DIASPORA AD ASTRA

Is it really strange to mix Philippines and Science Fiction? Maybe, to the uninitiated. But if you've been aware of those classic movies (Tuko sa Madre Kakaw, Anak ng Bulkan)  being shown in black-n-white tv or the sci fi adventure and horror stories in Liwayway and Hiwaga Komiks in the 50's then you can easily see that Filipinos can do sci fi. They mostly started as derivatives of the Western science fiction but today these lineup of local writers are trying to make a progressive and distinct style of Filipino Science Fiction.

In this anthology of 15 stories, I am going to put my brief description or comment per story as I understood it.

The Malaya
Dean Francis Alfar
The theme is very similar to Hollywood's found footage genre and Ridley Scott's Alien series.

Oplan Sanction
Alexander Marcos Osias
An action-packed story with an ending worthy of a starcraft-like cinematic campaign ending.

Ina Dolor's Last Stand
Raymond P. Reyes
This is what nostalgia feels like in the distant future when people have to turn to the stars as their final refuge.

The Cost of Living
Vince Torres
This is one of my favorite stories in the whole anthology. I like the balance between comedy and horror and the idea of the Overtaker in contrast to the Undertaker.

A List of Things We Know
Isabel Yap
Multiple Filipino scenes in the future that clings more on nostalgia than apathy.

The Keeper
Audrey Rose Villacorta
A woman and her family tries to cope with the government's three-child policy directive.

The Day the Sexbomb Dancers Invaded Our Brains
Carljoe Javier
A very entertaining story in this anthology and the longest to read, but you wont be disappointed.

Ashes/////Embers
Dannah Ruth S. Ballesteros
This is another action-packed episode when the government experiment on super soldiers took the wrong route. Almost wrong.

Rizal
Eliza Victoria
Another one of my favorite stories in this anthology, the author digs deeper by not just working around with the idea of "What if?" but also by working with a plausible Filipino future. The story is highly believable and entertaining capped by unfolding of a secret or rather, the necessary lie that usually gives birth to conspiracy theories.

Gene Rx
Katya Oliva-Llego
Now, I have to think twice when somebody comments about that chick and her Alien-white skin.

Robots and a Slice of Pizza
Raydon L. Reyes
If your idea of science fiction is just to "situate" people in the future while keeping their human nature intact, then this is probably sci fi. Probably.

Lucky
Raven Guerrero
Having somebody by your side at the moment of Armageddon is indeed lucky.

Space Enough and Time
Anne Lagamayo
This story is a bridge between the mortal and immortal humans in the future when they have to find a place in the overpopulated galaxy. Really cool idea.

Taking Gaia
Celestine Trinidad
This one caught me off-guard. The agents of "little brown brother" has finally took over! This is my most favorite story from the entire anthology. Simply entertaining and funny.

War Zone Angel
Emil M. Flores
I thought I was watching a beer commercial here but the chick leaves the bar. Then she meets the space soldier and begins to like him. The space soldier smiles and politely says good bye. Then he explodes into pieces. The chick is alive but now sad. Aww.

The first half of the book really needs another round of editing for some noticeable typographical errors. I am sure Emil Flores (who happened to be my Comm 2 teacher during my college days) will deal with it for the future editions of this anthology. But the book as a whole, is substantial enough to be counted as part of Philippine Science Fiction in the 21st Century.

Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3.5 vials of glutathione injections

Caveat Emptor

It was almost a struggle reading halfway through the book. The enthusiasm of reading this one diffused fast from day one up until finishing Gaiman's work. This is supposedly my Halloween read but now it's almost New Year. I needed a lot of reading breaks for this and it took me to finish one non fiction, one short story, a manga, YouTube videos and Skyrim introductory game before finishing the whole anthology. Getting busy with my work also helped and the reversal of roles between what used to be a pleasure reading and a mediocre work came in handy. Thanks to this book, my work became a pleasure and reading, a mediocre chore.

It's important to note that rating this anthology on account of reading only the story written by my favorite author will not give justice to the whole work. So I will share the plot and my views per story and if you hate spoliers, better STOP HERE and check for my overall rating at the bottom.          

Love Hurts (Jim Butcher)
3.5/5
The plot resolved as easily as predicted. But Harry Dresden's postmortem work ala CSI is enough reason here for readers of dark fantasy to look and read more about this mysterious wizard and his world.

