Description
THE AFGHAN STRAIN IN BARCELONA
Book Summary
In an immediate and chillingly plausible future, Sergi Puertas constructs an alternate history with dystopian overtones where Spanish society crumbles after successive pandemic crises. Social tension boils over when President García Tejada is assassinated with a bullet to the forehead, triggering a spiral of violence and chaos. This work of speculative science fiction immerses the reader in a Barcelona turned into a battlefield, where reality and paranoia blur, offering a scathing reflection on institutional collapse and the fragility of democracy.
What is it about?
The novel is set in a Spain devastated by successive pandemic waves that have brought the country to the brink of total collapse. The streets are a hotbed of constant protests, already integrated into the urban landscape, while the specter of a coup d'état looms over the political horizon. The final trigger arrives with the attack on President García Tejada: a bullet to the forehead that causes his neck to snap backward, a moment that lights the fuse of an irreversible conflict. From there, the plot follows the consequences of the regicide in a Barcelona turned into the stage for a power struggle, where the Afghan strain (a viral variant) acts as a biological and metaphorical backdrop for a society that is decomposing. The narrative combines political tension with the horror of a post-pandemic world, exploring how structural violence and collective despair can lead to a permanent state of emergency.
Main themes
- Social and political collapse following recurrent health crises.
- Regicide and its consequences in a climate of institutional instability.
- Urban dystopia in Barcelona as a setting for civil conflict.
- Collective paranoia and the erosion of trust in institutions.
- Alternate history and speculative science fiction applied to contemporary Spanish reality.
Who is it recommended for?
For readers interested in dystopian science fiction and political alternate history, especially those looking for plots that speculate on the immediate future of Western societies. It is also suitable for those who enjoy thrillers with a sociopolitical background, narratives that explore post-pandemic chaos, and novels that combine social criticism with a fast-paced rhythm. Especially recommended for followers of authors like J.G. Ballard, Margaret Atwood, or the Spanish "weird" movement.
What this book offers
- A speculative and realistic vision of how a prolonged health crisis can destabilize a democratic system.
- A political thriller plot with a cinematic pace, focused on the immediate consequences of a regicide.
- An atmospheric portrait of a dystopian Barcelona, far from the tourist postcard, as a scene of conflict.
- A reflection on the fragility of institutions and the ease with which violence can be normalized in a society.
- A work of speculative fiction that connects with the fears and anxieties of the present, offering an intense and disturbing reading experience.
Technical specifications
- Author: PUERTAS, SERGI
- Publisher: EDITORIAL PEZ DE PLATA,S.L
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION, SCIENCE FICTION
- Collection: NARRATIVA PEZ DE PLATA
- Publication date: June 2023
- Number of pages: 240
- Weight: 428 g
Editorial review
This novel stands out for its ability to transfer contemporary fears into a plausible and raw narrative setting. Sergi Puertas demonstrates a mastery of rhythm and tension, constructing an oppressive atmosphere that grips the reader from the very first page. The work functions not only as a political thriller, but as an exercise in sociological speculation on the consequences of the global health crisis. It is a recommended read for those looking for adult science fiction that is critical and rooted in Spanish reality, without shying away from the complexity or discomfort of its premises.