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Nightfall
Vanessa stumbles upon something unexpected in an apartment hundreds of floors above the ground: a dead body next to a single beeping monitor. In another part of the city, Criselda mulls preemptive violence after her Mod shuts down to show her a boy, a bird, a window. Is her Mod malfunctioning, or is she being manipulated? Set in a city of towers, where residents undergo biomodification in order to work more hours and earn more money, where living in the upper floors is the ultimate dream, Nightfall unfolds in a series of interconnected stories, exploring the lives of characters whose fates intersect and intertwine, revealing the paths they have taken to bring them to this dark night.
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2018
6 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Eliza Victoria
40 books340 followersEliza 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.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 7, 2025
the world created felt half baked and barely had any Filipino culture in it apart from the names of the characters and the odd dish here and there. Also [and I'm not faulting the author here as this is quite common for scifi books] the use of tech here though with ambition made me chuckle a little with the current state of AI ... I mean who would believe there would be writers and graphic artists anymore in this world? sorry was difficult to move on from that but I did... the story format was promising but felt like walking through trinoma... it kinda got convoluted... the vibes for me was very Philip k dick lite akin to do androids dream of electric sheep... it is just everything including the characters read flat sadly... instead of a 1 I'm giving this a 2 for the effort I guess. keep writing girl
April 11, 2021
Brimming with social commentaries, Night Fall is not one to miss.
I cannot believe I only have come to discover Eliza Victoria’s works just recently, that’s on me and I vow to rectify that. Eliza Victoria’s world building is unparalleled. She was able to conjure a world in which humanity comes at a costly price. Night Fall follows a series of characters who are interrelated to one another set in a futuristic Philippines where biomodification technology are widely embraced but much like any society only the privileged and the rich get to have it, while the poor continues to be at disadvantage The existence of social hierarchy have been one of the focal point of the book. The only issue I have is the entire cohesiveness of the story, I felt like I have missed out on a lot of small details that would have made the book more engaging. The flow of the story isn’t as solid as I hoped it would be, nevertheless the whole plot and the writing style definitely made up for it.
I feel like this is a book that is best experienced as a tv series. Hello, Netflix pick up on this. It has all the quality for a great tv series. I feel like the characters will be more fleshed out that way. I have been reading reviews that Night Fall can be likened to an episode of Black Mirror, and I can see why. Night Fall has the elements of weirdness and darkness coupled with a deep analysis of modern society and the advantages and most especially disadvantages of cutting edge technology. Night Fall examines human frailties amidst progressive technological advancements. Definitely recommend this book!
I cannot believe I only have come to discover Eliza Victoria’s works just recently, that’s on me and I vow to rectify that. Eliza Victoria’s world building is unparalleled. She was able to conjure a world in which humanity comes at a costly price. Night Fall follows a series of characters who are interrelated to one another set in a futuristic Philippines where biomodification technology are widely embraced but much like any society only the privileged and the rich get to have it, while the poor continues to be at disadvantage The existence of social hierarchy have been one of the focal point of the book. The only issue I have is the entire cohesiveness of the story, I felt like I have missed out on a lot of small details that would have made the book more engaging. The flow of the story isn’t as solid as I hoped it would be, nevertheless the whole plot and the writing style definitely made up for it.
I feel like this is a book that is best experienced as a tv series. Hello, Netflix pick up on this. It has all the quality for a great tv series. I feel like the characters will be more fleshed out that way. I have been reading reviews that Night Fall can be likened to an episode of Black Mirror, and I can see why. Night Fall has the elements of weirdness and darkness coupled with a deep analysis of modern society and the advantages and most especially disadvantages of cutting edge technology. Night Fall examines human frailties amidst progressive technological advancements. Definitely recommend this book!
March 6, 2019
Each time I finish a book by Eliza Victoria, I am reminded of why I like her works so much. Every book reinforces my admiration and awe at her talent. This latest offering, Nightfall, is like an extended episode of Black Mirror, though more relatable because of its local setting. The mystery kept me reading until my curiosity was sated. I like her Philippine mythology-themed stories more but this speculative novella is a worthwhile read, as well.
November 2, 2019
This is probably my favourite novel by Eliza Victoria to date; she just keeps on getting better!
