Archivo de universos desconocidos, Ruben Reyes Jr.
Archivo de universos desconocidos, Ruben Reyes Jr.
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Archivo de universos desconocidos
Archive of Unknown Universes (Spanish edition)

Author: Ruben Reyes Jr.

Narrator: Jorge Lemus

Unabridged: 7 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/28/2025


Synopsis

Primera novela del autor de There is a Rio Grande in Heaven, una historia penetrante que rastrea a dos familias en dos líneas temporales paralelas durante la guerra civil salvadoreña. Una brillante exploración de los mecanismos del destino, la carga del pasado y la fuerza del amor. “Una voz importante de la ficción estadounidense. Rubén Reyes Jr. es un prodigio”. —Héctor TobarCambridge, 2018. La relación de Ana y Luis está en crisis, a pesar de sus muchas similitudes, entre ellas, sus madres que huyeron de El Salvador durante la guerra. En su búsqueda de respuestas, y en contra de su mejor juicio, Ana utiliza El Defractor, un dispositivo experimental que permite a los usuarios echar un vistazo a versiones alternativas de sus vidas. Lo que ve, los lleva a ella y a Luis por La Habana y San Salvador en búsqueda de las historias familiares que están desesperados por conocer y ansiosos por saber si lo que podría haber sido arreglaría lo que es.La Habana, 1978. Neto, un joven revolucionario experto en falsificar documentos gubernamentales, conoce a Rafael en una reunión del Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo. Los dos experimentan un amor intenso y prohibido, que los lleva a despojarse de sus nombres falsos para revelarse el uno al otro dentro del mundo encubierto de su activismo. Cuando su trabajo los separa, comienzan a intercambiar cartas semanales, pero pronto, a medida que la devastadora guerra hace estragos, fuerzas que escapan a su control amenazan con separarlos para siempre.La primera novela de Rubén Reyes Jr. es un viaje épico a través de mundos invertidos, uno en el que la guerra acaba con un tratado de paz y otro en el que termina con una victoria decisiva del gobierno salvadoreño. Despliega una asombrosa historia de desplazamiento y pertenencia, de pérdida y amor. Es a la vez una audaz recreación de lo que podría haber sido y un poderoso ajuste de cuentas con nuestro pasado.-----From the author of There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven, a piercing debut novel following two families in alternative timelines of the Salvadoran civil war—a stunning exploration of the mechanisms of fate, the gravity of the past, and the endurance of love.“An important voice in U.S. fiction. Ruben Reyes Jr. is a wonder.” — Héctor TobarCambridge, 2018. Ana and Luis’s relationship is on the rocks, despite their many similarities, including their mothers who both fled El Salvador during the war. In her search for answers, and against her best judgement, Ana uses The Defractor, an experimental device that allows users to peek into alternate versions of their lives. What she sees leads her and Luis on a quest through Havana and San Salvador to uncover the family histories they are desperate to know, eager to learn if what might have been could fix what is.Havana, 1978. The Salvadoran war is brewing, and Neto, a young revolutionary with a knack for forging government papers, meets Rafael at a meeting for the People's Revolutionary Army. The two form an intense and forbidden love, shedding their fake names and revealing themselves to each other inside the covert world of their activism. When their work separates them, they begin to exchange weekly letters, but soon, as the devastating war rages on, forces beyond their control threaten to pull them apart forever.Ruben Reyes Jr.’s debut novel is an epic, genre-bending journey through inverted worlds—one where war ends with a peace treaty, and one where it ends with a decisive victory by the Salvadoran government.

About Ruben Reyes Jr.

Ruben Reyes Jr. is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants and the author of There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Harvard College, his writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Lightspeed Magazine, and other publications. Originally from Southern California, he now lives in Brooklyn.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ruben on February 02, 2025

This one was pretty good. (I'm biased!)......more

Goodreads review by Liz on June 30, 2025

I don't see why the refractor had to be included in this story at all. it just added confusion and is frankly a stupid idea for a piece of technology. This story would have been MUCH much more interesting if it was just about the 2 couples. Over complicated plot that is barely fleshed out, it was a......more

Goodreads review by Tell on August 12, 2025

screaming crying throwing up. Amazed and moved. A brilliant story of love, displacement, alternate universes and hope: genuinely blown away by the construction of intricate love stories across a historical backdrop. The love between the two characters in the past moved me, and the ending of this bro......more

Goodreads review by BookOfCinz on September 26, 2025

I am not sure why the alternate universes was included, I wish the author focused more of the history of El Salvador and the two couples. Things got a big confusing and the technology didn't really add anything to the storyline. I really wish things were a little tighter. I blame the editor.......more

Goodreads review by helen on August 26, 2025

Did I finish this book? No. But am I done with this book? Absolutely. The concept sounded amazing—multiple timelines, a device that lets you peek into alternate versions of your life… I was hooked for the first two chapters, truly. But the worldbuilding never settled into something coherent. Instead......more