Project 17

by Eliza Victoria

It's the late 2020s, and robots can do pretty much anything—they can clean your house, they can keep the peace, and if you know where to look, they can even provide "company" to the lonely. Still, there are things only humans can do. Lillian is a college student looking for a summer job, and thinks she's hit the jackpot when offered a caretaking gig by one Paul Dolores—the pay is awesome, and even gives her a Titanium card for her meals. But why can't she find any information online about Paul, his brother Caleb, or the weird meds Caleb is supposed to take? Time for a little more in-depth research—firewalls be damned.

Due to special text formatting, this ebook is best viewed on tablets with color displays, or desktop and laptop computers.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy

147 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2013

About the author

Eliza Victoria is the author of several books including the Philippine National Book Award-winning Dwellers, the novel Wounded Little Gods, the graphic novel After Lambana (a collaboration with Mervin Malonzo), and the science fiction novel-in-stories, Nightfall. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in several publications, most recently in LONTAR: The Journal of Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction, The Best Asian Speculative Fiction, The Dark Magazine, The Apex Book of World SF Volume 5, Fireside Fiction, and Future SF. She has won prizes in the Philippines’ top literary awards, including the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Her one-act plays (written in Filipino) have been staged at the Virgin LabFest at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Reviews

[Neil Franz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but rounding up to 4.

Project 17 is a fast-paced, page-turner, futuristic sci-fi thriller. It's compelling and confusing in a good way. You know, the kind that makes you wonder what is really going on. You already have an idea but you're not sure about it so you read, read and read just to confirm your confusion and assumptions.

What I like:

- The familiar setting of the story which is mainly in Bulacan. It feels like home, really. It feels great reading about this.
- Fast pacing. I can't stop reading, ffs!
- Characters. Even they lack of back stories, I still find them interesting and worth rooting for.
- Social relevance. Involving facts about PH history is a yes-yes, indeed. Besides, it's not just an out-of-the-blue facts just to preach or something. It is relevant to to the story.
- The idea of the future where the good old ways are still apparent and haven't forgotten.
- Well-researched. Technical terms aren't overwhelming.

Indeed, in my opinion, it was a great novel. Though, I appreciate more back stories for the other characters. I want to know more about them. Also, I feel like the resolution/climax is quite rushed. The build-up has geared up me for an explosive climax but it isn't what I get. I'm kind of disappointed. However, the twist in that, slightly compensated for my dissatisfaction. You can't really know people.

[Fantaghiro23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Eliza,

I liked the book. Didn't love it, but I love what you set out to do here. And I think it only bodes well for your work and for Filipino literature in general.

Things I liked about Project 17:

- The short chapters. Gives the whole story a really fast pace.
- The snarky dialogue. I love a set of characters who sound smart and witty.
- The obvious love for science. It wasn't some just haphazard, tacked-on thing. It felt like you did your research or already had a good working knowledge of pharma and robotics. And I say this because you also didn't try to drown the story (i.e., impress the readers) with too much detail.
- The story set not just in Metro Manila, but also parts of Bulacan. Because I'm tired of everything happening in Manila.

Things I think could be improved, should there be another edition, (like maybe an international one?):

- More world-building. Pace is fast, but I was hoping to feel a more leisurely exposition in order to really get me into the world and lives of Lillian, Paul, and Caleb.
- More characterization. I actually wanted to understand them more, beyond knowing what it was they actually did in the story.
- A more drawn out resolution. Because it was exciting, but it felt rushed.
- A little more copyediting. Because I think there were a few confused pronouns in the text ("his" which should be "her," etc.) and pronouns which didn't have a clear antecedent.

Nevertheless, it is a novel and a smart and interesting one at that, and being a big supporter of Filipino authors writing more novels accessible to as many audiences as possible, I am only excited about Project 17 and what it bodes for the future. Congratulations to you and to your publishing team. I hope to read more of your novels in the years to come!

