{"id":143,"date":"2008-03-04T00:32:55","date_gmt":"2008-03-04T07:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/specfic.philsites.net\/2008\/03\/04\/2007-philippine-speculative-fiction-lists\/"},"modified":"2008-03-04T00:32:55","modified_gmt":"2008-03-04T07:32:55","slug":"2007-philippine-speculative-fiction-lists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/2008\/03\/04\/2007-philippine-speculative-fiction-lists\/","title":{"rendered":"2007 Philippine Speculative Fiction Lists"},"content":{"rendered":"

A while back I got an invitation from Charles Tan<\/a> to put together my “year’s best 5 Pinoy speculative works” list. I thought it was a good idea, so he made this document<\/a> that puts together four lists – namely mine and those of Don<\/a>, Banzai Cat<\/a>, and Charles<\/a> himself.<\/p>\n

Visit their blogs to leave comments on their lists. Better yet, make your own lists! I’d be glad to link to them on this blog. Incidentally, Sean Uy of To the Tale, and Other Such Concerns<\/a> has posted his reactions to the other people’s lists.<\/p>\n

I still don’t want to call mine a “best of” roster, but I will<\/em> call it a “current favorites” roster. Unlike everybody else, I didn’t come up with exactly five stories. And I won’t apologize for my apologies :P<\/p>\n

But looking at this list, it seems to me that that my taste for stories appears to run along the unconventional route. Which is funny, because I don’t feel<\/em> unconventional…<\/p>\n

Saving the contents here, for posterity.<\/p>\n

2007 Philippine Speculative Fiction Lists<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Sorry, the Philippines has neither the Hugos nor the Nebulas (or even the Stoker) so instead, four SF&F fans posts their lists of favorite local speculative fiction short stories that was published in the previous year.<\/p>\n

Electrick Twilight Boogaloo<\/a><\/p>\n

As far as list-making criterias go, the list-maker’s taste are the only reliable indicator for what he thinks are signs of life: what he thinks is good and what is not. With my case, I lean towards the unsettling, the weird and far flung futures. This year, I read 56 stories from different publications that featured speculative fiction stories. From the usual suspects (Philippine Speculative Fiction<\/em>, Philippine Genre Stories <\/em>and Story Philippines<\/em>), 2007 saw new doors open which included a lifestyle magazine (Rogue<\/em>) and off-shore e-zines which published Filipino Authors (Town Drunk, Serendipity <\/em>and Clarkesworld<\/em>). Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get my hands on issues of Philippine Free Press<\/em> and Philippine Graphic<\/em> which occasionally publishes speculative fiction stories. <\/font><\/p>\n

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Again, here are my five favorite speculative fiction stories of 2007:<\/font><\/p>\n

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“Dreaming Valhalla”<\/strong> by Douglas Candano (Story Philippines Vol. One 2007<\/em>): “Dreaming Valhalla” maintains consistency and integrity while entangling itself into a patchwork of different mythologies and pop-culture references. In some ways, Candano’s tale may be the prose equivalent of a Wong Kar Wai opus: stylized and kinetic. This finely crafted piece that melds fantasy, horror, alternate history and mythology is an absorbing tale about a man’s rise to iconic otherworldly destruction. Also evident here is the reliance to gossip and hearsay to build Ericsson Chua’s character, which may be the only means considering how obscure and enigmatic Chua is.<\/font><\/p>\n

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“The Saint of Elsewhere<\/strong>” by Chiles Samaniego (Philippine Genre Stories 2<\/em>): “The Saint of Elsewhere” has that impeccable ability to draw out an atmosphere of longing for a past we once associated as the pivotal turning point of our lives. “The Saint of Elsewhere” steps into familiar territories of heartbreak and memory and shifts gears into metaphysical grounds, breaking the story’s momentum. Elegantly wrapped in a nostalgic and melancholic atmosphere, the use of the literary language is well handled (one might even say that it is too literary for a genre story). <\/font>“The Saint of Elsewhere” <\/font>unravels in an aestheticized manner that deftly captures the protagonist’s struggle with his past and his future.<\/font><\/p>\n

