Invasion of the Spirit People

Villalobos (I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me) returns with an on-point satire of immigration politics with the story of Gastón, an empathetic agriculturist who runs a small market garden. Gastón’s beloved dog, Kitten, is terminally ill; his best friend, Max, is on the brink of losing his restaurant of nearly 30 years; and Max’s son, Pol, has abruptly returned from doing research on a distant tundra. In an unnamed city that evokes Barcelona, childless Gastón has summoned a “sedatoress” to provide palliative care for Kitten in his final days. Meanwhile, the city is being transformed as newcomers—“Far Easterners,” “Near Easterners,” and “North Easterners”—buy out local businesses and open budget bazaars and corner stores on every block. Around the time that the new businesses begin appearing, the city’s Historic Park is vandalized, prompting additional tension between “Incomers” and longtime residents. As factions develop, Gastón remains unfazed. Pol, emaciated, disheveled, and convinced he’s being followed by his tundra-project boss, warns the others about the presence of extraterrestrial life forms, a double entendre on the word alien. Throughout, Villalobos hilariously sends up the ways in which racism and xenophobia sully the city’s strong cultural identity. Once again, Villalobos proves himself a jester. (July)