Updates

reading progress

Having just wrapped up some personal writing projects, I went back to my woefully neglected reading pile.

We Are All Completely FineWe Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

I will have to agree with Brit Mandelo here and say that expectation is a killer. I bought a copy of We Are All Completely Fine because I just loved the premise (especially when juxtaposed with the title): it’s about a therapy support group for Final Boys and Girls. I thought of slasher flicks, and expected human antagonists instead of supernatural monsters. I expected insights about the terrible effects of trauma and violence instead of plot. I did not get what I expected, which in this case is a bummer. It’s a slim volume, less than 200 pages, and is a breezy read. I’m sure other people will enjoy the ride, as I did (I did rate it 3 out of 5 still). It was just not what I needed at the time.

Unpossible and Other StoriesUnpossible and Other Stories by Daryl Gregory

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Another reason could be that I read Daryl Gregory’s insanely good short story collection first, which I loved so much everything else paled. There are really fresh ideas here about consciousness and physics, coupled with religion and human folly. Heartbreaking fantasy, too. My favorites are “Second Person, Present Tense”, the title story “Unpossible”, and “The Illustrated Biography of Lord Grimm”, which is set in a country resembling Russia and where Superman is the villain. Gregory was raised a Southern Baptist and works as a programmer, and the influence of both worlds is clear in his fiction.

The Year We Left HomeThe Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastard #2)Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard #1)The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Other things I liked: Jean Thompson’s The Year We Left Home, a novel that centers around a family and covers a span of thirty years, the length of a generation. Each chapter can stand on its own as a short story. One can say “epic”, but Thompson chooses to focus on the small things, the unremarkable interactions between people connected by blood, and I enjoyed reading that more. I also loved Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastards Book 1)and its sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies. A very well-written, very human secondary world saga. I’m on his third book (The Republic of Thieves), but it feels dragging right now, so I had to set it aside first.

usapang may-akda #1 at uno morato

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Photo from Princess F. L-R: Adam, Mervin, me.

I was so happy to finally get the chance to visit Uno Morato in Quezon City, and to be a part of a creators’ discussion to boot! The first Usapang May-Akda, hosted by Adam David, featured Mervin Malonzo and me. We are all readers of each other’s work, and this definitely elevated the quality of our discussion about our influences and process.

Let me share with you Adam’s questions:

1) Influences on your horror work – even non-horror influences (ie, Rizal as influence on TABI PO), even extra-literary influences (news, creepy pasta). Question on process: how do you prep for working on your work?

2) Eliza’s very urban horror VS Merv’s very rural horror – also modern VS traditional? – care to elaborate on the whys and wherefores of the two? Why choose one over the other? Question on subject: why do you write about what you write about?

3) The human body as site for potential acts of horror, rendered to it and rendered by it – body horror: the sexual implications of, the sexual assault subtext of, the sadomasochist dimensions of, the horrific act as release of sexual energy – consumption (TABI PO) and possession (DWELLERS) as an unwilling owning of another’s body, as objectification of the body, as rape. Still a question on subject: why do you write about what you write about?

4) Talk about upcoming work! Solo projects, collaborations.

I really loved the questions, and the questions that arose during the discussion itself. You may listen to Adam’s audio recording here (English/Filipino) or here (Mervin cleaned up the audio to make it clearer). Warning: Laughter, in-jokes, digressions.

Maraming salamat kay Adam at sa Uno Morato, at sa lahat ng dumalo at naki-chika sa amin. Sa uulitin!

Usapang May-Akda #1 - Uno Morato

Usapang May-Akda #1 - Uno Morato

Usapang May-Akda #1 - Uno Morato

Usapang May-Akda #1 - Uno Morato

Usapang May-Akda #1 - Uno Morato
Mervin’s mural on Uno Morato’s wall.

Usapang May-Akda #1 - Uno Morato

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Photo from Uno Morato on Facebook.

After the talk, the guys sat down to play Resistance. Do visit Uno Morato, read some books, have coffee, and play some games. I love the place.

Usapang May-Akda #1 - Uno Morato

project 17 is a finalist for the 33rd national book awards – best novel category

PROJECT 17 preview cover

 

I am happy to share with you all the wonderful (and completely surprising) news that my science fiction novel Project 17 is a finalist for the 33rd National Book Awards (Juan C. Laya Prize for Best Novel in a Foreign Language).

Congratulations to the other nominees, and thank you to Ms. Nida for sharing this with me!