Night Fall is a novel told as a collection of short stories set in a distant future of flying cars and body modifications, a future that's still very familiar because of unequal wealth distribution and how cheap life is when you're poor. I totally read them as separate stories with recurring characters until halfway to the end when I realised what was really happening and how the novel was structured, and I'm a big fan. This is the kind of novel you'll want to reread right after you finish just because everything will read a little differently after the reveal at the end.
We get a little bit of sci-fi in that most people who can afford it (and those who are willing to risk the black market version) have computer systems stuck right in their brains. Expensive systems most poor people can't afford but which better-paying jobs require people to have. And there's horror in the violence within the city: those who get paid to get rid of people, those on top who have some pretty fucking illegal interests, and those who are looking for revenge. To be fair, technology itself can be pretty horrific; one of the stories here 'At the Diazes' is my favourite and it succeeds with that perfect blend of scifi/horror.
There are few sff Filipino writers who take my brains to the happy place like this, and I'm so glad I got this book.
Also maybe it's just me and it's weird to get so attached to a character who popped up only in the latter half, but man I love Jason haha.
Night Fall is a novel told as a collection of short stories set in a distant future of flying cars and body modifications, a future that's still very familiar because of unequal wealth distribution and how cheap life is when you're poor. I totally read them as separate stories with recurring characters until halfway to the end when I realised what was really happening and how the novel was structured, and I'm a big fan. This is the kind of novel you'll want to reread right after you finish just because everything will read a little differently after the reveal at the end.
We get a little bit of sci-fi in that most people who can afford it (and those who are willing to risk the black market version) have computer systems stuck right in their brains. Expensive systems most poor people can't afford but which better-paying jobs require people to have. And there's horror in the violence within the city: those who get paid to get rid of people, those on top who have some pretty fucking illegal interests, and those who are looking for revenge. To be fair, technology itself can be pretty horrific; one of the stories here 'At the Diazes' is my favourite and it succeeds with that perfect blend of scifi/horror.
There are few sff Filipino writers who take my brains to the happy place like this, and I'm so glad I got this book.
Also maybe it's just me and it's weird to get so attached to a character who popped up only in the latter half, but man I love Jason haha.
December 28, 2019
As always, Ms. Eliza's words are as powerful as ever. From its brilliant world building to the mind-blowing twists, Night Fall did not fail to deliver. It entwines stories within stories and tangles up characters in the most unexpected ways. But as it concludes, every piece will fit together like a puzzle - leaving its readers in awe.
October 1, 2019
This is humanity's subsubsubdesire. Reminds me of Black Mirror X Love Death and Robots mashup. Amazing! I was not able to put it down!
June 20, 2020
Nightfall by Eliza Victoria is a story that mainly revolves around biomodifcation technology, where the main goal is to provide human enhancements by giving back the disabled or the injured their abilities or "enhancing" healthy individuals to be more.
This book tackles various important points, which include:
1. The Rich and the Poor
It talks about the difference between being rich and being poor, but more specifically, how different it is to be born rich. It talks about privilege, and how wanting an easy and comfortable life is only for the rich because poor people will only end up spending the rest of their lives paying and sacrificing for an easy life. Because being born rich gives one a thousand steps ahead and it rarely gives the others a chance to keep up.
"Some people were born in the Towers, born into wealth, born with Trust funds, born with the luxury of time."
2. Power
It also talks about power - choosing between power and money, the face of power (i.e. maintaining an image, destroying anyone who treats you less).
"People are happy just to have enough money to live comfortably, but money alone doesn't make you indestructible. You can still be trampled. You need both money and power to make yourself invincible."
3. Vigilante Justice & Subjective Justice System
Interesting conversations about the justice system and about when killing somebody becomes acceptable.
"How do you fight a person through the system if you know the system works in his favor?"
Her works always introduce new ideas accompanied by a fast-paced and engaging writing style. However, her books (at least the ones that I've read - Project 17, Dwellers, Nightfall, Wounded Little Gods) usually possess a weakness for building characters and for dissecting her massive and creative ideas and stories and putting it into the page. Her characters are always just names for me since her characters usually lack personalities, which makes them forgettable.