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“The Flicker”<\/strong> by Ian Rosales Casocot (Philippine Speculative Fiction Volume 3<\/em>): Venturing to the dried-up area of haunted houses, “The Flicker” plumbs headlong into a monotonous and sheltered suburban life and emerges with disturbingly eerie results. While its only fault is its weak ending, “The Flicker” seethes with the titular ominous flicker and otherworldly atmospherics, building up to a heavy Philippine Gothic story that transcends the usual, beaten up tropes and works its way up into an eerie past that is determined to never leave all those left behind. <\/font><\/p>\n

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“Excerpt From a Letter of a Social-Realist Aswang<\/strong>” by Kristin Mandigma (Clarkesworld Magazine, October 2007<\/em>): Wrapped in moral quandaries, political disgust and folklore, “Excerpt From A Letter of a Social-Realist Aswang” taps straight into the heart of things using the perspective of an Aswang. An impressive “letter” that deals with speculative fiction, <\/font>“Excerpt From A Letter of a Social-Realist Aswang” <\/font>reflects the country’s current hardboiled state and carves a new facet in the Aswang mythos. Delving into the social flip-side of things that plague contemporary consciousness, the story captures today’s faltering sensibilities and exposes the cancer we are currently embroiled in that swiftly metastasizes with every turn of things. <\/font><\/p>\n

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“Brigada”<\/strong> by Joseph Nacino (Philippine Speculative Fiction Volume 3<\/em>): Some people may be wondering why I chose this story instead of Nacino’s “Logovore”. Unable to read the rest of the short-listed stories for the 2nd Philippine Graphic\/Fiction Awards, I considered “Logovore” and the rest of the short-list as a 2008 release. “Brigada” shows the places that Pinoy culture can occupy with the rest of the wide mythological world. Brigada is populated with nods to Filipino culture and history. Although like “The Flicker” (or in this case, with most of the stories in the third volume of Philippine Speculative Fiction<\/em>) it’s only deficiency is its lack of a solid ending. Nevertheless, “Brigada” is an ejoyable Pinoy pirate saga set in a flooded, post-apocalyptic Philippines that ably fuses SF-nal elements into one exhilarating mix of action, history and nostalgia.<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Banzai Cat<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

I based my decision on the stories I read that came out in 2007: Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3<\/em>; <\/em>Philippine Genre Stories# 2, 3, the\u00c2\u00a0Christmas issue<\/em>;\u00c2\u00a0Vicente Groyon’s A Different Voice<\/em> (Pen Fiction anthology); and Fully-Booked’s Expeditions: 1st Philippine Graphic\/Fiction Awards<\/em> collection.<\/p>\n

What’s interesting about my top 5 stories is that they’re essentially about retellings of familiar tropes to make something new.\u00c2\u00a0 Whether it’s epic fantasy or Filipino monsters, I like it that\u00c2\u00a0there is no such thing as a much-abused idea\u00c2\u00a0and that with the proper spin, a great story can still be written.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the fact that two of the stories came from a literary anthology reinforces me two things: that using speculative tropes is getting to be more accepted in local publications nowadays (and not because it’s YA\/childrens’ books) and that it’s really hard to keep track of the good spec fic stories if we were to limit ourselves to genre publications only.
\n“Beacon”<\/strong> by Nikki Alfar (Philippine Genre Stories Volume 2<\/em>): <\/font>Nikki targets the tropes\u00c2\u00a0of epic fantasy (Western-style) by using a different form in writing it.\u00c2\u00a0 Here, she tells of a group of adventurers on a quest and by using different perspectives (and different tones of voices) of each adventurer, she manages to tell the story.\u00c2\u00a0 What’s more, by switching perspectives constantly, Nikki manages not only bring the story forward but also backward as it reveals pieces of each of the protagonists.<\/p>\n

“The Death and Rebirth of Nathaniel Alan Sempio” <\/strong>by Alexandro Osias (Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3<\/em>): I am admitted and unabashed fan of Osias’ stories, especially those involving\u00c2\u00a0cultural references to Filipino action movies replete with heroic insurgents and larger-than-life protagonists\u00c2\u00a0as with his previous story, “Gunsaddled”.\u00c2\u00a0 Here,\u00c2\u00a0Alex sets his tale in a near-future Philippines of a killer\u00c2\u00a0out\u00c2\u00a0for\u00c2\u00a0revenge against a warlord, a conclusion\u00c2\u00a0to\u00c2\u00a0the echoes of Bonifacio and Aguinaldo’s rivalry.<\/p>\n