You can see the full list here.

chasing tales: talking fantasy on a saturday night

I spent a lovely Saturday evening with writers Erika Carreon and Carlo Flordeliza, the folks of MoarBooks, and lovers of fantasy stories. Many many thanks to Wina Puangco, Nico Pascual, and the rest of Team MoarBooks for having me at the first installment of Chasing Tales. I had SO much fun talking about writing, and listening to my fellow speakers talk about their process and writing goals. (And the books they are reading — I should make a list! I am very much interested in What Keeps Me Here by Rebecca Brown.) Thank you to the attendees for their enthusiasm and support! Such a smart bunch — I loved the open forum and the coziness of a small group discussing the things I love.

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Wina introducing the speakers.

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Wina and Nico and the Amazing Technicolor Fairy Lights. Photo from MoarBooks.

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Me pretending to be profound. Photo by J.

10600603_10204532142133687_5429250268115785972_nMore photos from MoarBooks.

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moarbooks talk

USAPANG MAY-AKDA #1 – more details!

I did promise you details.

mervin poster

Watch and listen as writer Eliza Victoria (DWELLERS, PROJECT 17, APOCALYPSES) and writer-artist Mervin Malonzo (TABI PO) talk about their creative processes, their influences, and their forthcoming works in DAZZLE THEM WITH BRILLIANCE BAFFLE THEM WITH BULLSHIT – USAPANG MAY-AKDA #1, what is planned to be the first of a monthly series of conversations between creators talking about their craft.

DAZZLE THEM WITH BRILLIANCE BAFFLE THEM WITH BULLSHIT – USAPANG MAY-AKDA #1 is set for August 30, Saturday, from 3PM to 5PM. Q&A and booksigning afterwards.

This will be held at Uno Morato.

Uno Morato is a bar, bookstore, and arts venue. Established by young artists coming from the indie/alternative/DIY tradition of artistic production, the store takes that spirit and creates a physical space for artists to convene, share ideas, and promote their work. The store sells books, comics, music, DVDs, artwork, merchandise, and other art-related products made by Filipino artists. Uno Morato is also a place to hang out and have smart conversations, attend stimulating discussions, and join in a variety of workshops catering to a great range of interests.

Uno Morato is located at Garden Area GYY Building #1 Tomas Morato avenue, Quezon City.

The beautiful poster is by the talented Mervin Malonzo.

Click here to see the Event page and confirm your attendance. See you guys!

Consider This An Invitation

winawonders's avatarThe Typewriter Dailies

Tomorrow (Saturday) we’re going to be hosting our first serious MoarBooks event. That is not to say that everything we’ve done up until now wasn’t serious but that it was mostly directed inwardly: publishing our own material, pointing interest toward ourselves; experimentation. I have always been my own guinea pig, following the train of thought that if I fail, at least I fail alone.

Once the experiment succeeds—what do you do next?

Tomorrow’s event is a step outside our comfort zone: it’s something that will point outward—toward (you) our audience, toward people whose stories we are fond of. We’re taking a leap into the unknown (an educated guess) and really trying to provide avenues for people who are interested in hearing and telling stories. Chasing Tales is a speaker series which primarily focuses on story-telling and narrative across various forms and genres. Tomorrow night will be specifically about Fantasy in…

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voting starts for the 2014 filipino readers’ choice awards

I am nominated in the Novel in English Category (for Project 17, published by Visprint) and in the Fiction Anthology Category (for Unseen Moon, my self-published title). Do consider voting, if you are so inclined.

Thank you, and congratulations to the nominees!

From the FRCA:

Hi everyone! I know most of you are waiting for this update, and we apologize for putting it up a day late! We had some technical difficulties for one, and we also received a whopping 855 nominations! 2013 had us with 273, and this is quadruple the amount! Crazy, amazing turnout – I think this means we really need to have more hands to help us out!

But thank you for your enthusiasm. As promised (but again, a day late), our final list of nominees is up!

Now we come to the next phase! Voting for the Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards 2014 is now open! Click here to go to the ballot (opens in a new window).  The voting period will determine the short list for the semi-finals that will be sent for panel judging. Top 3 winners for each category will be included in the shortlist for the semi-finals, which will be sent to the judges for the panel judging.

Voting period is up to September 10, 2014. Some reminders:

  • One vote per category, one ballot per email address. Multiple votes using one email address will not be counted.
  • You need to click one button per category for your vote to be submitted. If you have no vote for a specific category, you may select the “Skip” button.
  • The ballot has 8 pages, so make sure you go through all of them. Your vote is not submitted until you click the Submit button and get the confirmation.