The Marrying Maid (Jo Beverly)
2/5
Weakest story for the whole anthology. This one lacks heroism and self-sacrifice. The "prince charming" here is selfish and narcissistic, less medieval and more metrosexual, has no balls at all and I imagined myself breaking his chin and busting his kneecap for good. Forcing a maiden to marry and love you in order to prevent a deathly curse against your clan can never be considered as destiny nor love. It's called extortion.
Jo Beverly should have made her "prince" a better character by searching for another way to solve his own dilemma. There is always an alternative.

Rooftops (Carrie Vaughn)
3/5
The final confrontation between Charlotte, Dorian, and the Unknown Hero is vague. Something not to be taken seriously.

Hurt Me (MLN Hanover)
3.5/5
Reversal of roles between the Ghost and the Prey. The ghost is the one being hunted here. Nice one.

Demon Lover (Cecelia Holland)
2.5/5
The detailed rendezvous between the Incubus and his victim is the only thing that I can remember here. At this point, I'm getting tired of reading about helpless and easy to fool damsels here.

The Wayfarer's Advice (Melinda Snodgrass)
4/5
Sci fi tale that reminds me of a classic story not far from our home planet Earth. This comes up with a good cliffhanger too. A shining light for the whole anthology's bleak universe. So far.

Blue Boots (Robin Hobb)
3/5   
Just as you thought your mind is about to meander within the story, you are content finishing it as it ended happily ever after. A story about the crooner, his love, and her blue boots.

The Thing About Cassandra (Neil Gaiman)
3.5/5
The thing about this one: it's not Neil Gaiman's best short fiction work but it still won the 2011 Locus Award for Best Short Story. The writing is good and the story is a bit unpredictable and sad. Like any memorable Twilight Zone episode, you just take it or leave it as it is.

After the Blood (Marjorie Liu)
4/5
Another good story and a good example on how to write a cross genre fiction (postapocalyptic dark fantasy). In my mind, I can easily draw the main characters' "evolution" as distinct from each other. After reading the story, I thought there is hope for this anthology after all.

You, and You alone (Jacqueline Carey)
3/5
This episodic and spy story reminds me of the historical Alexander the Great, with cloak-and-dagger plot that started unconvential, intriguing in the middle, and ended flat. The writing is good but the story in general is more suitable to a certain group of readers different from my tribe.

His Wolf (Lisa Tuttle)
3/5
At this point, it's becoming obvious. The process of love is incredibly fast and easy in a short fiction work. Good thing here is that the protagonist advocates against traditional belief that wolves are evil and I agree.

Courting Trouble (Linnea Sinclair)
3.5/5
The story started bland but ended better than expected albeit orthodox. One of those rare stories with an ending that you find agreeable. There's a lot of Sci Fi plot details here to nuke your mind but just concentrate with the story and you'll be okay.

The Demon Dancer (Mary Jo Putney)
3.5/5
The pace is good and the writing is simple but effective. Thankfully, there's no annoying emo, nor dim-witted alpha male, nor primadonna character here to hate. And just as you thought you can predict the ending of this one (since the story involves a succubus!) you are dead wrong. In the whole anthology, this story is most adaptable to be told in graphic novel or comic book form.

Under / Above the Water (Tanith Lee)
4/5
There's beauty in this story that is not easy to describe in words. It's always been part of the human subconscious to dream or delude for love to be eternal, transcending space, time, and even sin. Thanks to the author Tanith Lee for reminding us again of this inescapable human nature.

Kaskia (Peter Beagle)
2.5/5
The flow of reading the anthology hit another brick wall this time. For someone who earned the Locus, Mythopoeic, Hugo, and Nebula awards I have to say this is surely not his best. Regrettably an empty story, imagine yourself teaching Korean or Chinese girls the English language in a virtual chatroom and that will become more memorable than Peter Beagle's short story.

Man in the Mirror (Yasmine Galenorn)
3.5/5
Finally a character who knows how to be selfless and knows when to do it at the perfect time. Nice story.

A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (Diana Gabaldon)
3.5/5
Randall Mackenzie is no doubt an experienced fighter of the Royal Air Force tasked to perform a reconnaissance mission over the Nazi camps in Eastern Europe. When his Spitfire malfunctioned while practising his skills in recon maneouvres and operating the camera on board, Randall being able to land with minimal injury felt lucky. But there's one thing that worries him more than seeing his Spitfire in total wreck. He crashed in a different time.
I enjoyed this one, it gave me the feeling that I was actually in the British Airspace taking part in a WWII air-to-air combat or dogfight. Randall is surely a fighter and survivor who never gives up to return to where (and when) he truly belonged---to his family sometime in WWII.

