Lima a Hundred Years from Now
 | |
| 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 |
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]
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
[edit]In 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.