Philippine Speculative Fiction II

by Dean Francis Alfar (Editor)

Table of Contents

The Child Abandoned * Yvette Natalie U. Tan

Waiting for Victory * Michael A. R. Co
Snippets * Kate Aton-Osias
The Sign of the Cross * Russell Stanley Q. Geronimo

First Contact * Joseph F. Nacino
Clutter * Madeline Rae Ong
Hundreds Upon Hundreds of Forgotten Memories Will Suddenly Appear When She Finally Decides To Leave What Could Only Be Called Mistakes In Her Life, And At This Precise Moment She Will Have Realized That All The Time She Can Spare Is Long Lost And Will Never Be Returned * Allan B. Lopez

Six from Downtown * Dean Francis Alfar
How Saint Miko and I Ruined the Apocalypse * Andrew Drilon
Feasting * Joshua L. Lim So
Borealis * Rochita Loenen-Ruiz
Gunsaddled * Alexander Marcos Osias
Waiting for Agua de Mayos * Mia Tijam
Witch * Jessi Albano
What You See Is Not What You Get * Vincent Michael Simbulan

V.A., or The One True Agency for the Search of Disappeared Gods
and Mythical Heroes * Oscar Bryan Alvarez
Re-Genesis * Jonathan Jimena Siason
Just Another Ghost Story * Apol Lejano-Massebieau

Bearing Fruit * Nikki Alfar

Genres: Anthologies, Speculative Fiction, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy

178 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[kwesi 章英狮 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best collection of short stories I read since the day I was born and the best thing about this book is that, the writers were local Filipinos. Creating best sci-fi, magic realism, fantasy, horror or stories that are very hard to specify that evolves for many years of writing. I think Filipinos are getting better although few were granted to publish books. I don't know what really inside in a publishing company, but I think they already skipped most of best writers since then.

Now, I'm in the middle of nowhere living in a place so called Cyber world and so far I'm enjoying my life here while writing book reviews and this book had the best inside stories that will turn your world into 3 dimensional undefined worlds that won't disappoint you. Compare to any Filipino books that I read, this one had the easiest experience I felt in my entire life of reading local books.

I don't know why but I did not use most of my energy and all I did is read and simply enjoy my afternoon without a hassle. This book is recommended to local Filipino readers, YA lovers, short story hoarders and most of all to those readers who wanted to explore speculative fiction. This book must read as far as the copy if available and I'm planning to buy one! I heard that one of the writers of Philippine Speculative Fiction has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award.

I also have few favorites in the book that I won't regret to mention it to everyone.

1. Snippets by Kate Aton-Osias - the heart-warming story of a mother and a wife suffering of cancer that will change her days into unforgettable memories that causes her pain, disappointment, lose hope and most of all lessons that can be share to everyone. Is she will survive or she will be one of the 200,000 thousand cancer patients?

2. The Sign of the Cross by Russell Stanley Q. Geronimo - a group of monks (I think priests) explored a whole new world when an unknown creature appeared to be different in front of them and degusted by the fact that he is a demon. This book explores more on the Catholic Church’s beliefs on the demons that usually only appears to be spirit or not in physical form. How many people must die because of man's curiosity?

3. First Contact by Joseph F. Nacino - When a group of American’s chooses one of the Philippine's island to be the sanctuary of an alien, or might not be, the local residents become aware and they are trying to disintegrate them. What if aliens are the only chance we discover outer space or another world destruction cause by human's narrowed brain not by aliens?

4. Feasting by Joshua L. Lim So - A good story of an insoluble dilemma of the society whether to pursue the life of bounty no matter what it cost or to stay without changes made. What special about this book is that the author put snippets of local dialect, Bisaya to express the society in the story. The ending was shockingly creepy and the best!

5. Waiting for Agua de Mayos by Mia Tijam - A local girl from a small town met a dragon, not the typical one, and she made a friend that will trust her until the promise that had been hidden for years had been broke. In the end she waited for the dragon to come out again every first rain of May. This cute and loving story of unusual friendship of a human and a dragon will enjoy by local

6. Just Another Ghost Story by Apol Lejano-Messebieau - This creepy story of a journalist visited by the ghost that she explored in the past are trying to hunt her again. Can she survive the curse or she will burn to dust? I really enjoy reading ghost stories and this one is the best, unlike the ghost story collections that my sister bought every month when we were in high school.

Although, the book contains the best of the best short stories in the year 2006 not all of them attracts me. Some were superbly unknown to me, some are confusing and some are very concentrated in using words that are jargon-ically impeccable. Thanks to Kristel for lending her copy to me and so far, I did the best thing in my life; share, read and enjoy books.

If I can only fly through books, ride a car that can travel through pages and pages, bookend that can talk and sail through words or a special telepathic power that can create 3 dimensional images by reading. If this will happen life will be a silly opportunity for readers. Kaboooom! And fly!

Review posted on Old-Fashioned Reader .

Rating: Philippine Speculative Fiction volume 2 by Dean Francis Alfar (Editor), 4 Sweets

Challenges:
Book #219 for 2011
Book #4 for Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa Contest

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting approaches

[Tuklas Pahina (TP) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mindblowing!

Speculatively wonderful!

Provocative!