What do you think?
Rate this book
New Philippine Speculative Fiction 1
A young woman finds unexpected love for a reptile, a pair of adventurers start learning their names aboard an airship a young man discovers that connecting with your celebrity crush can be very complicated, the origin of the white lady myth is revealed, a casino dealer learns there is more to magic than sleight-of-hand, and a couple uploads the husband's personality into their household Al—discover these stories and more.
Edited by spec fic stalwarts Dean Francis and Nikki Alfar, New Philippine Speculative Fiction 1 showcases fantasy, horror, science fiction, and everything in between: the past intertwining with the future: and narratives interspersed with wonder and melancholy—demonstrating the rich variety of speculative fiction in the Philippines.
Edited by spec fic stalwarts Dean Francis and Nikki Alfar, New Philippine Speculative Fiction 1 showcases fantasy, horror, science fiction, and everything in between: the past intertwining with the future: and narratives interspersed with wonder and melancholy—demonstrating the rich variety of speculative fiction in the Philippines.
372 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2025
5 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 16, 2025
And another book sent by Charles! You can buy it from the publisher.
This anthology is both a mixed bag and a diverse collection - ah English, you are hilarious.
Some of the stories brought together here are absolutely brilliant. There are very few names that I recognised, and many that I hope will have their work picked up by and read further afield.
Of course, any anthology is going to struggle to please a reader with every story. So as expected, there were stories that really did not resonate with me here. Most of those were the horror stories - which is entirely to be expected, since that is not my vibe at all. In particular some of them leaned far too heavily on body horror for my tastes, so I simply skipped them. If that's your vibe, then I'm glad for you that they're included here. There were plenty of other stories here that did work for me: there are 35 stories included!
Some stories were clearly and obviously leaning into Filipino places, ideas, history, and language; I definitely didn't get all of the references in those, but I got enough that I could appreciate the story. Others were, I guess, more "universal" - whatever that means, given the stories are presented largely in English. One of the fun things about an anthology like this is that the only connective tissue is the identity of the authors: there are no themes or ideas tying the stories together, so you have absolutely no idea what you're going to read next.
Some favourites:
* Jose Elvin Bueno, "Cadena de Amor" - the narrator's perspective here was intriguing, and the story tantalising
* Vida Cruz-Borja, "Call of the Rimefolk" - art, space, aliens, love, family. This story is magnificent.
* Exie Abola, "Shadow Sisters" - difficult to characterise, gut-wrenching if you've got siblings.
* Ian Rosales Casocot, "The Apologist" - I don't like this story. It made me angry and feel powerless. It's very well written and it reflects modern media too well for my liking - how rich people can get away with anything, and how PR works. More people should read it.
* Kate Osias, "The James Machine" - AI stories are still very Now. This is a simple story, in the sense that the narrative is straightforward and it doesn't dive deep into philosophy; it's also poignant and lovely, and the subtitles throughout are a masterstroke.
Highly recommended for getting a taste of what the Philippines is producing.
This anthology is both a mixed bag and a diverse collection - ah English, you are hilarious.
Some of the stories brought together here are absolutely brilliant. There are very few names that I recognised, and many that I hope will have their work picked up by and read further afield.
Of course, any anthology is going to struggle to please a reader with every story. So as expected, there were stories that really did not resonate with me here. Most of those were the horror stories - which is entirely to be expected, since that is not my vibe at all. In particular some of them leaned far too heavily on body horror for my tastes, so I simply skipped them. If that's your vibe, then I'm glad for you that they're included here. There were plenty of other stories here that did work for me: there are 35 stories included!
Some stories were clearly and obviously leaning into Filipino places, ideas, history, and language; I definitely didn't get all of the references in those, but I got enough that I could appreciate the story. Others were, I guess, more "universal" - whatever that means, given the stories are presented largely in English. One of the fun things about an anthology like this is that the only connective tissue is the identity of the authors: there are no themes or ideas tying the stories together, so you have absolutely no idea what you're going to read next.
Some favourites:
* Jose Elvin Bueno, "Cadena de Amor" - the narrator's perspective here was intriguing, and the story tantalising
* Vida Cruz-Borja, "Call of the Rimefolk" - art, space, aliens, love, family. This story is magnificent.
* Exie Abola, "Shadow Sisters" - difficult to characterise, gut-wrenching if you've got siblings.
* Ian Rosales Casocot, "The Apologist" - I don't like this story. It made me angry and feel powerless. It's very well written and it reflects modern media too well for my liking - how rich people can get away with anything, and how PR works. More people should read it.
* Kate Osias, "The James Machine" - AI stories are still very Now. This is a simple story, in the sense that the narrative is straightforward and it doesn't dive deep into philosophy; it's also poignant and lovely, and the subtitles throughout are a masterstroke.
Highly recommended for getting a taste of what the Philippines is producing.
February 5, 2026
I bought this book kinda impulsively at a display when I attended my first-ever writing workshop. The editors were part of the panelists there and of course, I got to meet them. Dean and Nikki were such iconic writers and speakers; their talks particularly stuck with me till now. During one of the lunch breaks in the workshop, I was still a little starstruck and floaty and saw the pretty display of books by the entrance. In a haze I thought, "Wouldn't it be great to get their signatures as a souvenir?"
Safe to say that was one heck of a souvenir. Worth it though.
This collection is probably one of my first exposures to Philippine SFF. The stories ranges from fantastical to almost weird and unsettling. They are unique in their own way and showcase the authors' talents and range of how and what Filipino writers can write.
Here are my top 5 favorites among the 35 (phew it's A LOT) short stories in the collection:
- The Greatest Fight of Sunny Granada by Kenneth Yu: Imagine Manny Pacquiao fighting aliens for sport and it becomes so popular that the matches are broadcasted in a wide, intergalactic audience. Loved the sci-fi aspect and humor while still maintaining its Filipino-ness. This one was so memorable I bought the author's short story collection!
- Sabong by Sarah Meneses: This one had major Alita: Battle Angel vibes and I devoured this sooo quick!
- Liwani by Sydney Guerrero: Forgotten goddess tries to save herself and her fellow gods by venturing into the human world that's stopped worshipping them. Ends tragically. I loved the twist so much I had to reread it just to digest the whole thing.
- Pasig by Saquina Karla C. Guiam: The main character meets a mysterious girl trying to find a river. Eerie and quiet in a way that just leaves you staring at the wall (in a good way).
- The James Machine by Kate Osias: An AI and a widow try to find connection after the death of a loved one. I read this one a while back as a Palanca entry and it stuck with me with how poignant it was without being too flowery about it. It was lovely reading it again.
Safe to say that was one heck of a souvenir. Worth it though.
This collection is probably one of my first exposures to Philippine SFF. The stories ranges from fantastical to almost weird and unsettling. They are unique in their own way and showcase the authors' talents and range of how and what Filipino writers can write.
Here are my top 5 favorites among the 35 (phew it's A LOT) short stories in the collection:
- The Greatest Fight of Sunny Granada by Kenneth Yu: Imagine Manny Pacquiao fighting aliens for sport and it becomes so popular that the matches are broadcasted in a wide, intergalactic audience. Loved the sci-fi aspect and humor while still maintaining its Filipino-ness. This one was so memorable I bought the author's short story collection!
- Sabong by Sarah Meneses: This one had major Alita: Battle Angel vibes and I devoured this sooo quick!
- Liwani by Sydney Guerrero: Forgotten goddess tries to save herself and her fellow gods by venturing into the human world that's stopped worshipping them. Ends tragically. I loved the twist so much I had to reread it just to digest the whole thing.
- Pasig by Saquina Karla C. Guiam: The main character meets a mysterious girl trying to find a river. Eerie and quiet in a way that just leaves you staring at the wall (in a good way).
- The James Machine by Kate Osias: An AI and a widow try to find connection after the death of a loved one. I read this one a while back as a Palanca entry and it stuck with me with how poignant it was without being too flowery about it. It was lovely reading it again.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews