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Voyager and Other Fictions: The Collected Stories of Jose Dalisay
Hapless men yearn after unreachable women. Boys teeter on the edge of adolescence and taste the bitterness of disillusionment. A multitude of characters gamble with their fates in casinos.
Voyager and Other Fictions: The Collected Stories of Jose Dalisay explores the depths of the human psyche, exposing the follies and foibles of Filipinos going about their daily lives. This definitive compilation of forty-three stories from a master storyteller includes the classic stories “Penmanship,” and “Oldtimer,” and the title story “Voyager,” which show the art and craft of one of the country’s most revered writers of short fiction.
Voyager and Other Fictions: The Collected Stories of Jose Dalisay explores the depths of the human psyche, exposing the follies and foibles of Filipinos going about their daily lives. This definitive compilation of forty-three stories from a master storyteller includes the classic stories “Penmanship,” and “Oldtimer,” and the title story “Voyager,” which show the art and craft of one of the country’s most revered writers of short fiction.
- GenresShort Stories
528 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2019
18 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr.
29 books72 followersDr. José Y. Dalisay Jr. (Butch Dalisay to readers of his "Penman" column in the Philippine STAR) was born in Romblon, Philippines in 1954.
As of January 2006, he had published 15 books of his stories, plays, and essays, with five of those books receiving the National Book Award from the Manila Critics Circle. In 1998, he was named to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Centennial Honors List for his work as a playwright and fictionist.
He graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1984 (AB English, cum laude ), the University of Michigan (MFA, 1988) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (PhD English, 1991). He teaches English and Creative Writing as a full professor at the University of the Philippines, where he also serves as coordinator of the creative writing program and as an Associate of the UP Institute of Creative Writing. After serving as chairman of the English Department, he became Vice President for Public Affairs of the UP System from May 2003 to February 2005.
Among his distinctions, he has won 16 Palanca Awards in five genres (entering the Palanca Hall of Fame in 2000), five Cultural Center of the Philippines awards for playwriting, and Famas, Urian, Star and Catholic Film awards and citations for his screenplays. He was named one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of 1993 for his creative writing. He has been a Fulbright, Hawthornden, David TK Wong, Rockefeller, and British Council fellow.
As of January 2006, he had published 15 books of his stories, plays, and essays, with five of those books receiving the National Book Award from the Manila Critics Circle. In 1998, he was named to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Centennial Honors List for his work as a playwright and fictionist.
He graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1984 (AB English, cum laude ), the University of Michigan (MFA, 1988) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (PhD English, 1991). He teaches English and Creative Writing as a full professor at the University of the Philippines, where he also serves as coordinator of the creative writing program and as an Associate of the UP Institute of Creative Writing. After serving as chairman of the English Department, he became Vice President for Public Affairs of the UP System from May 2003 to February 2005.
Among his distinctions, he has won 16 Palanca Awards in five genres (entering the Palanca Hall of Fame in 2000), five Cultural Center of the Philippines awards for playwriting, and Famas, Urian, Star and Catholic Film awards and citations for his screenplays. He was named one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of 1993 for his creative writing. He has been a Fulbright, Hawthornden, David TK Wong, Rockefeller, and British Council fellow.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 29, 2024
A solid 4. I’ve always been drawn to authors who can encapsulate a mundane event into something that’s eloquently savored. Oldtimer’s probably my favorite.
One less star goes to my preference perhaps on having a nostalgic feel to writing, but Dalisay’s forte is really to live in the moment. Some settings in the stories were quite repetitive (OFW/young-old man/woman), and might I say, some stories are worth the skip if it doesn’t suit your cup of tea.
Still, I have to give it to him, he doesn’t portray women in an explicitly sexual manner in his stories, especially for his time.
One less star goes to my preference perhaps on having a nostalgic feel to writing, but Dalisay’s forte is really to live in the moment. Some settings in the stories were quite repetitive (OFW/young-old man/woman), and might I say, some stories are worth the skip if it doesn’t suit your cup of tea.
Still, I have to give it to him, he doesn’t portray women in an explicitly sexual manner in his stories, especially for his time.
February 1, 2023
My insight from this book is that Butch Dalisay needs to write another novel—and I need to get around to reading Soledad's Sister.
Any short story collection that is 500 pages long is bound to have some stretches, even some long ones, of stories that don't really catch your eye. Because this collection is arranged chronologically, you can some of the repeated themes that are played around with—the lustful yet introspective male character, the gamblers, the abrupt tragic endings that leave all the emotions under the surface. (Hilariously in one of the short stories, he even comments on his own repeated usage of one of those tropes.) I didn't think all of these tropes worked, as in some of the stories their relevance was difficult to spot. But it was interesting to how they get refined over time or are used in different ways, somewhat challenging your expectations.
