Ruben Reyes Jr. Discusses Debut Novel 'Archive of Unknown Universes' and Alternate Histories

Exploring Alternate Salvadoran Civil War Timelines

• 📚 Ruben Reyes Jr. discusses his debut novel, "Archive of Unknown Universes," which explores alternate timelines of the Salvadoran Civil War.
• 💡 The novel features a machine called the "Defractor" that allows characters to sift through alternative versions of their lives.
• 🎯 The story follows two families and introduces characters like Anna Flores and Luis Guzman, Harvard students whose research trip to Cuba and El Salvador becomes central.

Intergenerational Effects and Breaking Silences

• 🧠 Reyes Jr. was interested in exploring the intergenerational effects of war and breaking the silences surrounding the Salvadoran Civil War, influenced by sociological research.
• 🗣️ He aims to counter the denial of the war's history by the government and other actors, reflecting his own journey of learning about his family's past.
• 🗺️ The novel highlights the idea that Salvadorans shaped the world before the war and their global displacement, challenging the notion of their country's cultural irrelevance.

Themes of Love and Destiny

• ❤️ The core of the book is centered around love stories, specifically exploring whether people are destined to be together.
• 💫 It contrasts two couples: Netto and Raphael, who seem destined, and Anna and Luis, who actively choose each other daily.
• 🤔 The Defractor, while intended for research, becomes a source of advice and guidance, raising ethical questions about over-reliance on technology.

The Role of the Defractor and 'What Ifs'

• ⚙️ The Defractor, placed in 2018, allows users to visually or textually experience alternate lives based on guiding questions.
• ❓ The technology serves as a plot device to explore the universal question of "what if?", a theme Reyes Jr. grappled with during his time at Harvard.
• ⚠️ Ethical concerns arise regarding the Defractor's misuse and the potential for over-reliance, with the Catholic Church officially advising against its use.

Writing Process and Challenges

• ✍️ Reyes Jr. began writing the novel in earnest in 2018 during his MFA program, recognizing that the scope of the multiverse and historical themes required a novel format.
• 🗺️ Keeping track of multiple timelines was a major challenge, requiring him to set limitations and focus on how relationships and timelines interacted.
• 💔 The author found writing about grief and death particularly difficult, drawing from personal experience and the collective grief of a nation.

Advice for Aspiring Writers

• 📖 Reyes Jr. emphasizes the importance of reading widely across genres, including poetry, to develop attention to language and inspire writing.
• 💡 He advises writers to explore different genres, even those they might not initially enjoy, as they can offer valuable insights and lessons.
• 🖋️ The novel's ending is centered around the love story of Netto and Raphael, whom Reyes Jr. considers the beating heart of the book.