list I would have made myself if I were to go to Mexico City today. (I’ve skipped, I admit, some mainstream classics, in preferences of lesser-known authors not as appreciated in the U.S. or in traditional canons, so apologies if you don’t see Juan Rulfo, Valeria Luiselli, Silvia Moreno-García, and Laura Esquivel on this list, but I do promise I know of them, and yes, you should go read their books.) The books are translated works by Mexican authors. They’re rich narratives, dark tales, works translated from the Spanish and from Indigenous languages. They are queer gothic gay vampire stories, wild science fiction epics, and dark contemporary novels…Enjoy. Want to read more of my lists of books in translation? I’ve previously written lists of Catalan books in translation, Argentinian books in translation, French books in translation, and even a list of 20 must-read queer books in translation from all around the world. Have recommendations for more Mexican literature in translation that I should check out, or requests for future lists? Let me know on Twitter. Content warnings for violence, sexism, f-slur, r-slur, racism, anti-Mexican and anti-undocumented sentiment, ableism. Content warnings for homophobia, violence, body horror, self-harm, suicide, internalized homophobia, sexual assault. Content warnings for colorism, domestic abuse, racism, anti-Indigenous prejudice and reeducation, torture, violence, infant death, homophobia, fatphobia, cannibalism, and mentions of sexual assault. Content warnings for animal death and cruelty, suicide, shooting, death, violence. Content warnings for mentions of murder, violence, rape, suicide, animal death. Content warnings for fatphobia, exploitation, rape, drug use and addiction, murder, necrophilia, cannibalism, racism, anti-Indigenous sentiment, homophobia. Content warnings for ableism, drugging, suicide, sexism and misogyny, medical mistreatment. Content warnings for suicide, terminal illness, mention of pedophilia, blackmail and extortion. Content warnings for death, ableism, rape, child neglect and abuse, murder, violence, pedophilia and grooming, homophobia. Content warnings for emotional abuse, false accusations, sexual coercion and abuse, rape, animal death, racism, and mentions of eating disorder, overdose, drug addiction. Content warnings for ableism, self-harm, drugs, sexism, sexual assault, violence. Content warnings for compulsive behavior, self-policing, mental hospital and confinement, suicide, stalking.
