Fast Food Fiction Delivery: Short Short Stories to Go

by Noelle Q. de Jesus (Editor), Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta (Editor), Gémino H. Abad

“Reading habits may have changed a great deal. But people still tell each other stories the same way they always have. It remains one of the most universal and human of endeavors. We sense the conflict, steel ourselves for the climax, and marvel at the denouement and resolution. Without even knowing it, we yearn for the enchantment; we long to read a tale that turns on a curve or halts at a twist, at once, a surprise, a mystery and a truth. We all still love a good story. Regardless of the genre, in this quick deft form, there resides magic…This is what sixty-eight writers have done here, whether by happenstance or by sheer, dogged craft.”

– Noelle Q. de Jesus, from the Preface

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies

129 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Noelle Q. de Jesus was born in the US, grew up in Manila, and spent most of her adult life as a writer, wife and mother in Singapore. She has published short stories in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and the US.

Noelle is also author of a chicklit novel, Mrs MisMarriage (Marshall Cavendish International 2008) under her married name, Noelle Chua. She also conceptualized the literary anthology series Fast Food Fiction Short Short Stories To Go (Anvil Publishing Philippines, 2003, 2014), and will edit a Singapore edition in 2016.

She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a concentration in English Literature from Ateneo de Manila University. Blood Collected Stories is her first book of short fiction.

Reviews

[kb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a confession to make: The first time I found Fast Food Fiction: Short Stories to Go at a library years ago, I thought it was a collection of stories set in fast food chains. Please don’t judge me (even if I judged the title).

Read the rest of my review here.

[Junlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard to decide on how many stars I'd give this book because there were some I pieces that struck me, there were some that didn't. All in all I just had an overwhelming amount of pride for all of these Filipino writers. This book inspired me to write flash fiction more and more. It is indeed a challenge to fit all the emotions and descriptions in just 200-300 words which is why I really like how this book was conveyed. It deserves a whomping ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars.

[Jefferson Lexus Jonson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this some six years ago and reread it for the fun of it. The magic I've had with some of the selections still resonates to me. That's not to say that there are those that I find trite.

Top 10 Stories:
1. Overdue by Rebecca Khan
2. The Art House by Daryll Delgado
3. Before Noon by Augusto Antonio Aguila
4. Marina Visits the Museum for the First Time by Trish Shishikura
5. Afterlife with Astrid by Luis Katigbak
6. Stories from the Cities by Eliza Victoria
7. From the Logbook of Cougar Security Guard #344, Renato Hamantoc, Stationed at Gate 2 of White Rock Village by Budjette Tan
8. Orange by Gabriela Lee
9. Leviathan by Kristine Ong Muslim
10. Dinner for Two by Kate Osiasis

[Jenny Llaguno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

[PATRICK · Rating 3 out of 5]

FAST FOOD FICTION DELIVERY BOOK REVIEW

It's quite difficult to pin the rating down on this one because there are pieces that are really great and there are those that are either very shallow/ cliché/ sometimes I just don't get the point/ sometimes it would like something, I, a lowly dirt bag could also write.
I have 6 signatures in the book and I was just so happy to meet some of the authors. Some of them were my teachers and literary idols since I had awakened to the Philippine literary scene three years ago (I’m now in my fourth year in college in August, can you believe that?).
The following is my top 10 favorite entries in the anthology:
1. Marina Visits the Museum for the First Time by Trish Shishikura. This 218-word poetic piece is about a lot of things at the same time.
2. The Night We Met by Chiles Samaniego. A metafiction about how to write something you want to write about like The Night We Met but couldn't find the words so you go on for two or three paragraphs describing it.
3. The Star of India by Andrea Pasion-Flores. I like how her last line echoes the entirety of the short story-- "ignoring the lingering thought of how superfluously I compensate my unhappiness."
4. Leviathan by Kristine Ong Muslin. This short short is about the day a marine biologist found an ancient beast in the identity of the “you.” I’d like to think this is philosophical, hinting commercialism as evil.
5. Afterlife with Astrid by Luis Katigbak. A warm ghost story.
6. Post Bop by Scott Garceau. An intensely humorous and creative story of how a jazz band invades your entire house.
7. Shouldn’t It Be Funny by Marc Gaba. I have a weakness when it comes to comedy. I adore any funny piece. This time it’s about the elephant of the room… literally.
8.Bedtime Story by Israfel Fagela. One of my top two favorites that deserve some kind of literary recognition. What I like about this is the ending.
9. Float by Dean Francis Alfar. There are those that I don’t really understand because I’m too stupid or the literal situation’s not clear and I don’t like them but there are those rare exceptions where I like it. I’ve read this more than three times. It’s haunting and it’s beautifully written.
10. Strange Fish by Exie Abola. One of the top two favorites that I mentioned. I love it. I just do.

Read the entire anthology and compare your top ten to me.
Runner-ups: How to be a Ghost, Persian Rose, Early Reports of Mana, and Seed.
Re: Adam David copyright controversy: our teacher in Philippine Literature in English gave us a thirty-nine page of Facebook comments, statuses, and blog entries regarding the matter including Angelo Suarez’s cute Anville pooplet logo. Then, we took a quiz about it on how we felt about it. I really do not want to take sides but I’m David all the way. I don’t understand legal issues and this is why I am not fit to be a lawyer so I’m not going to comment further.

[Liza Macalandag · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the stories are fascinating. Like one of the writer's review here in Goodreads, I found some of the stories bleh, pretentious. She explains it better.

I noticed more speculative fiction, whatchamacallit, fantasy/SF, a sign of how the genre has grown locally, since the first FF edition.

Overall, this edition has again sparked my love for short fiction.

It's a good travel read. I read this whole book whilst travelling. A total of three (3) two-way air travel.

[kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

My top favorites in the collection are the following:

• Before Noon by Augusto Antonio Aguila
• Overdue by Rebecca Khan
• Leviathan by Kristine Ong Muslim
• Dinner For Two by Kate Osias
• Gone by Maria Elena Paterno
• Some Facts Remembered From Five Years Ago by Sandra Nicole Roldan
• From The Log Book of Cougar Security Guard #344, Renato Hamantoc, Stationed At Gage 2 Of White Rock Village by Budjette Tan
• Stories From The City by Eliza Victoria

[Kristin M-O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually submitted an entry. Written in that hidden Starbucks one rainy Sunday afternoon, behind the Esplanade.