This project critically examines the intersections of personal history, science fiction, and socio-political realities, taking as its starting point the unfinished graphic novel Extraterrestres en la Pequeña Habana (Aliens in Little Havana), written by my uncle, Manolo, in the early 1990s. Though only fragments of Manolo’s imagined alien invasion of Miami remain, these remnants serve as a springboard for investigating fear, political manipulation, and the lingering impact of the Cold War. Science fiction, a genre shaped by the paranoia of the Cold War, offers a lens through which to interrogate how fear has been historically weaponized—and continues to be exploited—for political control. Manolo’s unfinished narrative reflects the anxieties of its time, particularly the Red Scare-era communism that catalyzed mass Cuban immigration to Miami. These Cold War tensions resonate eerily with contemporary political strategies, where fear remains a tool for control. The novel’s alien invasion becomes an allegory for societal insecurities—both then and now—emphasizing how imagined threats are mobilized to sustain power.

Building on Manolo’s unfinished work, this project uses lens-based media to explore how perception is shaped, distorted, and controlled. Photography becomes both a space and a tool to merge personal narratives, historical realities, and contemporary anxieties. Through nocturnal images of suburban Miami, the work captures a sense of unease and instability, echoing the atmosphere of Manolo’s fictional alien invasion. The use of photography as a medium highlights the tension between reality and fiction, revealing how visual representation can be manipulated to construct fear or fabricate control.