The stories that jumped out at me were the ones with more fantastical settings or characters. Butch Dalisay is a very eloquent man, and I liked reading his prose describing characters with very strong personalities, or in unusual situations. They helped create some narrative momentum that pushed the stories forward, instead of getting too caught up in some clever descriptions. One thing I found particularly cool was that some stories made me realize how untapped certain eras of Filipino history are in fiction. Stories about datus and warriors in pre-colonial Philippines, or those set in the era of post-World War II Reconstruction, or in the midst conflict during the Philippine-American War. Loved the long descriptions that managed to bring these places to life. Perhaps I just don't understand subtlety, but I grew a bit tired of the nth description of some brooding guy in a generic Manila setting—go back to the exciting bits!
And stupidly for a short story collection, I generally found the longer stories more interesting. He has a very immersive writing style, and I found myself drawn deeper and deeper into the worlds of little mysteries he would set up, even as I knew that there was no chance they would be resolved with a neat little bow. I'd end a lot of the short stories wishing everything was explored a little more, or that the tension was kept up for just a few more pages just to make the endings more satisfying.
My last comment is that a lot of these stories try to make some sense of the Filipino identity, and I felt that a lot of the most successful ones did this from a perspective adjacent to Filipinos. Maybe about Filipinos in another land, or foreigners in the Philippines, or some mixture of the two. There's something about that juxtaposition that raises a lot of questions, or alternatively makes the reader see some aspect of Filipino culture in a clearer, more objective light.
Anyway, I recommend this book even if I didn't always enjoy it. Any book that gets to me write this many words about it must have been a fulfilling experience!
My top five stories of the collection (in chronological order):
1) The Mirror
2) Oldtimer
3) Under the Dinosaurs
4) Penmanship
5) Voyager
Any short story collection that is 500 pages long is bound to have some stretches, even some long ones, of stories that don't really catch your eye. Because this collection is arranged chronologically, you can some of the repeated themes that are played around with—the lustful yet introspective male character, the gamblers, the abrupt tragic endings that leave all the emotions under the surface. (Hilariously in one of the short stories, he even comments on his own repeated usage of one of those tropes.) I didn't think all of these tropes worked, as in some of the stories their relevance was difficult to spot. But it was interesting to how they get refined over time or are used in different ways, somewhat challenging your expectations.
The stories that jumped out at me were the ones with more fantastical settings or characters. Butch Dalisay is a very eloquent man, and I liked reading his prose describing characters with very strong personalities, or in unusual situations. They helped create some narrative momentum that pushed the stories forward, instead of getting too caught up in some clever descriptions. One thing I found particularly cool was that some stories made me realize how untapped certain eras of Filipino history are in fiction. Stories about datus and warriors in pre-colonial Philippines, or those set in the era of post-World War II Reconstruction, or in the midst conflict during the Philippine-American War. Loved the long descriptions that managed to bring these places to life. Perhaps I just don't understand subtlety, but I grew a bit tired of the nth description of some brooding guy in a generic Manila setting—go back to the exciting bits!
And stupidly for a short story collection, I generally found the longer stories more interesting. He has a very immersive writing style, and I found myself drawn deeper and deeper into the worlds of little mysteries he would set up, even as I knew that there was no chance they would be resolved with a neat little bow. I'd end a lot of the short stories wishing everything was explored a little more, or that the tension was kept up for just a few more pages just to make the endings more satisfying.
My last comment is that a lot of these stories try to make some sense of the Filipino identity, and I felt that a lot of the most successful ones did this from a perspective adjacent to Filipinos. Maybe about Filipinos in another land, or foreigners in the Philippines, or some mixture of the two. There's something about that juxtaposition that raises a lot of questions, or alternatively makes the reader see some aspect of Filipino culture in a clearer, more objective light.
Anyway, I recommend this book even if I didn't always enjoy it. Any book that gets to me write this many words about it must have been a fulfilling experience!
My top five stories of the collection (in chronological order):
1) The Mirror
2) Oldtimer
3) Under the Dinosaurs
4) Penmanship
5) Voyager
August 21, 2024
"-half boy and half man, but all man to her." OKAYYYYYYY
November 12, 2024
It took me 3 months to finish Voyagers and Other Fictions. It's quite long, since it contains most of the short stories of the Jose Dalisay Jr’s decades-spanning career.
One reason it took me so long was the sheer volume of material, with each story offering a distinct conclusion—though not always in the form of traditional plot closure.
Actually, most of the stories conclude with a few loose ends. When pertaining to closure in Dalisay's stories, I mean it's more about how the elements successfully reached their fullest potential in terms of writing development. Dalisay is a perfect example for open-endedness done right, which is recognizing that objective endings can be foregone to have the story serve a higher purpose—thematic resonance.
