# Terminal 3

By Illimani Ferreira

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/terminal-3-9fd088dc/

Gabe Chagas works security at a future LAX after losing his mother in a temporal incident. A cryptic message points him toward answers at a gate that doesn't exist, just as questions about his own residency make his position precarious.

## What makes it funny?

Interstellar travel still leaves workers worrying about rent and gentrification. A Department of Homeworld Security gives the familiar machinery of immigration enforcement a galactic reach, including officials who casually deport aliens.

### The comedy at work

Ferreira makes the spaceport's bureaucracy indifferent to the people caught inside it. Cultural misunderstandings and arbitrary rules keep a goodhearted worker struggling with daily problems even as the universe heads toward collapse.

### Try this if…

The appeal here is dark social satire seen from a vulnerable worker's position. Gabe's good intentions meet institutions too large and callous for one person's effort to set right.

### Good to know

Family separation, deportation and prejudice are central concerns. Cultural conflicts can turn violent.

## What to expect

- Genre: Science fiction
- On the shelf: First contact & aliens · Time travel
- Kind of humor: Dark comedy · Satire
- Format: Novel
- Published: 2020

## A few distinguishing details

- A spaceport guard investigating his mother's disappearance
- A Department of Homeworld Security
- Rent anxiety during cosmic collapse

## Sources & further reading

- Author commentary: [Author bibliography](https://ifscifi.com/)
- Review: [Jonathan E. Hernandez on Terminal 3](https://reactormag.com/celebrating-the-humorous-sf-of-latinx-authors)
- Library catalog: [Santa Clara County Library bibliography](https://sccl.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/71513089/2867635114)
- Book information: [Latinx in Publishing release record](https://latinxinpublishing.com/blog/september-2020-latinx-releases)