Fragment and Event in «Challenger» by Guillem López

Abstract

Challenger (2015), Spanish writer Guillem López's novel, consists of 72 chapters, starring as many characters, that narrate fragments of one single day in Miami, January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded, shortly after take-off. In this article, we reflect on the relationships between fragmentation and the historical event. We analyze the techniques used in Challenger to link fragments into a coherent fictional construct that combines motifs from numerous genres and achieves a precarious but sufficient balance between centripetal and centrifugal forces. We intend to show that, by making a moderate use of “experimental” procedures widely used in the more “avant-garde” contemporary narrative, this novel builds a bridge between pop culture and highbrow literature.