Tales For A Rainy Season: A Collection of 11 Horror Stories

by Wincy Aquino Ong

In Tales For A Rainy Season, Wincy Aquino Ong brings a uniquely Filipino-flavored spin on the horror genre, and the frights come at you like an apocalyptic weather report.

In this collection of eleven stories, Ong takes you through the corners of Manila and brings you fresh new monsters that come knocking on rain-speckled windows.

Step inside a watery hellscape where mysterious canisters fall from the sky ("Fumes"), a mer-woman terrorises a family during a typhoon ("Delubyo"), an ex-convict discovers the magical properties of consecrated clay ("Angels In The Mud"), a socialite gets abducted by a buffalo-faced vigilante ("Beware This Dark-Eyed Observer"), and animals grow new appendages ("Thumbs").

This anthology also finds Ong dipping his toe into literary pastiche and detective fiction in "The Ophthalmologist's Case", where Sherlock Holmes meets his most peculiar client yet—Dr. Jose Rizal.

Evocative, haunting, and deliciously macabre, this collection is best consumed in the dark of a rainy day.

___

Wincy Gerard Aquino Ong is a Filipino musician, director, actor, writer, illustrator, and podcaster. Tales For A Rainy Season is his first collection of fiction.

Genres: Horror

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2020

About the author

Wincy Aquino Ong is a Filipino author, illustrator, musician, director, actor, and podcaster.

He is mostly known as a songwriter for the bands Narda, Us-2 Evil-0 and Patience Dear Juggernaut, the director behind the films San Lazaro and Overtime, and an actor in the TV series Rakista. He is also the co-host of the podcast, The Telebabad Tapes.

He has written for various publications such as The Philippine Star, Esquire, Northern Living, 8list.ph, Windowseat.ph, amongst others. His first published short story appeared in Neil Gaiman's Expeditions Prose Vol. 1, The Philippine Graphic / Fiction Awards.

He wrote the liner notes for the Eraserhead's Circus limited edition vinyl release.

He currently resides in Makati, with his wife Cj de Silva, and their two cats Andres and Max.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this on a whim at Solidaridad, a storied bookshop in Manila. It's a wonderful collection that not only takes the reader into some of the creepiest, steamiest parts of the Philippines, but is also full of frank insight on the social and economic anxieties that plague the country.

[Tricia Villanueva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror is not my favorite genre but I found myself absorbed and afraid in the different seemingly mundane but actually terrifying worlds in this short story collection, which I read almost only on rainy nights and aptly finished on All Saints' Day. The Sherlock Holmes x Jose Rizal rivalry in "The Ophthalmologist's Case" is genius. "The Bountiful" scared me so bad I abandoned it mid-story hehe. After reading "Thumbs", I would check the inside of my tumbler before drinking because there might be tiny jellyfish swimming inside.

Thank you for your work and for putting the "cared" in "scared" @wincyaquinoong @talesforarainyseason 🙌

[Dianna ☾midnight reads☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

rtc

[Sheena Forsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 16th read from my Filipino TBR so far this year. My New Year resolution of 2025 was to read more stories by Filipinos because I hadn’t read much from my mom’s home country. I wish I’d made a note of where I found this recommendation, but to whoever it was: Thank you.

It seems fitting that my copy picked up a bit of water damage on its way from the Philippines to Norway. Also seems fitting that the wintery rain of Norway followed me into the night when I first cracked this book open for an extra layer of atmosphere.
-This book went through a lot to get to me (glad it dried out nicely) and it wasn’t easy getting a hold of this out of print collection; and that’s a shame because rarely do I come across such zeitgeist reading material. It needs to go back into print in the light of this year’s news coming out from the Philippines and the rampant corruption that has seen people so utterly unprotected against floods. The rainy season is what ties these stories together; sometimes the weather serves as a character of its own, other times it’s but a backdrop to the tale. Love the concept. Furthermore, the real gem found at the core of this writing is how Ong marries the more classically horrific against very real societal issues that’s been hounding Filipinos: be it corrupt politicians or the obsession and worship of celebrities (and purity). There’s also an underlying gentleness to a lot of these stories: Parents trying to protect their children from their mistakes, men unsure of how to handle their impending fatherhood, ex-criminals hoping to better themselves. I enjoyed this read and I hope I’ll be able to read more stories by this author in the future (and that future books make it unscathed through seasonal weather changes).
——————————-
I’ve added an overview of the stories below (and marked my favorites with an “*”). If you have yet to read the collection for yourself, I’d recommend not reading past this point because of light spoilers.