As for the plot, her writing is a pleasure to devour; on the other hand, the storytelling - the way she uses her big ideas and distributes it to multiple pages and chapters - is underwhelming; I think that she is sometimes too familiar with her own story that she may have the tendency to forget that the readers still do not know every detail that she does know. As a result, it usually feels like there are missing links; there are moments where her chapters or paragraphs find it difficult to connect with each other as if there are conversations or scenarios that never got to the page.
Overall, her ideas will always be interesting to me. I will still be reading her works in the future, of course. I highly recommend that you read her short story collection, "A Bottle of Storm Clouds", which is one of my favorite short story collection of all-time.
This book tackles various important points, which include:
1. The Rich and the Poor
It talks about the difference between being rich and being poor, but more specifically, how different it is to be born rich. It talks about privilege, and how wanting an easy and comfortable life is only for the rich because poor people will only end up spending the rest of their lives paying and sacrificing for an easy life. Because being born rich gives one a thousand steps ahead and it rarely gives the others a chance to keep up.
"Some people were born in the Towers, born into wealth, born with Trust funds, born with the luxury of time."
2. Power
It also talks about power - choosing between power and money, the face of power (i.e. maintaining an image, destroying anyone who treats you less).
"People are happy just to have enough money to live comfortably, but money alone doesn't make you indestructible. You can still be trampled. You need both money and power to make yourself invincible."
3. Vigilante Justice & Subjective Justice System
Interesting conversations about the justice system and about when killing somebody becomes acceptable.
"How do you fight a person through the system if you know the system works in his favor?"
Her works always introduce new ideas accompanied by a fast-paced and engaging writing style. However, her books (at least the ones that I've read - Project 17, Dwellers, Nightfall, Wounded Little Gods) usually possess a weakness for building characters and for dissecting her massive and creative ideas and stories and putting it into the page. Her characters are always just names for me since her characters usually lack personalities, which makes them forgettable.
As for the plot, her writing is a pleasure to devour; on the other hand, the storytelling - the way she uses her big ideas and distributes it to multiple pages and chapters - is underwhelming; I think that she is sometimes too familiar with her own story that she may have the tendency to forget that the readers still do not know every detail that she does know. As a result, it usually feels like there are missing links; there are moments where her chapters or paragraphs find it difficult to connect with each other as if there are conversations or scenarios that never got to the page.
Overall, her ideas will always be interesting to me. I will still be reading her works in the future, of course. I highly recommend that you read her short story collection, "A Bottle of Storm Clouds", which is one of my favorite short story collection of all-time.
May 20, 2019
Dystopian. Dark. Distrustful. Uncertain.
March 25, 2023
Revised my review and changed my rating after rereading this. Things I didn't mention during my first read/review: I love the non-linear narrative and I love the central theme of technology as a tool for violence, capitalistic exploitation, and sick, human gratification.
I'm normally not one for sci-fi because (in my experience) the genre is overly saturated with stories told through Western lenses, so Nightfall was such a pleasant surprise because despite being written in English, it's so distinctly Filipino—and that's not simply because of the names of the characters and buildings. It's also because of the social commentary embedded in every detail of this fictional world. From hellish traffic to growing drug problems to underpaid workers to open-secret black markets to corrupt politicians to informal settlers, everything about this book is Filipino.
It almost makes you beg the question: What makes this dystopian hellscape different from modern-day Philippines? Don't we also have skyscrapers inhabited by the rich? Don't we also have exploited workers, and housing problems, and cases of digital blackmail, and rich families who think their wealth puts them above the law? Don't we also have masked men on the streets, targeting people based on the wishes of corrupt policemen and politicians? Aside from biomodification technology, what else divides my world as a Filipino from this world offered by Eliza Victoria?
Now, about the ending, which I called lukewarm in my previous review: I have to first establish that in this book, there are very few characters who can claim they have never hurt someone. I won't get into spoilers but in one way or another, almost all of them have either killed, tortured, or betrayed another person. Knowing this, the gentleness of the ending becomes all the more significant because it's arguably the first time in the book that technology was used for an act of love.
TL;DR: I really loved this book. It's my second favorite. (The First is still 17 Prayers.) A gentle ending isn't necessarily a bad one, and after reading about a world fraught with violence, gentleness is the most powerful ending this book can ultimately give me.
