Counterfactual fiction as a strategy for constructing historical memory in two Colombian comics

Abstract

This article analyzes two Colombian graphic novels, Emús en la zona and La peste de la memoria, based on the concept of counterfactual fiction, which pertains to narratives proposing alternative stories to official historical events. In the first work, this is associated with the concept of uchronia and time travel narratives. In the second, it unfolds through mental games or subjective worlds. Through narratological analysis, the aim is to demonstrate how in these works, counterfactual fiction prompts critical reflections on historical memory in the Colombian context.