-Beware This Dark-Eyed Observer:
The spoiled daughter of a corrupt politician finds herself abducted and visited by what her kidnapper refers to as “three ghosts” and punished. Reading this felt oddly zeitgeist after the revealing articles coming out of the Phils about the latest flood control projects (or rather; the corrupt people who scurried away with the money that was supposed to fund this)

-The Altar:
A faltering starlet of a fantasy series has gone missing while in rehab. Before she disappeared she spoke of an ominous raincoat-wearing figure who’d rap on her windows. The visage was assumed by all to be hallucinations until she disappeared. Friends eventually follow her tracks deep into the forest of the Devil’s Mountain (Mount Cristobal) and signs eventually point to this being the work of a crazed fan with the weird statues littering the forest & altar dedicated the missing woman.

-And Then Came the Trumpeter:
A vignette about a security guard who goes to check on a noisy car only to find the day of reckoning.

-Delubyo:*
The surviving father & daughter of a typhoon & flooding are trapped in their house with rising water and the bodies of his two dead children. A creature seeking vengeance circles them as they await rescue. Parental horror will always be one of my favorite subgenres and this ticks all the boxes for me.

-The Ophthalmologist’s Case:
Jack the Ripper is stalking the East End of London while Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson find their paths crossing that of Jose Rizal. Soon convinced that Rizal is the serial killer they seek, a game of cat and mouse ensues; one that will only end in humiliation for one party.

-Fantasma Vol. 3: Sounds From a Dark Gallery:*
A man manages to track down an evasive and infamous record of haunted house sounds (possibly snuff recording, if such a thing exists) & heads to a secluded house to secure the deal. As with many items of infamy, this one is also best left alone; a realization our MC eventually also comes to. But by then it’s far too late. This reminded me of a story I love written by John Hornor Jacobs (albeit with a distinct Filipino tint). Great cosmic vibes.

-The Bountiful:*
A washed-up musician is dragged into a nefarious cult seemingly built around cure-all supplements when his former band mate shows up. As it turns out, things are far worse than he imagined & way more personal than he could have guessed. I’m partial to all things balete trees & this story also introduced me to a part of Thai mythology I wasn’t aware of.

-Appetite of a Deity:
A young woman lets herself get whisked away to a secluded cabin with a bearded man. She gradually discovers that it’s a cabin she can’t escape & the question remains: ought she even leave it?

-The Whip:
An office rat spends the good part of his work days sifting through morbid articles & gets hung up on a death. Unfortunately he’s about to share more with that victim than he could have foreseen.

-Angels in the Mud:*
An ex-convict looks for the loot his cell-mate confessed to having buried in order to finance a procedure that might save his eyesight. Unfortunately, so is the bully son of the deceased. I loved the inclusion of a gangster antig-antig and golem-vibes.

-Thumbs: *
A woman wakes up to a loss of function of her thumbs, equally disturbing: her cat seems to be growing hands. It’s all downhill from there as no animal seems untouched by whatever is going on which might very well be apocalyptic in nature.

