In An Altar of Stories to Liminal Saints, Rios De La Luz weaves a haunting tapestry of speculative fiction that captivates readers while pushing the boundaries of genre.
This collection of nine short stories dives deep into the Latinx experience, situating its characters in intimate relationships with other humans, animals, plants, and the land itself. De La Luz effortlessly blends elements of weird fiction, gothic horror, and magical realism to explore themes of family, selfhood, and nature. It stands out for its nuanced depictions of queer love, gendered violence, poverty, and the human struggle to care for others and be cared for in return. Each story vibrates with raw emotion—whether hope, mourning, anger, or fear—revealing the deep, often embodied, truths of life, dreams, and survival.
In "Dirt," we follow Ignacio, a man who eats dirt to feel a connection with the earth. Through a bizarre spiritual awakening, he births a giant human heart, which he leaves with the daughter he abandoned. Luna, the daughter, becomes fluent in the language of the heart—“a mixture of Spanish, bird songs, and insects chittering”—illustrating the deep connection with nature she has inherited from the father she has never met (7). The surreal story left me in a contemplative haze, reflecting on the complexities of familial bonds, environmental ties, and the hauntingly beautiful way De La Luz blurs the line between humanity and the natural world.
"The Mermaid" is another story that particularly captivated my imagination. The mermaid herself is a figure of monstrous beauty, with silver hair and a tail that ripples like a serpent. Her actions are both violent and protective, embodying the complexity of her character. As she defends a runaway girl from a predatory man, the mermaid’s decision to violently rip out his throat feels both savage and justified. Her brutality contrasts with the tenderness she shows the girl, offering her safety and solace. This duality—her capacity for destruction and care—makes the mermaid a fascinating figure, one that reflects the dying oceans she represents while also challenging the simplistic dichotomy of good and evil. In her final moments, the mermaid finds exhilaration and peace, her violent protection of the girl serving as both a literal and symbolic defense of nature itself. This story, though brief, lingers in the mind, a haunting reminder of the complexities of both human and environmental survival.
In “Mother Nature,” De La Luz masterfully blurs the boundaries between the environment and the self, while also probing the line between what we consider normal or disturbed, particularly in relation to behavior and mental health. The story follows an unnamed narrator, a daughter caring for her manic-depressive mother. Yo soothe her mother to sleep, the girl scratches her mother’s bald spot, causing her fingers to “smell like nature and pollen” (11). The girl’s world becomes steeped in natural imagery envisioning the carpet as a “field of wildflowers” (12).
As the story progresses, the girl’s behavior grows increasingly erratic as she wanders the neighborhood, scratching everything—walls, tree trunks, even sidewalks. She casually breaks into homes, eating, drinking, and stealing small items. Eventually, she begins to cover herself in leaves, proclaiming, “I am Mother Nature!” (14). The phrase repeats eerily, echoed by a TV meteorologist, though it’s unclear whether she’s imagining this. The story crescendos as the girl envisions vines growing from beneath her mother’s bed, curling around them in a “maternal embrace” (15), raising the question: What is natural? Is seeing nature in everything a symptom of her unraveling, or is it an authentic connection to the world around her? This story troubles the notion of normality in mental health, challenging readers to reconsider whether losing one’s mind in an oppressive, isolating world is as natural as the vines encircling their bodies. It’s a poignant, unsettling meditation on the thin line between madness and survival, nature and nurture, sanity and sickness.
The titular story, “An Altar of Stories to Liminal Saints,” centers on Yvette, a lesbian chola, who receives an unexpected phone call from her long-dead mother. Her mother’s voice, calm and reassuring, tells Yvette she is proud of her, but before the conversation can continue, the line cuts to a “robotic automated message,” instructing her to deliver packages indefinitely (19). What follows is a series of deliveries, with each recipient—from women suffering domestic abuse to lonely and abandoned children—receiving a box that contains exactly what they need. After the final package is delivered, Yvette gets one last call from her mother, telling her to visit "THE GARDEN," a bar (44). There, Yvette meets the love of her life, Regina, and the two marry, presumably finding eternal happiness.
As the story concludes, Yvette reflects on the “magic surrounding her all those years, the miracles, the liminal saints who showed up and led her to Regina” (45). Her journey of delivering boxes wasn’t just about helping others—it was also about forging connections, however tenuous, that ultimately led to her own joy. This story beautifully illustrates the theme of interconnectedness, highlighting how relationships, both spiritual and earthly, are woven into an intricate ecology of care and connection. Even the name of the bar, "THE GARDEN," ties into the natural world, suggesting a harmony between the human and the divine, the living and the dead. The lines between these categories—life and death, nature and humanity—become blurred, creating a narrative where miracles and love flow seamlessly across boundaries.
For those interested in the environmental humanities, this collection is particularly rich. De La Luz refuses to treat nature as something separate from humanity, instead depicting the environment as an inseparable part of daily life. Through this lens, An Altar of Stories to Liminal Saints offers an invaluable reflection on our current moment, where human and environmental survival are intricately and inseparably linked.
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