Honey

[Gerald The Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Para sa Wikathon talaga sana 'to pero dahil sa isang ginagawa kong video, binasa ko na rin agad kasi gusto ko na rin talaga siyang basahin. Hahaha.

Anyway, mga mamser, nakakatuwa ang librong 'to kasi kahit na science fiction siya at may mga terms na scientific, ganern, naintindihan ko pa rin siya at hindi naoverwhelm ang mga brain cells ko. Nagustuhan ko rin na this is futuristic but not that futuristic in a way na sobrang layo na sa Pilipinas na alam at kilala natin. At dahil dun, mas madali kong navivisualize yung settings kasi may familiarity na, ganern pero dahil sa short story lang ito, 159 pages, hindi masyadong nabuo ang world building but again... the familiarity of the settings kinda helps.

Gusto ko ang tandem ng mga characters na sina Lillian, Jamie, at Max and also their interactions with the other characters na sina Paul, Caleb, at Lester. Again, dahil sa ikli ng istorya, hindi masyadong nabigyan ng character development ang mga bida, hindi rin naexplore masyado ang back stories nila, but I am still rooting for them. They are just easy to vibes with. Pasado sila sa vibe check mga bhie, ganun.

The ending is kinda rushed tho. Natapos agad in a snap but naenjoy ko naman. Naintindihan ko naman, tinanggap ko naman, dahil ang mahalaga binuhay niyo ako-- ay char, Bobbie na pala? Hahaha.

I also enjoyed Eliza Victoria's writing style and way of story telling. Crush ko si Caleb. Crush ko rin si Paul. Magkapatid pero pwede ko namang pagsabayin so hindi na ako mamimili. Char! Hahahaha.

I am excited to read another Eliza Victoria in the future. 🙌🏽

[a u b r e y · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another "okay" read for me this month. This was a scary try since I'm no biggie with Science Fiction but I'm glad this wasn't hard to get into. I find the characters, the plot, and execution...okay. This was not the best nor the most spectacular read of mine but I enjoyed the fact that despite of it being a Sci-fi, I was fine the whole time reading it. It was also a plus for me that the setting is familiar as it is in the Philippines.

I'm still willing to try other Eliza Victoria books though. :)

[Nikka Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you read the first chapters, you'll question what genre are you reading.
At first, I thought it was suspense. Then, as Caleb became violent, I thought, it's all about psychotics and just that. Then, as I go further it's a mystery-type story.

the beginning is very disturbing or maybe I'm having so many questions in my head that it starts to get on me. The thing about this book is that, it gives you the goosebumps and makes you agitated to read on.

[Rissa Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good quick read. Enjoyed the futuristic setting and the fast-paced chapters. The shortness of the novel (only 160 pages!) was both a good thing and a bad thing for me. Good thing 'cause it made the novel very engaging and not draggy. Bad thing 'cause it didn't allow character development or any depth towards the characters. The novel was like a good pilot episode of a cool new TV series; it seems unfinished but it's definitely worth reading.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should've been a 3-star, but Paul's turnaround at the last few pages... wow. :D

[Elena ( The Queen Reads ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

From mystery to suspense to sci fi. I loved it! I want some closure tho huhuhu

[Maria Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh with all the stresses in life this year, I finally had the chance to read a book in one sitting. This did not disappoint. It was a definite page-turner for me.

[Ｆｒａｎｋｈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"God, Lillian. You take up a summer job only to trip into a conspiracy."

Eliza Victoria has consumed me wholly this year though our love affair as authoress and admirer has been, on some occasions, an infrequent and most unsure relationship, but I take comfort in the private knowledge that our rendezvous point will always be located within the rich tapestry of her stories. The gift of her prose and imagination has revitalized the way I look at certain areas in my life, and I'd like to believe that she is my own Neil Gaiman, since I'm aware that Gaiman is a lot to his fans simply magical, and Victoria is the same for me as well.

This is the third work of hers that I read and reviewed for this year and it's a science fiction novella that had a lot of promising potentials to become a full-length novel if Victoria ever decides to pick this up again and go in that direction someday because I believe it's not too late, and I know a lot of readers share this opinion. I also believe that some of them might criticize this novella's brevity, particularly on the aspect of world-building which most sci-fi novels often entail with in order to be considered a very nuanced reading experience. Personally, I think that this was a more self-contained piece than anything, so I can understand why the setting was only discussed in context of the characters who live in that time and place which was a futuristic Philippines where robotics have advanced and have become prominent machines used in law enforcement. This was what the focus of the book; what the Philippines would be like if menial jobs are given to machines.

In Victoria's Project 17, policemen have been replaced by model units called sentries while omestic helpers and prostitutes are replaced by cleaners and dancers respectively. As a futuristic world, Victoria created something memorable in the sparse 169 pages of the book and it served its purpose well enough for a character-driven story that was at its core a mystery to be unraveled and solved by the teenage protagonist Lillian and her friends Max and Jamie. A seemingly harmless and ordinary job, Lillian was hired by a man named Paul Dolores to take care of his mentally unstable yet heavily medicated brother Caleb which she was reluctant to take up at first. As soon as she got involved in the brothers' pattern and routine, she became intrinsically attached to the lives they lead, particularly when she began to suspect that they were not who they say they are. With the help of her hacker friend Max, Lillian begins to pull at the threads until she uncovers a disturbing secret that could shake up the very fabric of the reality they have cozily lived in for so long.

I have enjoyed Victoria's stylistic language for this book which had always been economical and brisk, and poignant when it needs to be. It superbly suited the story it was telling because we readers are able to wrap ourselves in the enigma that the lead heroine is solving before our own eyes as we closely follow her discoveries. This was a great first effort for a science fiction novella though I still believe Victoria's strength as an author is more fully embodied when she's composing speculative and metaphysical fiction like the stories collected in her anthology A Bottle of Storm Clouds.

I also still consider Dwellers as her more superior work, but comparing Project 17 to that is truly a matter of apples and oranges. Despite of the difference in genre, what they do share is Victoria's penchant for writing "siblings with a dark secret" angle. Other than that, Project 17 has amusing, witty and relatable protagonists in Lillian, Max and Jamie who we trust as the story unfolds, and this never wavers until the conclusion of the book itself. Said conclusion is more definitive than Dwellers which was formulaic enough to be acceptable but not as haunting as the latter's own conclusion that is open to interpretations.

I liked this book a lot. It was a fun and fast read with delightful character interactions as much as heavily emotional ones, and a mystery that had surprising twists and turns. The world Victoria created for this book that was filled sentries, cleaners and dancers was descriptive and believable enough in the context of the plot. However, this was a lesser work for me than Dwellers and A Bottle of Storm Clouds because it just didn't resonate as much as those works did. Still, I expect greater things from this authoress and will continue look forward to her future projects.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[Kevin Cortes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is set in the Philippines, mostly in Hagonoy, Bulacan. The country is seen to be in the period wherein technology has taken over our security. The SentryServ becomes the future Police Intelligence with the Sentry serving as the ground police enforcer who maintains peace and order round the clock.

The story unravels itself in an amazingly fast pace.

This is the first time I've read a novel whose plot involves robots and drugs targeting schizoaffective disorder. The writer included a nice way to tell some parts of the story. It was entertainingly done by using the twitter ID of known local news agencies. The events felt more realistic as twitter, currently one of the ways we use to check for news that occurs around us, was utilized.

Project 17 is a fun and an exhausting read that will surely set our imaginative adrenaline to rise up. Just be on the look out for any Girl X. She might be your final days companion.

More of my review at:
http://onemantra.blogspot.com/2014/09...

Note:
If we share the same problem about the identity of some of the characters in the story. I think Lester and Jamie are both men who loves men. Just got a bit confused as to their roles to the other characters in the story

[Joanna Paula Cailas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once started, unputdownable. Afterword/acknowledgments says this is an expansion of a story... I'll be looking for that story. I loved Project 17-- succinct and scary and magnificent --maybe I'm biased but fuckit, I loved imagining ol' third world Pinas like this, guarded by incorruptible Sentries. Whoo!

