Philippine Speculative Fiction Sampler

by Nikki Alfar (Editor), Dean Francis Alfar (Contributor), Elyss G. Punsalan (Contributor)

The “Philippine Speculative Fiction” annual anthology series was launched, essentially, to celebrate the Filipino’s intrinsic détente with the strange—whether comfortable or uncomfortable, handled with matter-of-fact acceptance, reluctant resignation, or unthinking obliviousness—in nurturing a “literature of the fantastic.” In these pages, you’ll find a few of the most exemplary stories we’ve had the privilege of publishing over our first seven—and counting, hopefully—volumes. Within them, you’ll recognize elements of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. So welcome to the “Philippine Speculative Fiction Sampler”; I trust you’ll enjoy this taste of what we keep cooking up. As they say in our tourism ads, “it’s more fun in the Philippines.” And as we tend to say, in response to statements of the blindingly obvious, “mismo.”

Contents List:
* L'Aquilone du Estrelllas (The Kite of Stars) by Dean Francis Alfar
* Ashland by Elyss G. Punsalan
* Rogelio Batle and the Curse of the Crimson Court by Alexander Osias
* The Nature of Apocalypse by Joseph Montecillo
* From the Book of Names My Mother Did Not Give Me by Christine V. Lao
* The Secret Origin of Spin-man by Andrew Drilon

ebook

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Nikki Alfar has fought fire 7,000 feet in midair and killed a snake with a flip-flop. Confoundingly, she’s found it much harder to earn a few Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, a couple of Bewildering Stories Mariner Awards, a Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Award, and selection as one of twelve ‘Filipina writers of note’ by the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings. Nevertheless, she perseveres, somehow getting fiction published nationally and internationally, including her short story collection, Now, Then, and Elsewhen (UST Publishing).

She’s a proud founding member of the LitCritters writing group, has been a fellow at the UP National Writers’ Workshop as well as a judge for the Palanca and Philippines Free Press literary awards, and more often than not co-edits the critically-acclaimed annual anthology series Philippine Speculative Fiction. She’s also edited The Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction 2005–2010 (UP Press) and the Philippine Speculative Fiction Sampler (Flipside Publishing). The rest of the time, she folds origami compulsively, smokes like a chimney, and tries to cook ever more imaginative suppers for her husband Dean and their daughters Sage and Rowan.