“The Ascension of Lady Boy”<\/strong> by Mia Tijam (Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3)<\/em><\/strong>: Okay, barring the obvious relation, I loved this story because it’s a horror story but it’s also damn funny story with\u00c2\u00a0the excellent narrator’s voice and the Filipino-English wordplay.\u00c2\u00a0 I mean, who else here didn’t laugh at the phrase, “the most beautiful woman on the skin of the earth”?\u00c2\u00a0 And yes, it’s a horror story\u00c2\u00a0and ultimately\u00c2\u00a0it’s a sad story, but we’re happy with how Mia has managed to fool us all with this sleight-of-hand of a tale.<\/p>\n

“Reply To A Query”<\/strong> by Douglas Candano (A Different Voice<\/em>): Though Candano’s story in PSF vol. 1 underimpressed me, I thought his horror story\u00c2\u00a0in Groyon’s anthology was\u00c2\u00a0quite good.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite the dry\u00c2\u00a0narrative (which actually contributed to the feeling of tone of horror of the story),\u00c2\u00a0the story\u00c2\u00a0combines Filipino monsters, the time-displacement element of fairy tales (Old European version) and the Bluebeard story.\u00c2\u00a0 Impressive, all in all.<\/p>\n

“Hunger”<\/strong> by Gabriella Lee (A Different Voice)<\/em>: On the other end of the spectrum, Lee’s story of a teenager dealing with the usual angsts of life, including being a manananggal is actually refreshing.\u00c2\u00a0 It reminded me most of Dean’s “Six from Downtown” and how monsters of legend would actually live in the present times. It also helps that\u00c2\u00a0the protagonist is especially likeable, something to chalk up to Lee’s handling of the voice.<\/p>\n

M.R.R. Arcega<\/a><\/p>\n

Everybody’s posting their top 5 best Pinoy spec fic lists! Charles said I could choose just 3, and that’s what I’m doing :P<\/p>\n

A disclaimer: this is not an authoritative “best of” list. I can’t honestly say that I’ve read every<\/em> piece of Philippine speculative fiction that was published in 2007… I can’t even claim that I’ve read most<\/em> of them. These are just the stories I liked especially, the ones that really made an impression on me.<\/p>\n

This is not a cop-out. This is just the truth.<\/p>\n

This year I resolve to read more Pinoy spec fic (including comics), but in the meantime, I’m not averse to sharing my favorites list. We really shouldn’t pass up on the opportunity to tell other people that we liked their work.<\/p>\n

The titles I’ve read are:
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Philippine Speculative Fiction vol. 3<\/em>
The Digest of Philippine Genre Stories Christmas Special<\/em>
Expeditions Prose: The First Philippine Graphic\/Fiction Awards<\/p>\n

<\/em>“Atha”<\/strong> by Michaela Atienza (Expeditions<\/em>): Filled with brilliant and hard-hitting imagery. As soon as I finished reading it, it became a favorite. The vivid descriptions build a thick gothic atmosphere, one that engulfs and traps the reader right from the start. This just placed 3rd in the Fully Booked contest, but out of the 3 award winners, which are all excellently written, this one is definitely my favorite.<\/p>\n

“Sidhi”<\/strong> by Yvette Tan (Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3<\/em>): If my research is accurate, this story won the Palanca in 2003 so it technically wasn’t first published in 2007. Still, I first encountered it in PSF3. It’s intelligent, with a solid plot and strong surreal imagery. Very rereadable.<\/p>\n

“Monstrous Star”<\/strong> by Ma. Cecilia Estrada (Expeditions<\/em>): I really enjoyed this. It’s light-hearted and clever, and even if the theme brings to mind stories like William Gibson’s Idoru<\/em> and James Tiptree’s “The Girl Who Was Plugged In,” the humorous treatment was unique and quite memorable. The editor of the anthology says it’s reminiscent of “Philip K. Dick at his most nonchalant”… which doesn’t really come across very well, or do justice to the story IMHO.<\/p>\n

Charles Tan<\/a><\/p>\n

Too many people are apologizing for having an opinion so I won’t. This is my top five list of short stories. If you don’t like ’em, bugger off! Write your own list (in which you are more than welcome to).<\/p>\n