I'm normally not one for sci-fi because (in my experience) the genre is overly saturated with stories told through Western lenses, so Nightfall was such a pleasant surprise because despite being written in English, it's so distinctly Filipino—and that's not simply because of the names of the characters and buildings. It's also because of the social commentary embedded in every detail of this fictional world. From hellish traffic to growing drug problems to underpaid workers to open-secret black markets to corrupt politicians to informal settlers, everything about this book is Filipino.
It almost makes you beg the question: What makes this dystopian hellscape different from modern-day Philippines? Don't we also have skyscrapers inhabited by the rich? Don't we also have exploited workers, and housing problems, and cases of digital blackmail, and rich families who think their wealth puts them above the law? Don't we also have masked men on the streets, targeting people based on the wishes of corrupt policemen and politicians? Aside from biomodification technology, what else divides my world as a Filipino from this world offered by Eliza Victoria?
Now, about the ending, which I called lukewarm in my previous review: I have to first establish that in this book, there are very few characters who can claim they have never hurt someone. I won't get into spoilers but in one way or another, almost all of them have either killed, tortured, or betrayed another person. Knowing this, the gentleness of the ending becomes all the more significant because it's arguably the first time in the book that technology was used for an act of love.
"Trust and kindness were muscles you had to exercise, or else they would atrophy in this city. What have I become?"
TL;DR: I really loved this book. It's my second favorite. (The First is still 17 Prayers.) A gentle ending isn't necessarily a bad one, and after reading about a world fraught with violence, gentleness is the most powerful ending this book can ultimately give me.
September 18, 2020
Reading Eliza Victoria's Nightfall is like reading a script of a Black Mirror episode. It's about the relationship that people have with technology...or one could argue it's about the relationships that technology influences the people to have.
The setting of the story is in a futuristic Philippines where technological advancements run vertically: buildings towering over the clouds; cars moving up; markets floating in the sky.
The convergence of the local and the modern was evident in the names of the buildings in the story (Exhibit A: Emerald Garcia-Tomas Tower).
These signs of advancements though could not conceil the very issues that continue to pervade the land and water before (and the air now). Wealth inequality still exists. Power protects the rich and kills the poor. The justice system remains unfair. The society measures the people by their productivity and not their humanity.
The themes and the twist in the end are what I liked about this book. The plot is familiar. Conventional. Simple yet engaging. The present time is cut in half by a long backstory told in the perspectives of the different characters involved. Understanding the story as a whole is hard if you put down this book as frequent as I did. I needed to read again the previous chapters just to remember where I was in the story.
Still, I would recommend this book especially if you're into the sci-fi genre. I would just leave it up to your imagination how a futuristic Philippines looks like. The special effects in our local fantasy shows definitely won't help.
The setting of the story is in a futuristic Philippines where technological advancements run vertically: buildings towering over the clouds; cars moving up; markets floating in the sky.
The convergence of the local and the modern was evident in the names of the buildings in the story (Exhibit A: Emerald Garcia-Tomas Tower).
These signs of advancements though could not conceil the very issues that continue to pervade the land and water before (and the air now). Wealth inequality still exists. Power protects the rich and kills the poor. The justice system remains unfair. The society measures the people by their productivity and not their humanity.
The themes and the twist in the end are what I liked about this book. The plot is familiar. Conventional. Simple yet engaging. The present time is cut in half by a long backstory told in the perspectives of the different characters involved. Understanding the story as a whole is hard if you put down this book as frequent as I did. I needed to read again the previous chapters just to remember where I was in the story.
Still, I would recommend this book especially if you're into the sci-fi genre. I would just leave it up to your imagination how a futuristic Philippines looks like. The special effects in our local fantasy shows definitely won't help.
April 10, 2021
Rating: 4.5 stars
It never ceases to amaze me how easily Eliza Victoria can build up a world that completely swallows me up in its tone and atmosphere. She’s a master at building suspense, at keeping me at the edge of my seat, and at pushing how far a story can go.
I’m not a big sci-fi fan, but I found that the world and technology that Eliza Victoria built here was easy to follow and understand.
The storytelling and the plot were superb; it was ingeniously written and so well intertwined. I also liked how she portrayed how lives have changed together with the advancement of technology, how she set up the juxtaposition of having all these advantages in life through technology but also having all these vulnerabilities. And the commentary about class in this book was, I think, something that was also very compelling.