Could have been expanded MORE but it's good as it is, IMO. Short and minty-fresh, just a hint of sweetness in the relationships (friendships), all the characters memorable despite the word count being used up on funnywitty dialogue and action, not artsyfartsy narration and character chorva.

Now I'm done I have to content myself with more Fullmetal Alchemist fan fic. There's an Al there. Hehe.

[Larisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

No complaints about narration and the world-crafting was amazing. But why do I feel like it's a rough draft of a novel?

I think the characterization is weak. Somehow, I didn't feel that Caleb and Paul treated Lillian as family... Or why there was a need to investigate the whole thing... It just felt bare and lacking.

I still enjoyed reading it though. Although if it was set in a place somewhere else (not the Philippines), it would hardly be different or new.

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this short, futuristic story written by Filipino author, Eliza Victoria, and set in Manila. The story is well developed and the characters are interesting. Can we ever really get away from the greed and hunger for power that drives too many? Maybe if we create the perfect control...or maybe not...

[Anthony Kristianne Tang · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been a 4-star to me should the problem wasn't resolved quickly. I mean, come on. You might want to keep us on the edge of our seats once in a while. Still, it's a good and easy read to me. Fast-paced and good characters are among its strong suits.

[Louize · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read from The Page Walker .

[Random Spider (on a hiatus?) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tsk, Tsk, Tsk…how do I start with this one? 'Cause it's problematic.

I think this is my first Novella, since it's a little too short to be considered a novel. It has Filipino elements, but if you're looking into a Filipino inspired plot, this ain't it. I like its eerie, slumped, cyberpunk aesthetic, and the occasional unrestricted writing full of vulgarity earned some chuckles. The characters, though never deep, were at least emotive.

The story follows Lillian, a girl applying for a caretaker job to the Dolores brothers. It may sound tiny in scale, which it is at first, but it's not. I think is a shame since it could have done better if it stayed that way. At the third act, there was so much going on yet the stakes wasn't personally connected to the main character. Also, this is a fast paced book, yet I think it was too fast.

I believe Project 17 is a Sci-Fi and Crime? Maybe a Psychological Thriller plus Slasher? Or perhaps a Mystery or Dystopia? IDK how to definitively label a genre cause its all of them. "Wow! That sound amazing as it encompasses various readers' tastes." Um...NO, IT'S NOT! In my observation, what I've got here is a book with an Identity Crisis. It's better to focus on a few things and be excellent on them.

In the end of the day, it's some pulpy, info-dumping mediocre book that does not stand out from its genre peers. After months of break from Filipino literature, I am kindly disappointed. I think the narrative would work better in a different medium (like a short movie or an episodic show.) I'll rate this 5/10.

[elsewhere · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Project 17" by Eliza Victoria is a story with a fascinating (and perhaps slightly terrifying) future for humans with a kind of storytelling that will urge its readers to keep on reading. It is mainly a story about Filipino robots, robots replacing the roles or jobs of humans, and money affecting humanity. Even if it is not a perfect read (because of how the answers to the mystery did not surprise me), I still think that it is an enjoyable book with details that are not usually written about.

Spoilers Ahead!
A story about a secret project about Filipina robots that supposedly were meant to accompany elderly people in hospitals during their last days, however, these robots were later turned into assassins-for-hire, where one of their roles was to make a murder look like an accident and for them to make decisions on their own. This was mainly for profit, profit, profit.

A line I really liked:
"You'd think when something really bad happens you'd remember. You'd think by this time I would have had a benchmark for all the future hurts in the world, that I'd have this gauge and every bad thing would just pale in comparison."

[Izzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read Eliza Victoria's other novel "Wounded Little Gods" and fell in love with her writing style and characters. This book definitely did not have the same depth of plot or character development but this quick 160-page read was definitely thrilling! So many of the scenes read as movies in my mind and it'd be so cool if one day this could somehow become a blockbuster hit.

Loved the relevance to history (past and contemporary) happening in the Philippines (especially given the current political climate). I wish the ending was a bit longer but also I understand the urgency and secrecy, as demonstrated throughout the whole book.

[Mac Dubista Keso The Bibliobibuli v(=∩_∩=) · Rating 3 out of 5]

≛ It has a lot of potential. But it felt incomplete. It was rushed. I still have so many questions. The events weren't explained enough.

≛ Suddenly, this thing happens, and then it leads to bloody outcomes. It doesn't make sense. Hmmm.

≛ I still enjoyed it though. It could even be made into a movie. I read it in one sitting. It was a page-turner.

≛ But I really felt unsatisfied. I was hoping there would be more. But there wasn't. I guess you can't have it all after all. 🤷

[KianneReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting is in the Philippines but feels like not because of the futuristic aspect. ( hell in a good way ) I love the troop and I wish for more back stories for Lillian and side stories for Lester and Max. This gives me the Marie Lu vibes. And I totally agree that this one have a potential to be published internationally.

[Pamala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read three books of Eliza so far and this is the only one that feels complete. I love the world building here, it feels now and yet feels future.

PS Why can't I find her books in the local book store? I have bought this copy second hand from a facebook seller.

[Padiecakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow paced at first. I like how it's sci-fi, mystery, and very action packed. There were points in the book to me that felt dull, but as I read more and more, it became exciting. It's also the intelligence of Lillian and her friends that kept me going.

The plot or one of the themes of having robot workers and robots being turned into "war-machines" isn't entirely new (or to me at least), but it's shocking how the author did it quite well in a Philippine-setting, moreover in Bulacan even and that's something new. The fact that Caleb had schizoaffective disorder made it really interesting since mental health used to be a topic that was quite taboo in the Philippines as well. I love thinking deep about the scenes in this book and reading it like you're a detective makes foreshadowing fun (and it's easy and relatable if you're into psychology or science). Reading this however, requires me to go back a bit and pay attention to which character was which since it's a short story and not much can be said about all the characters.

What I didn't enjoy was how reading this required me to go back a bit and to pay attention to which was which. How there was excessive cussing. I'm in love with books that make me ask a lot of questions and this is one of 'em.

It's different, yet it's not.
It's easy to read, yet it's not.
(you gotta really pay attention to details)

It's SOPHISTICATED and I LOVE IT.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

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I read this years ago and this is the only time i wrote review because i re read the book again

Project 17 is for me, one of most ambitious novel that i ever read, the reason was this is an ultimate sci-fi. and the shortest sci-fi novel that i read. (wait, i think this is novella)

I'm sure Maam Eliza Victoria will remember me, if Maam Eliza will see this, Maam i am the one who drew a Project 17 fan art on my twitter and show it to you personally at WIT 2015 at UST (Hi Maam Eliza, Labyu po hahaha)

I put everything in Spoiler because this is too much that the Felizas will explode to absorbed all spoilers lol Kidding

I will emphasize the positive insights of this novel here, and here's the strong three :
1. A pure and dedicated Sci-fi, luckily that this is one of the few sci-fi that has no or just little romance attached to it, it proves that this story can stand on its own without the most frequently used genre; romance (and my friend knew how much i hate romance lol)
2. Caleb was amazing (i need to emphasize this because this is so TRUE), he is one of my fave characters in Filipino novels. i love this kiddo so much and he was the reason why i said this book is pure and dedicated sci-fi
3. The novel is in fast pace so the book was thin, but it brings a lot of excitement that i cannot put it down, seriously

I can say a lot of positive insights about this but there is only one thing that made me raised my eyebrows

the relationship of Lilian to Caleb and Paul was questionable, i understand why they act distant to Lilian because of their involvement to secret experiments but it needs character development that they'll treat Lilian as their distant relative, even though there are character development happened at the ending, but it sill lack of it.