As for my tastes, I tend to favor well-written<\/em> genre stories (the mass-market type) as well as sophisticated speculative fiction stories with gravity. There’s a difference between that spectrum from saying “I’m somewhere in between”. So my list will feature stories that fall under one category or the other. Also, I avoided reprints. I mean if that weren’t the case, Dean Alfar’s “The Kite of Stars” would probably have made it to most of our (if not everyone’s) lists. The same goes for stories that have not yet been published and while I am privy to them, they are inaccessible to regular readers (on that note, 2008 looks to be very promising).<\/p>\n

Here’s a list of publications that I’ve read from 2007:<\/p>\n

Philippine Genre Stories 2<\/em>
Philippine Genre Stories 3<\/em>
Philippine Genre Stories: Christmas Issue<\/em>
Story Philippines Volume One 2007<\/em>
Story Philippines Volume Two 2007<\/em>
Expeditions<\/em>
Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3<\/em>
A Different Voice
\nThe Kite of Stars and Other Stories
\nRogue Magazine Maiden Issue
\nRogue Magazine Dec 2007\/January 2008 Issue
\n<\/em>Serendipity Issue 3, November 2007
\nClarkesworld Magazine Issue 13, October 2007
\nRubric Issue 3, December 2007
\nThe Town Drunk November 2007
\n<\/em>
\n“Beacon”<\/strong> by Nikki Alfar (Philippine Genre Stories Volume 2<\/em>): Alfar accomplishes in a short story what many authors aspire to narrate in a novel: an epic. This is clearly one of those genre stories that won’t win you the Palancas but it also reminds me why I love the fantasy genre: because it’s fun and exciting. Alfar’s writing skill is also superb, not only in her language but in her characterization as well (where she tackles four unique perspectives!). If you’re the type that believes that you need a novel (or numerous novels) to tell a great epic, “Beacon” will prove you wrong.<\/font>
\n
\n“Dreaming Valhalla”<\/strong> by Douglas Candano (Story Philippines Vol. One 2007<\/em>): Candano is actually carving a very unique niche in local speculative fiction as his stories combines elements of the Filipino-Chinese culture, European myth, historical notes, and magic-realism. What he lacks in quantity, he makes up for in length and quality. “Dreaming Valhalla” follows the same formula as Candano’s Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 1<\/em> story, “The Life and Death of Hermes Uy” but this one, in my opinion, is the superior of the two as it’s more upbeat. He gives us a quasi-historical account of a fictional figure, imbuing it with his trademark elements. It’s not necessarily the story that’ll catch everyone’s attention initially but imagination and mastery of the craft of writing is evident in the story.<\/p>\n

<\/font>“The Death and Rebirth of Nathaniel Alan Sempio” <\/strong>by Alexandro Osias (Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3<\/em>): Upbeat and compelling from the start, Osias shows us how to appropriate one sub-genre and make it our own. If you’re the type that Philippine fiction should contain Filipino elements, “The Death and Rebirth of Nathaniel Alan Sempio” will do you proud. Osias’s kinetic narrative is also to be lauded as well as his mastery of characterization.<\/p>\n

“Frozen Delight” <\/strong>by Marguerite Alcazaren de Leon (Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 3<\/em>): Occasionally, there’s a story that’s so imaginative and different that it breaks the stereotype. “Frozen Delight” is one such story and Alcazaren de Leon inserts Catholic taboo, comedy, a sense of wonder, and horror–and more importantly, makes it work–all in a single narrative. Whether you’re a casual reader or a critical one, you’ll get into this story easy.<\/p>\n

“The River Stone Heart Of Maria Dela Rosa”<\/strong> by Kate Aton-Osias (Serendipity Issue 3, November 2007<\/em>): Aton-Osias has come into her own with “The River Stone Heart of Maria Dela Rosa” and features mesmerizing language as well as effective discourse. In terms of craft, Aton-Osias’s story easily equals (if not outmatching) any story in my list and I hope readers will give this story a chance especially since it’s circulated online. If you enjoyed “The Kite of Stars”, “The River Stone Heart of Maria Dela Rosa” is a close second.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A while back I got an invitation from Charles Tan to put together my “year’s best 5 Pinoy speculative works” list. I thought it was a good idea, so he made this document that puts together four lists – namely mine and those of Don, Banzai Cat, and Charles himself. Visit their blogs to leave […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-container-style":"default","site-container-layout":"default","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-transparent-header":"default","disable-article-header":"default","disable-site-header":"default","disable-site-footer":"default","disable-content-area-spacing":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[24,8,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-philippine-publications","category-recommended-reading","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philsites.net\/specfic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}