Eliza Victoria is one of the most atmospheric and creative writers I’ve encountered, and I’m excited to read more of her work.
It never ceases to amaze me how easily Eliza Victoria can build up a world that completely swallows me up in its tone and atmosphere. She’s a master at building suspense, at keeping me at the edge of my seat, and at pushing how far a story can go.
I’m not a big sci-fi fan, but I found that the world and technology that Eliza Victoria built here was easy to follow and understand.
The storytelling and the plot were superb; it was ingeniously written and so well intertwined. I also liked how she portrayed how lives have changed together with the advancement of technology, how she set up the juxtaposition of having all these advantages in life through technology but also having all these vulnerabilities. And the commentary about class in this book was, I think, something that was also very compelling.
Eliza Victoria is one of the most atmospheric and creative writers I’ve encountered, and I’m excited to read more of her work.
September 4, 2024
Actual Rating: 4.5
I know that at this point, no one's surprised that I loved this book - or any Eliza Victoria's book, for that matter. This is my fifth book from this author & again & again, she never disappoints. This one's equally creepy, mysterious, and unhinged as her other books, if not more. It also has a very fascinating world-building set in futuristic Manila; while still being timely & relevant to the Philippines' societal climate. It wasn't a perfect book I have a few things I wished were developed more and yet, it's one of the best sci-fi books I've read. Highly recommended!
I know that at this point, no one's surprised that I loved this book - or any Eliza Victoria's book, for that matter. This is my fifth book from this author & again & again, she never disappoints. This one's equally creepy, mysterious, and unhinged as her other books, if not more. It also has a very fascinating world-building set in futuristic Manila; while still being timely & relevant to the Philippines' societal climate. It wasn't a perfect book I have a few things I wished were developed more and yet, it's one of the best sci-fi books I've read. Highly recommended!
August 10, 2020
I don't know what to feel about this book, I find it really interesting as a sci fi avoider kind of a reader. I love the incorporation of big topics that are prevalent in the Philippines. I love the writing style but I find the cohesiveness of the story kinda meh, I get confused a lot with the characters and their story as it is scattered throughout the book. The Puppeteer, The Midnight Party and The Dinner got me shook which is a plud.
I would definitely check out more books from the author.
I would definitely check out more books from the author.
January 3, 2021
Gave me the thrill... but there are so many things going on. I was not able to catch up with all those names. Will give it another shot some time. I was lost when I took a break reading this (because life happened) then continued...
Still my heart pound and all. But there are loose ends that was lost to me. Specially with vannesa and the incident of the flying car at the beginning and end.
I recommend to read this continously to savor its revelations and all.
Still my heart pound and all. But there are loose ends that was lost to me. Specially with vannesa and the incident of the flying car at the beginning and end.
I recommend to read this continously to savor its revelations and all.
January 14, 2024
Very interesting plot and social commentary. I just wish there weren't so many characters suddenly being introduced, it was a bit hard to keep track of everyone and their connections to each other. I think I might understand/appreciate this better if I reread the book (and take notes lol).
May 23, 2021
oh my god that was insane 😭
February 8, 2023
Beautifully written.
August 31, 2020
The related stories on the book is well-written. But to be honest, I got bored on some parts of it to the point wherein I'm just reading it to finish it. Maybe because the concept is not something that caught my attention, though I love the Black Mirror series which have a similar concept with this book.
September 17, 2024
The plot of Nightfall is definitely eccentric and intriguing, and the characters are well-developed, with chapters divided into different POVs. However, some character arcs and details felt drawn out and didn’t really contribute to the overall cohesiveness of the story. Despite feeling a bit unsettled by the book, I’m still interested in exploring more of Eliza Victoria’s work.
Scribbles:
“How do you fight a person through the system if you know the system works in his favor?” he said. “Going through the system only truly works if the system is fair. And it’s not. Everything can be negotiated with money, or violence.”
“So the secret to success is in choosing your battles.”
“Isn’t that the secret to everything?” Matias said.
Scribbles:
“How do you fight a person through the system if you know the system works in his favor?” he said. “Going through the system only truly works if the system is fair. And it’s not. Everything can be negotiated with money, or violence.”
“So the secret to success is in choosing your battles.”
“Isn’t that the secret to everything?” Matias said.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews