Reading Pinoy 1: Tales of the Fantastic

The time line of my obsession with the horror/fantasy genre started when I was very young. October was my favorite month – cable TV showed all the Pinoy horror classics, from Shake, Rattle and Roll to Tiyanak. I was a Manilyn Reynes fan girl, for the simple reason that she starred in all the scariest flicks. Fast forward to grade six. I had just discovered Harry Potter, and I starved myself for weeks, saving my PHP10.00 allowance just to save up enough money to buy The Sorcerer’s Stone. The price: PHP199.00. I had to beg money from my parents to fill in what my allowance couldn't.

I have always been a voracious reader, even as a child, but I think this began my reading craze. I became a regular at discount stores like Diplomat and Book Sale (the dude managing a branch of the latter in SM Sucat knew me by sight). I read everything that caught my fancy: classics, romance, thriller, horror. I built up a collection of almost a hundred books. But mostly, it’s horror/fantasy. I simply love the stuff. I completed the Harry Potter series, got acquainted with writers like Christopher Pike, Lois Duncan, and the like. I’ve met Clive Barker’s insane vocabulary, and equally insane and morbid plots. Despite this, I was pretty much a late bloomer – I only discovered Stephen King when I was in college (and had eagerly devoured more than twenty books he’s written); Neil Gaiman, even later. Tried Dean Koontz and John Saul, but I found myself bored with their stories. I also read Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, just for kicks, and found myself more hopeful that someday I too shall have the opportunity to be published.

I was pretty much well-acquainted with a handful of weird-fiction authors, but I only got wind of the local literary scene these past couple of years (as stupid as discovering Uncle Steve late). The problem is the notion that Pinoy writers are not as good as international ones when spinning tales of the weird and the wonderful. I was infected by this notion, until I got enough sense to pick up a book by a Pinoy (Bob Ong) which triggered a cataclysmic explosion in my head and made me realize what I was missing.

Let me tell you something: Pinoy fictionists, they’re pretty damn awesome.

But what about those who write for the genre that I’m obsessed with? What about Stephen King’s and Neil Gaiman’s Pinoy counterparts? Lucky for me, there are many writers of such literary genus, tale spinners of the weird and the wonderful, dark humor, and elegant eccentricity - writers of speculative fiction.
If you’re a fan of dark literature, of quirky and crazy stories or simply what-the-hell plots that are far from second class, then check out these books from some true-blue Pinoy writers. I promise you’ll be amazed.

Dean Francis Alfar’s The Kite of Stars and Other Stories. A first from one of the well-known writers of speculative fiction in the Philipines, this book is consist of sixteen stories of the fantastic. I particularly love the allusion of many stories to the Spanish conquest, and the many shades of Filipino culture found in the book. The stories wrap the mundane around the word of the wonderful in seamless narrative, that it is vivid and almost tangible.

Yvette Tan’s Waking the Dead and Other Horror Stories. This collection of short, delightful chillers start with the story of a girl, who is called by the Pasig River, and ends up a drowned saint. Step into Quiapo with a twist, in a weird celebration of drugs and dreams. These plots, plus a kapre, a tyanak and a beautiful and cruel first lady create an exquisite mixture of horror and the supernatural.

Bob Ong’s Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan. Still dripping with Bob Ong‘s crazy humor, this horror novella is a first. The character, a young man runs back home and finds the disturbing transformation of his old town, and his Lola who insists to be called “Mama Susan”.

Philippine Speculative Fiction. A get together of many writers featured in this article, Philippine Speculative Fiction is an anthology of collections of short stories. The tales range from hard-core horror, to fantastically written plots about fairy people, science fiction, and other worlds. All beautifully crafted, all a hundred percent satisfying. Yvette Tan and F.H. Batacan have been contributors. Dean Francis Alfar served as an editor of the series. His wife Nikki Alfar continues to work as editor for the collections.


David Hontiveros' Penumbra: Takod, Parman and Craving This series of novella from David Hontiveros comes out with a great intercourse of Western and Eastern culture, with a distinctive Pinoy taste. Packed full of action, mystery, and chills-down-the-spine horror, these stories are quite easy to read.

There you go. A list of books from my shelf, and a dash of fantasy with that distinct Pinoy flavor. If you’re a horror/fantasy./sci-fi geek like me, drop by the nearest book store and try one for yourself. What could be stopping you?

Let the words lead you by the hand, into the starlit darkness of speculative fiction.