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For the whole anthology we get an average rating of 3.26 out of 5 rounding it off to 3 out of 5 units. Checking the Book Eater's Scale in the sidebar, it's a Staple Food. Meaning, it's a substantial read but it's not good enough if you're not a fan of any of the 17 authors. 

Though it's still worthy to recall the authors who made this collection alive like Tanith Lee, Melinda Snodgrass, Marjorie Liu, Diana Gabaldon, Jim Butcher, Mary Jo Putney, Neil Gaiman, and Linnea Sinclair. The rest, better luck next time.

The Western style of Romance and its definition of Love as purely an emotional process (and hormonal excess) far from being volitional or spiritual may be appealing to others and dull to some and for me, the latter almost won over the former. The "appeal" survived the "dull" by a hairline.

Don't expect too much if you want to read this book and don't blame me if you think that I didn't warn you enough.

Genre: Cross Genre Fiction
Rating: 3 imaginary girlfriends out of 5 

Alternative Alamat

If you love stories about Philippine Mythology this one looks delicious. Published today by Rocket Kapre Books in digital format, this is an anthology of new and old, known and unknown, fiction and non-fiction work of writers, artists, and historians involved in the fascination and study of our country's diverse mythology.

cover art by Mervin Malonzo for Rocket Kapre Books

CONTENTS:

“Ana’s Little Pawnshop on Makiling St.” by Eliza Victoria 

“Harinuo’s Love Song” by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz 

“The Last Full Show” by Budjette Tan 

“The Alipin’s Tale” by Raymond G. Falgui 

“Keeper of My Sky” by Timothy James Dimacali 

“Conquering Makiling” by Mo Francisco 

“The Sorceress Queen” by Raissa Rivera Falgui 

“Beneath The Acacia” by Celestine Trinidad 

“Offerings to Aman Sinaya” by Andrei Tupaz 

“Balat, Buwan, Ngalan” by David Hontiveros 

“A Door Opens: The Beginning of the Fall of the Ispancialo-in-Hinirang” by Dean Alfar 

Appendix A: A Few Notable Philippine Deities 

Appendix B: Interview with Professor Herminia Meñez Coben 

Appendix C: Interview with Professor Fernando N. Zialcita 

Appendix D: On Researching Philippine Mythology 

Cover and interior artwork by Mervin Malonzo

Love, Unrequited

Of all the eleven stories on Love & Pain (including Elbert's interstitials), six got my attention as I enjoyed finishing them one by one that helped me stay awake at midnight. I am not really a fan of romance novels but still, I like those heartbreaking and heartwarming stories as classic and ancient as time itself, this time infused with the modern technique in art and storytelling by artists and writers mostly graduates from UP and Ateneo. The influence of Manga art is very obvious as it surely caters to the taste of younger readers and young at heart in this anthology originally released at the Summer Komikon last April. I got my copy at the Metro Comic Con last Saturday.

I like the Sci Fi love story written and drawn by Ruben De Vela (admittedly, being a Sci Fi reader) but I think the story by Fidelis Tan and Mary Rañises tops them all. It's also worthy to mention the urban horror love story by Yvette Tan drawn by Francis Alcara, and the modern fantasy love story by Kate Osias and Mark Torres that came as close runner-ups.

I give this book three scores for the artwork, and four for the stories for an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Genre: Comics, Anthology, Romance
Rating: 3.5 photographs out of 5

Revenge of a Rock 'n Roll God

"Music is not Art."

                         - Kurt Cobain, 1967-1994

Most of the people who witnessed a groundbreaking era in the world of music still could not understand why the most enigmatic person in the history of Punk said that line. Even at this age of YouTube, most of the younger hordes (and anonymous commentators) still couldn't see it. During those years of Grunge invasion in the mainstream, kids never bothered to take it seriously and just continued to rally behind Mr. Moustache and his kick-ass band called Nirvana. And sixteen years after his death, I was only able to decipher and understand what Kurt really meant after reading the less-known anthology (published in 1998) compiled by Rock 'n Roll journalists John Rocco, Everett True, and company.