-Fumes:
1980s Manila: A video store clerk and his crush have barricaded themselves in the shop while the world outside seems to be coming to a dramatic end. A gas is turning people who inhale it violent. Probably the most sentimental story of the lot and quite a sweet ending to the darker parts of this collection.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the honor of meeting Wincy for my book club, and I am absolutely happy that he was very receptive with all of our feedback. I've written notes on my copy, and so it is time for me to transcribe them for Goodreads. I will begin with individual reviews on each stories, ranked from least favorite to most favorite, then I will end the review with my over-arching thoughts.

Individual Reviews
12. Beware This Dark-Eyed Observer (1/5)
To me, this was the weakest story as the execution was quite messy, and the conclusion of the story was weak. Characters and events pop up through-out the story but don't relly culminate to anything in the end, leaving little to no room for the reader to fully invest in the characters and the story. Personally, I was also thrown off by the strange addition of the sexualization of 7th grader girls, which didn't really contribute anything to the story in my opinion.

11. Thumbs (1/5)
I finished the story feeling confused on what I read. The story came off as something that is better off watched, than read, as the narration was quite lackluster.

10. The Altar (1/5)
Narration is also quite lackluster in this story. The story was written in different POVs of different characters, but the transition between these different perspectives were quite mediocre, which made the story less appealing. Things that seemed to be important were only mentioned once, only to be never expounded on again, which contributed to how the story felt 'incomplete'.

9. And Then Came The Trumpeter (2/5)
The story had an interesting premise, but overall I did find the story too short. Had there been more exposition especially on Israfil, I think I'd be able to enjoy the story more.

8. Appetite Of A Deity (2/5)
The story is scary in the sense that becoming a cannibal for your own meat is "scary", but I believe the execution was not satisfactory. The narration was quite confusing to me and I found that I needed to re-read a lot to comprehend the plot.

7. Delubyo (3/5)
The story had an interesting concept; there was enough mystery and enough exposition not to make the mystery feel "contrived". I thought that the dialogue here was quite weak, however.

6. Fumes (3/5)
I didn't really have any strong feelings on this story; overall, I thought this was a good culminating story for the book as it's quite typical of the rest of the stories in the series. I wish there were more exposition on the events of the story, like why are the cannisters falling, what are its impacts, etc . Without this exposition, I felt that the terror of the events fell flat.

5. The Bountiful (3/5)
I really liked the set-up and premise (MLMs truly are modern horror). The build-up of the story was promising, but the ending was not.

4. The Ophthalmologist's Case (3/5)
It's clear how much research went into this particular story. I do think that the "Britishisms" can come off as contrived, but it does contribute to the extensive research and immersion the author performed to complete the story. Personally, I do not think the plot raveled in a satisfactory, substantial way. The premise was interesting, but the execution was lackluster. And I personally also thought, that the motivations behind Rizal's action was weak, which made the story slightly unsatisfying for me.

3. Angels In The Mud (4/5)
I think any reader could guess that this is the author's favorite work and it does show. There wasn't anything 'supernatural' in the story, unlike most of the stories. I also thought the narration was better in this story versus the rest. The story was set in a more "commonplace" setting, but it is not a bad thing. Rather, I thought it was nice as it allowed me to gain more insights about the main character rather than losing that opportunity because the story felt rushed. Speaking of rushing however, I do think the ending was kind of unsatisfactory as the way I see it, the ending can essentially be attributed to "Acts of God". I'd love a more sinister ending.

2. Fantasma Vol. 3: Sounds From A Dark Gallery (4/5)
I thought this was a very promising story, but it did show that descriptive writing is not necessarily the author's strongest suit for now. Had there been more narration and description on the horrors of the story, the quality of the story would be amplified.

1. The Whip (5/5)
This story is my favorite of all. The narration offers enough suspense, and the takeaway is very introspective. I'd like to see more of a deep dive on the horrors of the story, but I do think the ambiguity is permissible as the horrors of the story may be just a manifestation of the characters' guilt rather than an actual, evil entity.

Overall Review
Overall, I appreciate the creativity of the author as a lot of the horrors in the anthology were set in modern times, which made the content more relatable. I noticed that the author tried his best to stray away from typical horror tropes found in Filipino entertainment, which was great. The author did share that he's working on another volume of this anthology, and for that anthology, I would love to see more descriptive, detailed narration to fully immerse the readers in the horrors that the author is trying to portray.

I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to read more local works, especially in the realm of horror.

[Jefferson Lexus Jonson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The macabre always had my fascination. Although there’s the fascination in me, horror always had me cower above sheets. I was never one who would invite a date to a horror film nor a group of friends to watch something like "Paranormal Activities" or "Shake, Rattle, and Roll." My imagination runs wild after the tale. The suspension of disbelief stays and the act of going to the bathroom to relieve myself on a midnight becomes a chore for tomorrow. Still, however, I find the horrific as interesting it teases my mind, my fantasies.

In Wincy Aquino Ong’s 12 short story collection, “Tales for a Rainy Season,” he brought more than the fright of being alone, the whisper of an unknown wind on the nape as the monsoon continues to terrorize the life outside—amid that specific coldness, he brought the warmth in the heart on these tales. Granted, still, keeping the creeps and the mystery in each scene.

The horror’s I’ve experienced in some of the tales are bodily—that I knew the specific feeling a character has heard or felt in a particular scene, as if I’ve learned synesthesia on my own.

Take for example “And Then Came the Trumpeter” where a security guard sees a suspicious motor vehicle unceasingly blaring its horns at one in the morning. I knew the exact fright when the driver turns to him, grins in such a humane way only to witness an eyeball in the sky the size of the sun.

Then there’s this easy favorite “Fantasma Vol 3: Sounds from a Dark Gallery,” the story was superbly done, meticulous on the details regarding the experience of the album. I have to search in Google to prove to myself that the record was not real and just part of the story. I hear the exact sound of the women screaming while being stabbed, it made my hair crawl.

The heart of the collection, perhaps, lie on “The Opthalmologist’s Case” in which Ong played on the what if Rizal had met Sherlock Holmes and another legend in which it pitted Rizal as Jack the Ripper. While the tale is inconclusive on who the real murderer, it was satisfying to read Rizal outsmarting and humbling Sherlock Holmes.

In between these are other stories spectacle as they present Manila in another light, another mythos. Ong masterfully captured the shadows that is gripping of its reader’s attention, securing a page turner for each story.

As the author suggests that aside from fire, a good alternative to sharing good stories is water, then by all means, let it rain.

[BooksFromTheVoid · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯."
.
.
The rainy season began here in the Philippines over a week ago, and what a fitting time to read 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝘼 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 by Wincy Aquino Ong. It's a collection of twelve short horror stories connected to the element of rain.

Among the twelve stories in this, I find the first few ones a hit or miss. But once it hits the story 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵'𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦, it picks up from there and the subsequent stories are good and the collection finishes strongly. There are creepy imagery from those stories that stick out to me, especially the "tree" with a face from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 and the man hitting himself with a whip in the dark hallway of an office from the story, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘱. 

Here are my top three faves from this collection (in no particular order) :

1.) 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵'𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦 - Sherlock Holmes and Jose Rizal (our National Hero) meets in 221b Baker Street during the height of Jack the Ripper Murders.

2.) 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘢 𝘝𝘰𝘭. 3: 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘈 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺 - a sound engineer searches for the illusive 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘢, a sound effects collection that's said to be a recording of someone being stabbed to death.

3.) 𝘍𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘴 - in the late 1980s, as mysterious cannisters started to fall from the sky, two civilians take shelter inside a Betamax store as chaos ensues around them.

Go get a warm cup of coffee, turn the ACs high up, tuck yourself in bed as it rains hard outside and the thunder crackles in the distance, and get 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝘼 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣. It is the perfect read for the cool, gloomy weather.

[Roan Herasta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of Horror Stories and Wincy Aquino Ong's Tales for a Rainy Season top it all.

