A really strange but fun short novel. The whole story revolves around identity and ones past youth and what that does to the future of living persons. Its absurd and fun but also affecting the absurdist parts are full on insanity paired with an actual care for character and care for the characters. Good novel. Super weird and not for the faint of heart. ( )

Somewhere between Douglas Adams and Harry Harrison, there is Yoss. If you're a fan of either author then you'll most likely enjoy a romp across the galaxy with this Cuban science-fiction writer. The author's style is entertaining and irreverent. Narrated through the eyes of the central character, we experience the world of interspecies galactic trade where every first-contact and trade deal is sealed through a sexual pact. The role of the 'Contact Specialist' is part diplomat, part negotiator and sexual explorer. The storey follows the rise of Josué Valdés from the slums of a futuristic, post-apocalypse Cuba to one of humanity's interstellar emissaries. Underneath the calm facade, Valdés is perpetually worried that his past will catch up with him to destroy a life for which he has worked hard, taken risks and deceived others. However, the fun really starts when the first extragalactic visitors are detected. ( )