Sometimes, we are in the mood for a full length novel, but other times, we just need something short and bite-sized to get our fill of fiction. Short story anthologies are obviously the best thing for this kind of need, and as it turns out, we have a lot of that here! Here are the nominees for the short story anthology category of the Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards! :)
Don’t forget: you can show your support for your favorite books among the nominees of the first Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards — just drop by this ballot and submit! The top 3 books per category will proceed to the next round. Voting period is until July 31.
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Philippine Speculative Fiction 6 edited by Nikki Alfar and Kate Aton Osias
(2011, Kestrel DDM)
Stories in the Anthology (not in the order presented in the published book): Alternative Histories by Ian Rosales Casocot * Strange Adventures in Procreation by Andrew Drilon * Lament of the Counselor by Jay Anyong * The Grim Malkin by Vincent Michael Simbulan * A Smell of Mothballs by Mailin Paterno * Ashland by Elyss G. Punsalan * Carpaccio (or, Repentance as a Meat Recipe) by Arlynn Despi * Eternal Winter by Maria Pia Vibar Benosa * From the Book of Names My Mother Did Not Give Me by Christine V. Lao * Hollowbody by Crystal Koo * Offerings to Aman Sinaya by Andrei Tupaz * On Wooden Wings by Paolo Chikiamco * Prisoner 2501 by Philip Corpuz * Resurrection by Victor Fernando R. Ocampo * Simon’s Replica by Dean Alfar * Break-in at Batay Street by Francis Gabriel Concepcion * The Big Man by Asterio Gutierrez * The Bookshelves of Mrs. Go by Charles Tan * The Impossible and the R.S.C. Gregorio del Pilar by Alex Osias * The Kiddie Pool by Kenneth Yu * The Storyteller’s Curse by Eliza Victoria* Villainoguing by Joseph Montecillo
Reviews:
- “…you will not help but feel that it was a team effort in their part to make you proud to be a Filipino, excite you while you dabble in the genre, and entertain you as an intelligent leader no less.” – Jofer Serapio (Goodreads)
- “PSF 6 succeeds in presenting a varied landscape of current SFF writing in the Philippines.” – Fanarchist Reading Blog
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Alternative Alamat edited by Paolo Chikiamco
(2011, Rocket Kapre and Flipside)
Philippine mythology is full of images that ignite the imagination: gods of calamity and baldness, of cosmic time and lost things; the many-layered Skyworld, and weapons that fight their own battles; a ship that is pulled to paradise by a chain, and a giant crab that controls the tides . . . Yet too few of these tales are known and read today. Alternative Alamat gathers stories, by contemporary authors of Philippine fantasy, which make innovative use of elements of Philippine mythology. None of these stories are straight re-tellings of the old tales: they build on those stories, or question underlying assumptions; use ancient names as catalysts, or play within the spaces where the myths are silent. What you will find in common in these eleven stories is a love for the myths, epics, and legends which reflect us, contain us, call to us-and it is our hope that, in reading our stories, you may catch a glimpse of, and develop a hunger for, those venerable tales.
Reviews:
- “Somehow, I felt that this book and the stories in this collection were mine — mine because I am a Filipino and the stories found inside is a part of my heritage.” – One More Page
- “I’m proud of efforts like “Alternative Alamat,” and hope that more Filipino readers support projects like this. I have high hopes that soon we will find our own local Rick Riordan!” – The Girl Who Read and Other Stories
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The Digest of Philippine Genre Stories: The Crime Issue edited by F.H. Batacan
(2011, Kenneth Yu/Philippine Genre Stories)
Less Talk, Less Mistake by Xin Mei * God Is The Space Between by Maryanne Moll * Grenadier by Dominique Cimafranca * The Last Time I Saw Uncle Freddie by Crystal Koo * Blogcaster by Alexander Osias
The Digest Of Philippine Genre Stories, or PGS for short, is a publication which features genre short-fiction by Pinoys. “Genre” means that the stories in PGS can be classified under crime, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and everything in between. It’s an indie-publication which contains between 5 to 6 genre tales each issue.
Reviews:
- “It was not at all hard to read, as the five stories included in the collection were (almost) all written in a conversational manner, even though they are works of fiction and are not in first-person.” – Taking a Break
- “While this issue does not claim to create the definitive qualities of Filipino crime-writing, it does tease out interesting possibilities that writers can exploit in their fiction. For a society rife with non-imaginary violence, making sense of it through storytelling remain as important ever.” – Philippine Online Chronicles
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The Secret of the Cave and Other Stories for Young Readers edited by Ed Maranan
(2011, Anvil)
“The four stories in prolific writer Ed Maranan’s new book bring our young readers to different times past where the child characters experience similar problems and conflicts. However, with the help of significant adults and their own wit and intelligence, the children are able to overcome these situations with great success. This is a great book from which children can receive inspiration and model their own lives.” (Philstar)
Reviews:
- “It’s also a fine story of hope, which will teach kids to fight for their dreams.” – Cosmo.ph
Filipino ReaderCon 