It was beautifully written. It gives a vivid imagination and a new breath of elements especially the grotesque scenes. It will definitely, give you the unexpected twists.
It felt like Wincy Aquino Ong is a Filipino version of Junji Ito.

I loved how the places in the Philippines are incorporated in the stories and the culture, the corruption, even the Filipino Folklores/legends. It is what makes it more relatable and horrifying.

My favorites ones are I loved the Altar, Beware of this Dark-Eyed Observer, The Bountiful, and Angels in The Mud.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess you can tell if you’ve read a good short story if they leave you wondering long after you’ve finished it. What’s make it great is when the writer has laid enough groundwork for the reader to know about the characters, their upbringing, their desires, without turning it into a novel. As the the monsoon season starts here in the Philippines, I am reminded how the rain sets the mood for each story, and I can’t help but think about the characters, I hope they all make it.

P.S. My head went numb in The Ophthalmologist’s Case.

[Bam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wincy Aquino Ong's storytelling is straightforward yet he effectively captures the reader's imagination. With elements that are all too familiar with the Filipinos such as super typhoons, anting-anting (amulet), corrupt government officials, land-grabbing companies, cult-like networking scams, and more, this book gives us local readers that sense of familiarity, while at the same time we're inching closer and closer to the unknown.

While not all of the stories in the book had that lasting effect on me, reading through the book was an easy feat as it just kept me immersed with all the uncanny events that lie in every page.

[Martin Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

The prose in this collection, while rooted in a genre I am not entirely accustomed to, felt strikingly familiar which speaks a lot about its accessibility and craftsmanship. And Then Came the Trumpeter, Delubyo, and The Ophthalmologist's Case emerged as personal favorites. But these might be due to my inclination toward narratives that amplify their stakes to encompass an almost existential scale.

And Then Came the Trumpeter is a masterclass in restraint, skillfully rendering a cosmic horror tale within the constraints of its word count. The economy of its prose does not diminish its power. It magnifies it. Perhaps this is what I like about flash fiction as well, it gives us enough but leaves room for the reader's imagination.

On the other hand, Angels in the Mud elicited an entirely different reaction, it evoked a visceral discomfort, the kind that made my skin crawl. Yet, in a horror anthology, this is precisely its strength.

I actually read the book around August/September, when it rained almost everyday. And I must say, the title of this anthology is nothing short of appropriate.

As for The Ophthalmologist's Case, the story that features both Sherlock Holmes and a fictionalized Dr. Jose Rizal, there was a point where I was convinced that I was actually reading Arthur Conan Doyle. The replication of his narrative style is an achievement, though I found myself wanting a different ending, not to say that the one we got was unsatisfying.

If I were to voice a longing within this anthology, it would be for a more pronounced exploration of Filipino folklore and superstitions. While the collection offers glimpses, I found myself craving stories that delve into these cultural elements with greater depth. Perhaps tales that deconstruct or reinterpret familiar beliefs, turning them into something contemporary.

Ultimately, however, these are purely subjective longings. Objectively speaking, it is a great book, accessible even to those with no prior experience reading horror or works by Filipino authors.

[Cho Timbol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tales For A Rainy Season has a couple of good stories but falls flat for the most part.

***

Makati horror noir and urban legends set in Manila take center stage in this anthology by Wincy Aquino Ong. The two best stories are Here Comes the Trumpeter, a clever take on an apocalyptic legend, and The Whip, about a freeloader with an unhealthy interest in gruesome news stories.

Both stories are set in Makati stripped of its central business district glitter, and painted instead with an ominous sheen. In Ong's best stories, Makati is drenched and disintegrating, its condominiums decaying, its employees disillusioned. Is this horror anthology a commentary on Makati as a cold, heartless financial district? Maybe, but I won't give it too much credit.

The stories here are reminiscent of Erik Matti's unsuccessful movies. The narratives start out interesting, but quickly get lost in ridiculous plots that disengage the reader.

