"César Aira has become a cult fiction writer in his native Argentina as well as throughout Latin America for his hyperrealist treatment of surreal or implausible scenarios and his aggressive defiance of literary conventions," writes Mónica de la Torre, Senior Editor BOMB Magazine, in her introduction to this issue of Recommended Reading. With their translation of "The Spy," BOMB became one of the first to bring César Aira to English speaking readers. Here, Aira takes a metaphysical look at life, art, and politics, confirming that "in art there is one condition that takes precedent over all others: to do things well."