Lima a Hundred Years from Now is a Peruvian epistolary science fiction novel written by Julián Manuel del Portillo, published in installments (between July 1843 and January 1844) in the newspaper El Comercio.[1] It is considered both the first Peruvian novel and the first science fiction publication.[2][3][4]
 | |
| Author | Julián Manuel del Portillo |
|---|---|
| Original title | Lima: de aquí a cien años |
| Language | Spanish |
| Genre | Novel, science fiction, epistolary |
| Publisher | El Comercio |
Publication date | 1843–1844 |
| Publication place | Peru |
| Media type | Newspaper |
The novel is framed within the stylistic canon of the mid-19th century, featuring characteristics of both Gothic and science fiction novels, with elements of fantasy, utopia, and anticipation.[1] As a reference, Jules Verne's first novel (which was also his first science fiction work), Paris in the 20th Century, was not written until 1859.
Synopsis
editIn 1943, Artur and his friend Carlos del A. come back to reality, from where a genie, who paralyzed their existence, took them out for a century. Artur, in Lima; Carlos, in Cusco. Astonished, they find out that England, once a world power, has been wiped out and that Peru, the country they left when plunged into civil wars, is now a highly developed country. They tell each other all these events through letters, which are forwarded through airships that daily fly from Lima to Cusco.
Cusco features fantastic architecture: a gigantic pyramid has been built with 225 floors and 3 kilometers in height, along with a library housing 12 million books. A tunnel starts in Arequipa, passes through a volcano, and reaches the interior of the pyramid. These concepts also make the novel the first architectural utopia.[5]
Referencias
edit- ^ a b Christian Elguera. "Diálogo, historia y utopía: Lima de aquí a cien años como unidad y la idea de nación". El Hablador (16): 3. ISSN 1729-1763.
[El] especialista peruano en el género Daniel Salvo [...] considera a la novela como fundacional del género de ciencia ficción.
- ^ Ysla Heredia, Bruno (2015-09-29). "Publicación de la semana: Lima de aquí a cien años, de Julián M. del Portillo". Casa de la Literatura Peruana (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Elguera, Christian (2014-01-18). "Lima de aquí a 100 años". redaccion.lamula.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Piaggi A., Paulo (2015). "Lima de aquí a cien años / Julián M. del Portillo". Desde el Sur: Revista de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales de la Universidad Científica del Sur. 7 (1): 113–116. ISSN 2415-0959. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Alvaro Mejía Salvatierra (27 October 2009). "La ciencia ficción nació en el Perú hace 166 años: Lima de aquí a cien años". Revista Palabra (4). Universidad Alas Peruanas.