The writing is unremarkable as well. These stories give off a sense that they are better drawn or filmed than written down. Maybe there's a reason for that: Ong is also a songwriter, illustrator, podcaster, and director. Maybe this anthology would have been better off as a series of horror shorts on YouTube.

All told, the best part of this book is the cover art, which Ong designed with his wife, CJ de Silva. With the barest of images, the cover art conveys dread, which unfortunately cannot be said of the stories themselves.

[Cecille · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 of 5 stars

[Darren Sy · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good reads

[Bernard Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

#BernardReads | BOOK REVIEW 📚

TALES FOR A RAINY SEASON by Direk Wincy Ong ☔

“... there are stories best consumed on a rainy day.”

It was March, summer season is just in the corner. I apologized for the author for reading this in the wrong season. Haha.

I bought this book last #MIBF2023 and I've met the author personally. I've searched about him after and learned that he's actually a songwriter and involved in directing which actually shows in this book with it cinematic scenes and rhythmic pacing.

This #horroranthology already caught my attention because of it's high concept as I read the blurb at that back, very #Pinoy experience yet with twists that I myself as a storyteller as well, envied about Direk Ong.

Here are my short reviews for each short stories:

⛈️ Beware This Dark-Eyed Observer
Writing style is full of descriptive words but very Pinoy in taste due to cultural influences. It's as if I'm watching a Filipino version of a Black Mirror episode.

Like #BlackMirror, we got to see characters with grey morality, tackling about justice, and social issues but with gruesome narration for the horror element.

The gore and bloody scenes were actually not the most scary about these stories, it's the dread feeling after reading, of what would happen to the characters and why.
Though, there are some typos and I believe, the description can still be fine-tuned to be effective.

⛈️ The Altar
I liked this more. Although it could improve with clarity. And nakakabitin. Like it beg for more explorations. The integration of modern sensibilities and the supernatural is lit.

⛈️ And Then Came the Trumpeter
When I'm already invested, it ended. This shortest enrtry was laid evenly at the start but then ended abruptly. It had the effect of dread as well for what would happen next which we'll never know.

⛈️ Delubyo
The short pace is effective here as it tells a story of a tragic family. I don't know why most horror stories are about families stricken with tragedy over tragedy and it's just sad.
Yet, I wanna know more about the villain, the water creature. I get to imagine it by myself due to lack of specific descriptions which is not a bad thing.

⛈️ The Opthalmologist's Case
When #JoseRizal meets #SherlockHolmes amidst the Jack the Ripper serial case! What a compelling premise that surely will captivate reader's mind and would be a favorite take for anyone. This one was well-written and well-thought out. I don't want spoil anything but this is a must-read for any enthusiasts of these great minds. As always, Watson as the narrator was an effective storytelling technique as if Direk Ong was possessed by Sir Doyle. I'm not entirely sure as I haven't read any original materials of Sherlock Holmes though. Anyway, this is entertaining to read.

⛈️ Fantasma
One thing I noticed is that the author plays different urban legends that we are aware of then make some unexpected twists.

Trigger warning for readers because of sensitive topics tackled in this book.

This one, is not scary but more of an unfortunate take. Yet the writing style make it more entertaining.

⛈️ The Bountiful
This one is really scary though cause it's both realistic yet far from reality. The author once again used familiar Pinoy elements and make a great twist.

⛈️ Appetite of a Deity
Just like the previous one, there's some ambiguity and mystery behind the story. Like the gore itself is scary, but more scary is if the happenings are real or only in the head of the character we're following.

⛈️ The Whip
One of the common themes for this book is on portraying humanity's flaws in morality. But in this short story, the ending was unexpected. It's a mishmash again of certain #Pinoyurbanlegends with some twists.

