Caracas Kneels and Opens Its Belly: Science Fiction in Harakiri City by Caramelos de Cianuro
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62876/baciyelmo.vi9.8046Keywords:
science fiction, Venezuelan rock, intermediality, Harakiri City, dystopiaAbstract
This article examines Harakiri City (1996) by Caramelos de Cianuro as an intermedial manifestation of science fiction within the context of 1990s Venezuelan alternative rock. By analyzing lyrics, music, and visuals—particularly the album booklet—the study shows how the record builds a narrative universe that goes beyond music alone. Drawing on Darko Suvin’s concepts of cognitive estrangement and novum, as well as the influence of shoegaze, space rock, and Japanese anime aesthetics, it demonstrates that the album does more than borrow isolated elements of the genre; it creates an immersive, dystopian experience. The city as a self-destructive entity, the melancholic space journey, and the appropriation of science fiction tropes makes Harakiri City an emblematic case of how literature can expand into popular music, enriching literary studies and broadening Venezuela’s cultural map.
Keywords: Science fiction, Venezuelan rock, intermediality, Harakiri City, dystopia.
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