Ray Loriga – författare

"[A] riveting, and original, achievement."—WIREDFrom award-winning Spanish author Ray Loriga comes a dystopian novel about authority, manipulation, and the disappearance of privacy that "calls to mind The Handmaid''s Tale by Margaret Atwood [and] Blindness by José Saramago" (Alfaguara Prize Winner Citation).Ten long years have passed since war first broke out, and one couple still does not know the whereabouts of their children, or what their country is even fighting for. They follow orders and their lives go by simply, routinely, until—one day—a mute boy walks onto their property. When the authorities announce that the area needs to be evacuated and that everyone must relocate to "the transparent city," the three leave together.At first, the city proves to be a paradise: a stunning glass dome of endless highways, buildings, trains, and markets. Everything its inhabitants need is provided to them—food, protection, shelter—and the family quickly, unquestioningly, settles into their new life. But, soon, a sinister underlay begins to emerge. Neither secrets nor walls are permitted here, and strict order, authoritarian calm, and transparency must always reign supreme.In a society in which everything private is public, the most chilling portent of our future emerges. Surrender is an urgent novel about dignity and rebellion and the lengths we go to preserve love, hope, and humanity."Loriga envisions in this gripping tale an unsettling dystopia in which all secrets are forbidden...This memorable page-turner will appeal to fans of Brave New World."—Publishers Weekly

Ray Loriga, Premio Alfaguara de novela 2017 por Rendición. Una historia sobre la autoridad y la manipulación colectiva con ecos de Kafka y Orwell. Una fábula sobre el destierro, la pérdida, la paternidad y los afectos. Han pasado diez largos años desde que estalló la guerra, y el matrimonio sigue sin conocer el paradero de sus hijos, sin saber si su país fue el agresor o el agredido. Fuera cual fuese el origen de la contienda, él, hombre de campo, y ella, su antigua patrona, siguen amándose y sus vidas transcurren sencilla y rutinariamente. Un día un muchacho mudo entra en su propiedad. Al principio lo encierran como a un prisionero, pero acaban por tomarle cierto cariño y, cuando las autoridades comunican que la zona debe ser evacuada y que tienen que poner rumbo a la ciudad transparente, los tres parten juntos. En ese momento el muchacho es bautizado como Julio. Las puertas dela metrópoli muestran una clara advertencia: el aire mece los cuerpos sin vida de los traidores. En su interior, la ciudad transparente es casi un paraíso que provee a sus habitantes de todo aquello que cualquiera desearía en un hogar: armonía, limpieza y protección. Impera un orden riguroso, una calma autoritaria y una absoluta transparencia: no están permitidos los secretos ni las paredes. En una sociedad en la que lo privado es de dominio público, en un mundo feliz y asfixiante que ataca pasivamente a la dignidad del ser humano, emergen los más estremecedores augurios de nuestro futuro.Una historia kafkiana y orwelliana sobre la autoridad y la manipulación colectiva, una parábola de nuestras sociedades expuestas a la mirada y al juicio de todos. Sin caer en moralismos, a través de una voz humilde y reflexiva con inesperados golpes de humor, el autor construye una fábula luminosa sobre el destierro, la pérdida, la paternidad y los afectos. La trama de Rendición sorprende a cada página hasta conducirnos a un final impactante que resuena en el lector tiempo después de cerrar el libro.- Del Jurado del XX Premio Alfaguara de novela.ENGLISH DESCRIPTIONRay Loriga, winner of the 2017 Alfaguara Novel Prize for Rendición / SurrenderThe jury has recognized "a Kafkaesque, Orwellian story about authority and collective manipulation, a parable of our societies that are exposed to the sight and judgment of all. Without falling into idealism, and through a humble, thoughtful voice with unexpected bursts of humor, the author constructs a luminous fable about exile, loss, parenthood, and affection. The plot of Rendición (Surrender) surprises us on every page until leading us to a stunning ending that resonates in the reader well after having put the book down." It has been ten long years since war broke out, and the couple still doesn’t know the whereabouts of their children, or if their country was the aggressor or the victim. Whatever the origin of the dispute, he, a farm laborer, and she, his former employer, continue to love each other and their days pass simply and routinely. One day, a mute boy enters their property. At first they lock him up like a prisoner, but they end up becoming fond of him, and when the authorities announce that the area needs to be evacuated and they must set out for the transparent city, the three go together. In that moment, the boy is baptized as Julio. The gates of the metropolis display a clear warning: in the air swing the lifeless bodies of traitors. Inside, the transparent city is almost a paradise that provides its inhabitants with everything one could want in a home: harmony, neatness, and protection. Strict order, authoritarian calm, and absolute transparency reign supreme: neither secrets nor walls are permitted. In a society in which everything private is public domain, in a happy and suffocating world that passively attacks the dignity of human beings, emerge the most chilling portents of our future.