Flowers for a Cyborg

When I brought Tom to my sad Chile at the end of my doctoral studies at Dirtystone, I could not foresee what the android would be capable of. No one knew of his existence at Dirtystone, except for Gerardo do Santos, who would soon travel back to his homeland, also in the process of democratic transition. Someone was kind enough to consider a liberal hiatus of indeterminate duration. Oscar Olsson, my linguist friend from the University of Blacktale, was equally silent. The basic principles of the theses used in its construction could be published, but the details of the android’s manufacture were secret. That was the final agreement.

This novel burst onto the national literary scene in 1996 when it won the National Book Council Award, putting science fiction in the spotlight. And today, more than ever, it remains relevant.

Tom, the cyborg, is the brainchild of Ruben, a scientist pursuing a doctorate in robotics while in exile. Rubén designs Tom to contradict the limitations of his obtuse professors and to overcome the loneliness he feels far from his homeland.

When the dictatorship ends in his country, he returns with the cyborg, whose existence is kept secret thanks to his human appearance and behaviour. The return will be a trial by fire not only for this duo, but also for all those around them. In Reuben’s homeland, the wounds of a long repression survive. Former torturers are prosperous businessmen, drug trafficking and corruption thrive, and politicians -lacking convictions- are concerned only with their own well-being. Meanwhile, the cyborg crosses the AI boundary and manages to think for himself.

Key points

1996 – Best Literary Works Award, National Book Council

• Fourth edition. More than 4,000 copies sold in Chile and 1,000 copies in Spain, Croatia and Italy.
• Translated into Italian and Croatian.
• A novel that combines elements of science fiction, noir and the modern social novel, suitable for young adults and people of all ages.

Diego Muñoz Valenzuela

1994 and 1996 – Best Literary Works Award by the National Book Council
2011 – Selected as one of the ‘25 literary treasures waiting to be discovered’, Guadalajara International Book Fair
2012 – IBBY Chile Award, Young Adults’ Literature Category