Era mucho el miedo by Gloria Inés Peláez and En el brazo del río by Marbel Sandoval Ordóñez: The Novels of the Second State in Colombia

Abstract

Abstract Colombia’s war conflict inspired crime fiction, mainly by male authors. This genre has reflected the nation’s harsh reality since the mid-twentieth century, revealing brutal aspects of Colombian society. However, women’s experiences as victims of violence and their literary contributions have been overlooked despite their early engagement in writing about these matters. This article analyses the novels En el brazo del río by Marbel Sandoval Ordóñez and Era mucho el miedo by Gloria Inés Peláez, published in 2006 and 2016, respectively. Both novels are representations of what could be considered the Colombian “Second State”—as named by Rita Segato: an illegal ruling state and economic scheme that thrives on the cruelest violence, primarily against women.