Kristel Autencio posted a review about Philippine Speculative Fiction VI. This bit made me smile this Monday morning.

My favorite in the collection is Eliza Victoria’s “The Storyteller’s Curse,” about a writer receiving a gift that he never really wanted. This is the kind of formal ambition I really admire, juggling the different tropes of horror and metafiction to create a tight, tension-filled story. It has one of those double plot setups that can be challenging to maintain, but Victoria does it masterfully here. The convergence of the two narratives leads to a climax whose implications are as horrific as it is intoxicating. It has subtle nods towards the style of writers like Stephen King and Ray Bradbury, using gothic elements to tackle issues of artistic creation, survival, and choice. The last line was a sucker punch in the gut the first time I read it.

Thank you! And thanks to editor Kate Osias for posting the link online.

Buy the book! PSF VII coming soon! :)

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