At my slowest, I read one story for the day. I sat with how it made me feel for a while, thought about the characters and their journeys, and then returned the next day. Compelling writing makes you think about it. It's just that thinking about 4 pages of writing considerably slows the pace of reading a 400 page book.
But just awareness of big callings does not make for good writing. So what is it? Well, for one, Jose Dalisay Jr. is extremely, EXTREMELY, technically proficient.
The core ideas are well-formed, the intended emotional impact is effectively achieved, and the narrator’s perspective is fully utilized to serve the story. What impresses me most is the phrasing—the way each moment in nearly every story perfectly balances style, meaning, and clarity. Every sentence contributes to the overall meaning and leads naturally to the conclusion. If you’re wondering 'What happens next,' you don’t need to look beyond the story itself; everything unfolds logically from the characters' behavior and psyche, as well as the narrative’s progression, rather than relying on surprises or hidden elements.
Another reason for my slow pace is that there’s some repeating premises. This detracted from my appreciation of the book as a whole, because when I could tell the story was going in a direction I was already taken on, it made me think about what it implied about the book as a whole rather than focus on the moment’s journey.
For example, a recurring character dynamic seen multiple times across the pagecount: young-woman and older-man relationship
Not to be cynical, but at some point I was like
This is a bit unfair, because each of those titles did try to offer a new perspective each time. If not a new perspective, at least a new setting and circumstance. And there’s a lot to relish in Dalisay’s vivid prose, which comes from his keen observation of Filipino surroundings and social contexts.
If I’m pressed, I’ll admit that age gap relationships are just weird to me, OK, and seeing them so often in one book sends shivers down my spine. I guess that’s one emotional reaction Dalisay probably didn’t intend for his readers.
Lastly, it took me so long to finish this because the shade of realism the writing prefers borders on stale pessimism.
I’m not looking for Socialist Realism here (sidenote: those are truly hard to look for) but damn I think poor people rarely catch a break in this book. Or, like, have innate characteristics that allow them to change their circumstances slightly better. I guess in a country where mass media over-uses catharsis and fairy tale ending to the point of spiritual subjugation, being real about how poor people are poised to find themselves fucked over is going against the grain.
But as a reading experience, it bums me out. And it kinda reminds me of the intelligentia class’s tendency to either a) over romanticize the poor or b) remove them of agency entirely.
Regardless, Dalisay has humanistic sensibilities. The characters that Dalisay favors (if not with happiness, then with text-space and nuance) have distinct headspaces. As a whole, the book contains fragments of unremarkable lives, and it directs our attention to the currents of meaning that surges, forcefully but quietly, underneath normalcy.
Final thoughts
Each moment in literary culture has a handful of eminent writers. There’s a World Literary Canon, there’s contemporary A-List Authors, and there’s Grand Old Men of Philippine Letters. Jose Dalisay Jr. is among the most distinguished of our present-day Filipino literary scene, and through reading Voyagers and Other Fictions, a reader really can experience one of the best we have today. I think that my approach with the book is as intended—as in, I find that being slow and deliberate allowed me to fully engage with the material, which may have been short, but quite deep.
Favorites: Merlie, Revelations, Under the Dinosaurs
Least Favorites: Pig, Spy Story, Sarcophagus
Didn’t Read: Agcalan Point (boring and draged)
Historical Trauma I Couldn’t Subject Myself To: Heartland
One reason it took me so long was the sheer volume of material, with each story offering a distinct conclusion—though not always in the form of traditional plot closure.
Actually, most of the stories conclude with a few loose ends. When pertaining to closure in Dalisay's stories, I mean it's more about how the elements successfully reached their fullest potential in terms of writing development. Dalisay is a perfect example for open-endedness done right, which is recognizing that objective endings can be foregone to have the story serve a higher purpose—thematic resonance.
At my slowest, I read one story for the day. I sat with how it made me feel for a while, thought about the characters and their journeys, and then returned the next day. Compelling writing makes you think about it. It's just that thinking about 4 pages of writing considerably slows the pace of reading a 400 page book.
But just awareness of big callings does not make for good writing. So what is it? Well, for one, Jose Dalisay Jr. is extremely, EXTREMELY, technically proficient.
The core ideas are well-formed, the intended emotional impact is effectively achieved, and the narrator’s perspective is fully utilized to serve the story. What impresses me most is the phrasing—the way each moment in nearly every story perfectly balances style, meaning, and clarity. Every sentence contributes to the overall meaning and leads naturally to the conclusion. If you’re wondering 'What happens next,' you don’t need to look beyond the story itself; everything unfolds logically from the characters' behavior and psyche, as well as the narrative’s progression, rather than relying on surprises or hidden elements.
Another reason for my slow pace is that there’s some repeating premises. This detracted from my appreciation of the book as a whole, because when I could tell the story was going in a direction I was already taken on, it made me think about what it implied about the book as a whole rather than focus on the moment’s journey.