But anyways, Kudos to Maam Eliza, for a successful futuristic Novella like this, i hope there's more novels and novella like this that is so dedicated to its main genre

Rating : 4.8/5
Want a futuristic and fast paced novella? GRAB THIS! don't worry, this is in English so no probs in needing of translations hehehe

Please wait. . .
Shutting Down. . .

[Lynai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eliza Victoria, you are amazing! Such a good read by a Filipino author. Highly recommended.
http://lynaireads.luigiandlynai.net/2...

[Kristel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want a fast-paced science fiction novella written by a Filipino author? Here it is! It offers something different from all the Pinoy lit that we have. I love what Eliza Victoria did in this story by taking the Philippines in the not-so-distant future where robots/Sentries take charge of security and pharmaceutical companies rule the country. I loved the characters especially Lillian and her friends, and got easily connected to them. Lillian is one fiesty woman I'd like to have as a friend! I hoped it was longer, though, because then it will have room for more detailed description of the world they live in, apart from the robot cleaners, robot prostitutes, and some techie stuff around the house that were mentioned. There might also be room for more character development in order to dig deeper into their backstories. I also hoped that the protagonists were further challenged in the end. It seemed that they had it easy in dealing with the conflict, making the ending a bit anti-climactic (still worked for me!). This book also tells us that no matter how hard people try, the government will still remain flawed. Enjoyable read!

[Eric Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced story though after reading the book, I find that I have not reached the climax of the story. Nonetheless with a setting in a dystopian like Philippines. I like the idea of our futuristic country having robocops instead of the usual human sentries wherein the book explains that, "Justice can only be delivered by someone who doesn't care about how much he's paid, or where he is in the chain of command. Someone who's ego won't be inflated by grandeur or power. Someone who wont be influenced by this guy's being a CEO of this or his being a Mayor of that. And let's face it: that someone couldn't be human." But with that premise it was shown at the end that even that "someone" (robots) can be reprogrammed to do harm/injustice just like humans. And lastly pharma companies was shown that they're willing to destroy other peoples lives just for money.

[Carien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should have been a novel instead of a novella.

The story is intriguing and suspenseful, but because of the length it is resolved too quickly.

While reading it I found myself thinking how this story could easily have been stretched into a longer one. I found myself plotting where I would have added scenes and events to build up even more tension before things happened or were discovered.

Maybe this makes it sound as if I didn't enjoy the story. I did! I just really wanted there to be more of it.

The characters were very interesting. I especially had wanted to find out even more about Caleb. The story is set in a near future and the world building was really good as well, but again: I wanted so much more than I got.

All in all this is a really enjoyable story that I finished much too soon. I would try other books by this author if I could easily get hold of them.

[Aletheia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I can't say that I loved it. But, it was interesting enough for me to finish within a day, and that's saying something because I rarely do that anymore. I get so lazy or so distracted by other things that I hardly get to finish a 100+ paged book anymore. Same with her other book, Wounded Little Gods, I was able to finish it in one evening.

Project 17 is set in the future. But it doesn't really give a futuristic vibe to it while I was reading. Sure, there are robots involved and other hi-tech things, but the city and other places in the story didn't really plant an image of a city with hover boards (the floating kind) or flying cars, you know? It felt more like the same, current Philippines...but with robots.

[Jemimah Bela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was good. Suspenseful when it needed to be. The way the characters interacted with one another was fun though a bit flat at times.

What I found lacking was the setting, which is a futuristic Philippines with robots and a mechanized policing system among other things, wasn't really painted very well.

I didn't get a good sense of what Project 17's Bulacan looked like, sounded like, felt like. It wasn't until a handful of chapters in that the novel was dystopian.. ish.

That said, I don't regret picking this book up. I don't feel frighteningly disappointed and would actually go as far as recommending this title for one of our Book of the Month discussions.