Editors Dean and Nikki Alfar have announced that the tenth volume of the much-storied Philippine Speculative Fiction series will be coming out towards the end of 2015. This is the publication that broke SFF and its sister sub-genres into the local mainstream literary scene and many writers — myself included — owe it a great debt of gratitude.
Philippine Speculative Fiction is like the Black Mirror of Philippine society. Each and every one is a study of the human condition — viewed through the lens of what is possible through Science Fiction or Fantasy. Some of the stories are purely for fun or entertainment, but many more consider fundamental philosophical questions about how we Filipinos conceive/perceive reality. Quite a few also explore alternative social visions — some nightmarish and scary, others hopeful and exciting. I honestly can’t wait for this latest volume to come out.
I am also very happy to announce that my Alt.history story “Mene, Thecel, Phares” will be part of this historic 10th edition. It’s a strange tale that may or may not be about our national hero Jose Rizal, Freikörperkultur, Uranian Poet-Assassins and Adolph Hitler’s mommy.
It is such an honour to be part of the amazing TOC below:
Philippine Speculative Fiction X
A Long Walk Home – Alexander M. Osias
A Report – Sarge Lacuesta
A Small Hope – Gabriela Lee
For Sale: Big Ass Sword – Kenneth G. Yu
Children of the Stars – Francis Gabriel Concepcion
Fisher of Men – Razel Tomacder
Hunger – Lakan Umali
IT Girl – AJ Elicaño
Lamat – Noel Tio
Marvin and the Jinni – Raymund Reyes
Mechanical Failures – Jose Elvin Bueno
Mene, Thecel, Phares – Victor Fernando R. Ocampo
Night Predators – Joseph Montecillo
Oblation – Richard Cornelio
Santos de Sampaguita – Alyssa Wong
Soulless – EK Gonzales
The Dollmaker – Joel Pablo Salud
The Last God of Cavite – Andrew Drilon
The Owl and the Hoopoe – Renz Torres
The Run to Grand Maharlika Station – Vincent Michael Simbulan
The Target – Eliza Victoria
Thunderstorm – Cyan Abad-Jugo
When the Gods Left – Kate Osias
Side note: Last January, when the call for submissions came out, I asked Pinoys abroad to submit as we made up 10% of the Filipino population. There were 23 acceptances so I was hoping for at least 2 to come from overseas. I am not sure who else is based abroad, but I guess that Alyssa Wong and I represent the diaspora.
Thank you once again to Dean and Nikki for more than a decade’s worth of hard work (as well as to all the other editors who made Volumes 1 to 9 possible)!
Illustration from Rocket Kapre
The Infinite Library and Other Stories 