We saw in the '80s how the political machinery, corporate materialism, and greed (specifically in the music industry) became the primary hate targets for adolescents who thought that there would always be a choice better than Ronald Reagan, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna. Those were the times when kids decided to look for a genuine root in music (the Beatnik Generation) while at the same time used the current technology to deliver the message. And that message was very angry and very playful. This is actually the birth of the Post-Modern Punk. Not surprisingly, their rivals and brothers in the Metal scene also felt the same way and before realizing it, both parties began to rebel against the current establishment and the recurring social issues by doing it "underground." The major base of operation was in Seattle. That movement is frontlined by The Melvins, Mother Love Bone, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and of course not counting as the least, Nirvana.

Nirvana as a band made only 4 studio albums, but they released two more posthumous "live" compilations-- Unplugged in New York and From the Muddy Banks of Wishkah. Additionally, the band also released tens of singles, EPs, collaborations, raw editions, including the numerous bootleg and stolen studio recordings. But of all their work, the most definitive album was Nevermind followed by Bleach. The album Nevermind allowed them to break into the wall of mainstream Rock 'n Roll awakening and disturbing the sleeping status quo that previously refused to listen.

But just like any tragic story, everything that has a beginning also has its end. After Kurt took Rohypnol and overdosed himself, picked his brand new Remington MII shotgun, loaded it and shot himself pointblank, his critics still "criticized" the death of a heroin junkie, while his followers mourned the loss of a genuine hero.

But before that why did Kurt said that music is not art?

As a kid Kurt loved playing the guitar. He loved listening to the Beatles, Leadbelly, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and later on Black Flag and The Raincoats, among others. Music for him is an opportunity to express his thoughts, his opinions. Playing the music is an act of freedom. But this was during his younger days.

After forming Nirvana and gatecrashing into the mainstream by selling millions of copies of their albums and earning numerous awards, the world became different. Nobody can ignore him anymore even if he went low profile. His words are easily misunderstood and his privacy, destroyed into pieces as his relationship with Courtney became a massive spectacle like a circus show. They were virtually cannibalized by the worldwide media and the press. The magazine interviews spawned controversies because of the lack of context. Of all the things he hated, this lack of context is what Kurt hated most. The lack of context resulted to lack of understanding, and then lack of respect.

This lack of respect by the media for Kurt, Chris, and Dave became a direct proof of the inevitability that Nirvana has turned into a mere commodity and no longer artists. In the words of Mari Earl (Kurt's aunt);

"Music was for Kurt an escape, a way to express what was inside himself. It was an understanding friend, predictable and comforting.When he became famous, music was no longer an escape for him, it was a nightmare of scheduled 'creativity' and harried performances. It was almost as if he became a caricature of himself and the whole grunge movement. Kurt's success only reinforced my suspicions of how the music business operates. By that, I mean the artist becomes a commodity, a can of beans, if you will, merely a saleable product. Can anything drain the human spirit more?"

After his death, the world saw that they can never own Nirvana nor Kurt Cobain. Kurt only belonged to himself, his wife and daughter. It may sound selfish but he needed an escape act and the courage to quit from the claws of opulence. He wanted to show that Nirvana's fate will never become a commodity, that there can only be one Nirvana in this world, and Kurt Cobain can never be replaced.

That was Mr Moustache's final revenge.

hardcore encore:

"If you introduce yourself they say, 'I know who you are.' And if you don't they think you're arrogant."

                                       -- Chris Novoselic

"It's a load of shit on Kurt's mind that he doesn't deserve..."

                                       -- Dave Grohl

"There's a photo-one photo-of Kurt that I really fucking hate. You must've seen it. Taken by an English photographer Martyn Goodacre, it just shows Kurt up close, staring moodily into the camera, black eyeliner on, hair all scrawny-lighting perfect, make-up mussed up perfect, the whole tormented "rock star" schtick perfect. I can't fucking recognize him. It looks nothing like the Kurt Cobain I knew, presents such a one-dimensional, distorted picture of him...and it seems to've been everywhere since his death. Posters, T-shirts, calendars, tribute books. Everywhere. Each time I see it, I catch myself looking at it thinking, "Is this the only way people remember Nirvana as the backing band for a tormented moody fuck-up of an artist? Is this the only way people recognize Kurt Cobain---as the Axl Rose who never made it?

I have nothing against Martyn Goodacre.

It's the lack of context I can't handle."

                                        -- Everett True

Genre: Anthology, Music, Rock 'n Roll, Punk, Grunge Culture

Rating: 4 "JagStangs" out of 5 (my original rating is 4.5, but I took 0.5 for the rough editing)