Calien is a short novel that delivers a keen reflection on the human condition in a world where scientific progress and moral decline go hand in hand. Published in 2009 by Diego Darío López Mera, it stands as one of the most original efforts to fuse science fiction with Colombia's cultural and social landscape —particularly that of the city of Cali.
At its core, the story follows a family in pursuit of the elixir of immortality, only to become entangled in a web of conspiracy, betrayal, and encounters with non-human intelligences. Rather than a path to salvation, immortality emerges as a symbol of inner decay. In Calien, the strange inhabits the everyday, and the alien reveals itself to be none other than ourselves.
López Mera's writing is straightforward yet densely layered with philosophical, cinematic, and cultural references. His prose strikes a delicate balance between humor and disillusionment, satire and introspection. The science fiction he envisions doesn’t unfold in distant galaxies or pristine futures, but in a present warped by ambition, nostalgia, and absurdity.
Calien is a vital work in the context of contemporary Colombian science fiction. It doesn’t attempt to replicate Anglo-American genre norms, but instead forges its own voice —grounded in local realities and critical of global narratives. Its true power lies in the way it reimagines Cali —and by extension, Colombia— as a space for the fantastic, the ethical, and the alien.
The story is also available as part of the anthology "9 Fantastic Monsters".