For example, a recurring character dynamic seen multiple times across the pagecount: young-woman and older-man relationship
Not to be cynical, but at some point I was like
“Dessert is Merlie if the girl were 5 notches above her social stature, Merlie is Ybarra if Merlie was more a conniving persona, Ybarra is The Professor’s Wife if they ended up marrying and were told from 3rd person perspective, The Professor’s Wife is Penmanship if they were both knocked 3 pegs down their current social statures,” etc. etc.
This is a bit unfair, because each of those titles did try to offer a new perspective each time. If not a new perspective, at least a new setting and circumstance. And there’s a lot to relish in Dalisay’s vivid prose, which comes from his keen observation of Filipino surroundings and social contexts.
If I’m pressed, I’ll admit that age gap relationships are just weird to me, OK, and seeing them so often in one book sends shivers down my spine. I guess that’s one emotional reaction Dalisay probably didn’t intend for his readers.
Lastly, it took me so long to finish this because the shade of realism the writing prefers borders on stale pessimism.
I’m not looking for Socialist Realism here (sidenote: those are truly hard to look for) but damn I think poor people rarely catch a break in this book. Or, like, have innate characteristics that allow them to change their circumstances slightly better. I guess in a country where mass media over-uses catharsis and fairy tale ending to the point of spiritual subjugation, being real about how poor people are poised to find themselves fucked over is going against the grain.
But as a reading experience, it bums me out. And it kinda reminds me of the intelligentia class’s tendency to either a) over romanticize the poor or b) remove them of agency entirely.
Regardless, Dalisay has humanistic sensibilities. The characters that Dalisay favors (if not with happiness, then with text-space and nuance) have distinct headspaces. As a whole, the book contains fragments of unremarkable lives, and it directs our attention to the currents of meaning that surges, forcefully but quietly, underneath normalcy.
Final thoughts
Each moment in literary culture has a handful of eminent writers. There’s a World Literary Canon, there’s contemporary A-List Authors, and there’s Grand Old Men of Philippine Letters. Jose Dalisay Jr. is among the most distinguished of our present-day Filipino literary scene, and through reading Voyagers and Other Fictions, a reader really can experience one of the best we have today. I think that my approach with the book is as intended—as in, I find that being slow and deliberate allowed me to fully engage with the material, which may have been short, but quite deep.
Favorites: Merlie, Revelations, Under the Dinosaurs
Least Favorites: Pig, Spy Story, Sarcophagus
Didn’t Read: Agcalan Point (boring and draged)
Historical Trauma I Couldn’t Subject Myself To: Heartland
May 15, 2025
This book is a collection of 44 short stories by Jose Dalisay. Like most anthologies, some stories hit harder than others, but overall, I found this to be a strong and memorable collection. I actually picked it up hoping to find a few stories I could use in my high school literature classes—but I ended up reading a lot more than I planned because I genuinely enjoyed it.
Some of my favorites were:
-Spy Story
-The First of our Dead
-Heartland
-Voyager
-The Clarity of Things
Dalisay’s writing is thoughtful and layered. He paints scenes and emotions with vivid language, but he also leaves enough unsaid to let your imagination fill in the gaps. You can’t rush through his stories—they're better when read slowly, with attention. It’s the kind of writing that respects the reader’s intelligence.
Not every story worked for me, and some I found a bit hard to connect with emotionally—but that’s normal in a collection this big. What stood out overall was how grounded the characters felt since this is written in our own Filipino context.
If you enjoy short stories that make you pause and think, this book is worth a try. And if you're a teacher like me, looking for literary pieces that can spark classroom discussions, you'll probably find a few gems here too.
Some of my favorites were:
-Spy Story
-The First of our Dead
-Heartland
-Voyager
-The Clarity of Things
Dalisay’s writing is thoughtful and layered. He paints scenes and emotions with vivid language, but he also leaves enough unsaid to let your imagination fill in the gaps. You can’t rush through his stories—they're better when read slowly, with attention. It’s the kind of writing that respects the reader’s intelligence.
Not every story worked for me, and some I found a bit hard to connect with emotionally—but that’s normal in a collection this big. What stood out overall was how grounded the characters felt since this is written in our own Filipino context.
If you enjoy short stories that make you pause and think, this book is worth a try. And if you're a teacher like me, looking for literary pieces that can spark classroom discussions, you'll probably find a few gems here too.
April 24, 2023
I liked: Agcalan Point, Heartland, Oldtimer, In the Garden, Wok Man, Delivery, At the Booklaunching, Penmanship, and Some Families, Very Large. It’s okay, but I could put it down. I remember R gifting this in 2019 and me bringing this to a beach in Santa Monica back in 2021, and I still only finished now.
January 8, 2024
Fine penmanship
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews