October 17th, our third anniversary. Saw this at Powerbooks (Greenbelt branch). My book at a window display! And displayed along with horror books. This made me happy.
While waiting for Looper (which you should watch) to start, I saw this cell phone-encrusted robot by Nokia on display.
Robot looks so sad. I’ll sit beside you, robot.
Looper is set in the year 2044. In 2074, time travel has been invented but is outlawed, which pushes its use into the black market and the hands of organized crime. The mob uses time travel to send back anyone they want killed to 2044, and in 2044, in a field in Kansas, a Looper named Joe waits with a blunderbuss, and shoots anyone who is sent back from the future. In this way, no body appears in 2074 that can be connected to the mob, and Joe kills someone who, in effect, does not exist, and gets a good sum for it. But what happens when the mob wants to end your contract, and sends back your own future self? Will Joe be able to pull the trigger?
Don’t read any of the reviews. The fun of the film lies in discovering the secrets along with the characters.
We ended the night with wine. Cheers.
I have two stories that will be appearing in two fine publications:
My story “Maybe Another Song at Dusk” will appear in the Literary Section of Monday’s issue of Philippines Graphic. Grab a copy!
My story “A Fire That Cannot Be Touched” will be appearing in the 8th volume of the Philippine Speculative Fiction series! This will be edited by Dean Francis Alfar and Nikki Alfar, and will be available via Flipside Publishing in 2013.
“Fairy Tales” is aptly named. It speaks of a naïve girl’s hope and of the world a race has lost. It has flashbacks that aren’t written as flashbacks. The tactic turns the story into a disguised mystery, setting up a clever final scene. The story is not for people who gravitate to Daily SF’s short and sharp fiction, but it is a tale for the ones who appreciate personal struggles. The ending is a promise of a greater tale but is nevertheless satisfying.
DP also talked about DSF’s first print anthology.
Not Just Rockets And Robots – indeed
I have a few friends that don’t like reading on a computer screen. I also know of a few writers who will only submit to print publications. So a 21st century novel idea of a publisher sending a daily story via email is something that would never be their cup of tea. Too bad for them, or is it?
There were plenty of reasons for aspiring authors – and fans of – speculative fiction to attend this year’s Worldcon in Chicago. At the time of this writing, the con had yet to open, but if you were there hopefully you had a chance to attend Daily Science Fiction’s launch of their first print publication, Not Just Rockets and Robots– a collection of their first year of stories is now available for your bookshelf.
I haven’t purchased the book but have read enough of those stories to give it an enthusiastic recommendation. I am curious to know if the collection was set in chronological order or not. The collective work of the Alphabet Quartet would have been nice if it were assembled together or not. Regardless how it was done, if you know of a fan of fantasy and/or science fiction, NotJust Rockets and Robots may be the perfect gift for them this Christmas.
If you want to read “Fairy Tales”, it’s right here.
The short version: I was floored by the love and support shown by Visprint, and the fans and readers of Visprint’s books. Who says the Philippines does not have a reading public? This event just proved that notion wrong. Maraming salamat po!
The long, chronological version (with pictures):
J and I didn’t wake up early enough to catch the opening of WIT (Writers in Talks) 2, but we hurried to catch the Comics panel. Donned this flowery dress as a departure from my usual blues and blacks.
We just took a cab because we had no idea about the parking situation in Alphaland, and woe is you who gets stuck with Makati’s notorious traffic police. We got to the venue, said hi to Ms Nida, and I wrote in J as my plus-one.
I heard that attendees lined up as early as 6! (!!!) Kaloka!
Said hi to Andrea, who said the staff had gotten new stock of my book because it was selling well. Yehey!
Mortal Kombat!
This was the Comics Panel with Manix Abrera, Budjette Tan, and Paolo Fabregas. Look at the size of that crowd.
We checked the other room and saw Karen Francisco (author of Naermyth and the artist who designed my gorgeous book cover) giving a talk in the Fiction panel.
The Fiction panel was composed of Karen, Eros Atalia, and Siege Malvar.
Here was Ms Nida talking about story rejection, from the point of view of the publisher. She said: “Parang-awa niyo na, huwag niyo kaming aawayin.”
The morning sessions went on overtime, so Visprint decided on an early lunch, and moved the Creative Non-Fiction Panel to 12:30.
Forgot to take a picture! CNF panelists were Karl de Mesa, Bebang Siy, and Alan Navarra.
A Bottle of Storm Clouds onstage.
Enjoyed the performances of Eros Atalia, Siege Malvar, and special guest G.P. Abrajano. Seige Malvar, during the Fiction panel, asked attendees to drop their deepest, darkest secrets in a box, which he used in his Sotto performance. Hilarious.
Siege and G.P. performing a balagtasan on books and reading, men and women, and love.
G.M. Coronel also came onstage to deliver a talk about suspense and his new book, Tomb Keeper.
Then it’s my turn! Karl de Mesa introduced me and gave me a cookie.
Cookie from Karl, with the symbol for calling the voodoo goddess of love. J and I ate it. :3
I hope the attendees learned something from my blather! I got pretty nervous and forgot to look at my notes to guide me hahaha!
Grabbed from Visprint’s album on Facebook.Thank you to Elyss Punsalan for her amazing reading of an excerpt of “The Storyteller’s Curse”. Visit Pakinggan Pilipinas!
Photo-op for the Visprint writers who stayed behind.
Photo by Fernando Hernandez, posted on Facebook.
After the event, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who approached me to have Storm Clouds signed, have my picture taken, chat, ask questions, etc. I was like, Really? You want a photo with me? Haha. You are all dears.
Happy to finally meet Karen Francisco!
Bb. Bebang Siy!
We had dinner with Charles, who actually ate something. (No photographic evidence.)
My Visprint loot!
Thank you Ms Nida and Visprint and Visprint fans and friends! Thank you for buying our books! Hope you had a great time! Exclamation points!
We took a cab again but we would’ve carried this into the MRT. LIKE A BOSS.Till next WIT!
Tomorrow, I will be giving a short talk about A Bottle of Storm Clouds and storytelling (that all sounds really scholarly-fancy but I’m sure I’m going to be a blathering mess onstage), and Elyss Punsalan of Pakinggan Pilipinas will be reading one of my stories. Should be a treat! Just listen to her beautiful narration of Kate Osias‘s “Ghost Between Moments“.
Karl R. De Mesa will be introducing me (he asked a bunch of crazy questions – I have no idea what he’s going to do with my answers haha), and a brief Q & A will follow the talk.
Visprint books will also be available for sale at the venue, at discounted prices (10 to 20 percent off).
See you all!
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If you are still on the fence about buying the collection, I hope these sample stories will help you decide.
Protip: The book may not be on display in some branches. Ask Customer Service or whoever’s at the counter if they are carrying copies. Thank you! And thanks to all who have already bought copies. My endless gratitude. Hope you enjoy the stories.
Crystal Koo came home to Manila from Hong Kong, so she invited fellow writers out to lunch and coffee. We went to Sa Kanto in Podium. J and I had fun listening to the Alfars’ and the Osiases’ adventures in Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and elsewhere, Crystal’s adventures in teaching overseas, Tin’s adventures in acquiring a master’s degree in Creative Writing (ha!), and Charles various dramas (yes). There were so many stories that we couldn’t get a word in edgewise! And that’s a good thing! Of course we talked about other people’s relationships over coffee in Cafe Breton (the Alfars and the Osiases, unfortunately, had to run to get ready for the Palanca Awards) because that’s what writers do. Really.
Photo by Dean.
Only J, Crystal, and I ate a lot. It was a bit…embarrassing. Haha! Especially if you’re seated next to Tin Lao who ate such a healthy lunch of eggplants and steamed rice. We all loved the Dynamite, chili fingers stuffed with beef and cheese, and I couldn’t resist ordering Kwek Kwek. The main dishes were so-so, and Crystal wasn’t a fan of the pork adobo. Next time, we’ll just order all of the side dishes – and a glass of beer. Check out this review, with pictures.
Nagutom ako bigla. Heh.
Thanks Crystal for putting this together. Let’s do this again!
And thanks Charles for these goodies:
In other food news: I loved this unagi casserole from UCC.
Got these German chocolate bars from J. It’s filled with strawberry yogurt. Yum.
In writing news: I am trying my hand at writing poetry in Filipino. There are two posted online, but they are friends-locked.
My brain is tired. I wish I had more time to read and write.
It’s time for WIT 2! September 8, Saturday, 6th Floor, Alphaland Towers, from 8 to 5 pm. Entrance is only P100! Check this link for information and recordings about the first WIT event in September of last year.
Will update this post once I get the complete schedule with time slots, but from my end, expect a short talk about A Bottle of Storm Clouds, reading and storytelling, and the markets where aspiring writers can send their stories. Expect excerpt readings of my stories as well!
Panelists and speakers include Budjette Tan (Trese), Manix Abrera (Kikomachine Komix), Karen Francisco (Naermyth), Carlo Vergara (ZsaZsa Zaturnnah), Karl de Mesa (News of the Shaman), and many more. Save the date and stand by for updates!
Poster art and design by Manix Abrera
UPDATE!
Morning (8AM-12NN) divided into (2) two sessions (Session A & Session B)
I have confirmed today that my haunted house story, “The Ghosts of Sinagtala”, will be appearing in a future issue of Philippine Genre Stories. Many thanks to editor Kenneth Yu.
And in another Kyu-related update (hehe), here is an interview with Kenneth Yu about Philippine Horror Stories for Young Adults, a horror YA antho he edited with Dean Francis Alfar and to be published by UP Press. It includes my story, “Dan’s Dreams”. Thanks to EK for the link!
Some friends have been posting photos of my book/themselves with my book. How cute is that?
Here’s my copy of Eliza Victoria‘s lovely book. I don’t usually approach the Customer Service counter when looking for titles, but this time I did…with a smile.
She’s that good with stories. Go buy a copy! :D
Ever since I read her short story “Sugar Pi” back during our college days, I already became a BIG fan! I’m so proud of you Eliza! Congratulations!
Friends, I can vouch that this book is a good buy! Woot woot! Supportahan natin ang talentong Pilipino!
I know trading six months of your life for the non-stop rains so you can write good stories was worth it. (FB The Fort said I was the first to buy your book at their branch! Congrats Eliza! :)
And Adam David poses with it:
Thank you very much! The book’s out now in the Metro Manila branches of Fully Booked, Bibliarch, and Pandayan; coming soon to National Book Store, Powerbooks, and provincial outlets.
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I will be at the Readercon tomorrow, and in Visprint’s WIT event on Sept. 8! Details on WIT to follow. Please come over and say hi. :)
Eliza Victoria 