⛈️ Angels in the Mud
I think this was the longest or at least the second longest short story in this anthology and the one that I can say majorly spent in realistic protrayal of an excon finding a lost treasure. It's like a retelling of Nardong Putik. The supernatural element is so minimal I thought I'm reading a dark tale biography of someone. It's scary in a sense that the main character suffered a lot of tragic and unfortunate events... in details.

⛈️ Thumbs
A short apocalyptic take about humans and animals, so short I was looking for more details, explanation, and descriptions.

⛈️ Fumes
Another 80s nostalgic nerdy version of apocalypse with a cat.

Overall, this one will scare you to bones with much loved for Pinoy urban legends and the macabre.

#bookreview #wincyong #talesforarainyseason

[Cassandra Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was planning (all week) to post this review today, not knowing a crazy storm was brewing (and that it's actually the 13th anniversary of Tyhoon Ondoy tomorrow)...but, here we are.

Wincy Aquino Ong's 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 is a collection of 12 short stories depicting the dark, twisted, and macabre -- but are still rooted in various socio-economic scenarios, which makes it a smart and entertaining read.

While "The Opthalmologist's Case" (featuring Sherlock Holmes and Jose Rizal) is in the forefront of this, I do have my own personal favorites, and these are:

🌧Delubyo. Set during Typhoon Ketsana (aka Ondoy), this is about a sea creature that made its way into a family's life, and what it brought and took from them. I'm always drawn to anything set during Ondoy, mostly bec that's the first typhoon that I truly experienced (to the point that we saw dead people on the ground), so I know there were so many horrors from that day -- both seen and unseen.

🌧The Bountiful. Ahh, luck and capitalism. These things are never really fair. I think we're all familiar with networking and MLM scams -- so this one is easy to get into. (but of course, this one comes with a twist!all of them do)

🌧Fantasma Vol 3. This has been my favorite ever since I read this book on Kindle during the early days of the Pandemic, and it's still the best one for me, to this day. It tells the story of a sought-after record, set in the terrains of San Mateo. Reminds me of backmasking and the scary stories about various songs (esp in the 90s).

🌧Fumes. Has that Stranger Things / San Junipero / insert any other 80s inspired thing here. Very post-apocalyptic, but also nostalgic.

I'll stop here before I even spoil anything lol, but this is me telling you to read this collection, esp if you are into dystopia, sci-fi, horror, or even history. It's truly the perfect companion for those rainy nights (such as this one).

[LA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this book serves as a personal representation of the author's "fears" manifested through stories that we as Filipinos can truly relate to. I for one enjoyed how each story was thoughtfully placed in such a way that we can adapt to the dynamics of the book. Each story serves as a testament to the levels of horror one can imagine. From subtle Fumes, graphic Appetite Of A Deity, and intricate The Ophthalmologist Case, each has its own way of giving fright. Overall, I would definitely read again this book in search of small details that I could have missed. Except for the "rain" of course.

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read during rainy days (bawat kuwento may ulan) at ngayong Spooktober. Refreshing lang basahin yung mga horror stories na may mga bagong monsters tulad ng mga kulto ng MLM, haunted vinyl, mga drum from outer space (o kung saan man sila galing). Bilang millenial sobrang nakakatuwa makabasa ng mga terms na pamilyar sa akin tulad ni Fuma Ley Ar, yung oras sa RPN-9, Rental shop ng mga VHS/Betamax. Favorite kong kuwento dito ay yung Fantasma Vol. 3: Sounds from a Dark Gallery :)

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found all of the stories entertaining in their own way.

[Julie Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The details of some of the stories are so familiar yet so absurd. Feels like Im reading Gaiman tales sometimes. Great bedtime stories!

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think some endings to these stories had me scratching my head a bit or left me hanging in a way I can't articulate. But each story felt wildly different from the others which made me excited to pick it up again. The Sherlock x Rizal story alone is worth the read!

[RT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got really good Animatrix vibes from this one.

As expected of anthologies, not every story will appeal equally. I didn't expect the Jose Rizal story to be an absolute fever dream, though.