fire_red67's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Stories from this book came from one of my literature classes. That got me interested in reading the book. And I am not disappointed of what I have gained from it.
kermetanoia's review
5.0
Most of the stories were a thrill to read and I'm sure they're going to stay in my mind for a time. I also really love the feel and look of the cover.
earlapvaldez's review
4.0
I think this is the first collection of Alfar that I didn't like as a whole. Some short stories here just does not strike at the heart or to any of my sentiments, although there were some that are great.
mxleigh's review
5.0
This is my first acquaintance with Philippine speculative fiction. Alfar is a gift!
mariaellabetos's review
3.0
So ganito pala ang speculative fiction~
Some are really good, but the others are just meh, I tried myself getting to the end of it. Some stories are forgetrable, others are ZOMG SHOCKING and worthy to remember.
The first story is really good though. He's like doing a Neil Gaiman mood, bleak, dark, and a personification of those we see everyday as commuters.
Some are really good, but the others are just meh, I tried myself getting to the end of it. Some stories are forgetrable, others are ZOMG SHOCKING and worthy to remember.
The first story is really good though. He's like doing a Neil Gaiman mood, bleak, dark, and a personification of those we see everyday as commuters.
sondershelf's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
"We Filipinos like to imagine that we are all the same when the truth is we are all different despite our commonalities, preferring to stick to the circumscribed areas of the familiar. It takes disasters to get us together momentarily--an earthquake or a super typhoon that devastates distant provinces--before we retreat, convinced we have done our part."
"I think this country deliberately remains partially mired in its past, where it can admire its imagined zenith"
Short stories I enjoyed from this collection:
-A Field Guide to the Roads of Manila
-Notes on an Ascent
-City Crossing
-Glove and the Goggles
-This is the Story
As a fan of speculative fiction, these collection of stories were a delight to read. Especially during the current time of the pandemic, these stories present images of the metropolitan that is beating and alive. Contrasting to today's abandoned and liminal settings it has been reduced to.
eleennaeisloved's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
miss_annette's review
3.0
I feel a little let down because there’s no touch of whimsy I’ve come to expect from a Dean Francis Alfar’s book. But don’t let that discourage you from picking up this book. The magic is still there.
theultmtfangirl's review
3.0
Rating is the average of all the stories combined.
I genuinely enjoyed most of the stories in this, but the others were a bit of a drag. (Hence, the long time frame it took me to finish this book.
The stories I enjoyed the most, wanted more, and highly recommend are:
- A Field Guide to Roads of Manila
- Godfathers
- Notes on an Ascent
- City Crossing
I do have to say that while I took the time to ingest Dean Francis Alfar's writing style, the speculative fiction he wrote is delightful, morbid, and genuinely interesting.
TWs (trigger warning): rape, abuse, death (for different stories)
I genuinely enjoyed most of the stories in this, but the others were a bit of a drag. (Hence, the long time frame it took me to finish this book.
The stories I enjoyed the most, wanted more, and highly recommend are:
- A Field Guide to Roads of Manila
- Godfathers
- Notes on an Ascent
- City Crossing
I do have to say that while I took the time to ingest Dean Francis Alfar's writing style, the speculative fiction he wrote is delightful, morbid, and genuinely interesting.
TWs (trigger warning): rape, abuse, death (for different stories)
dee2799d's review
4.0
I always love reading Dean Alfar's short stories. I NEVER know what I'm gonna feel at the end of them (always satisfied, but whether I'd be sad or happy remains to be seen). So when I saw copies of this in the Book Fair, I knew I had to buy one. Even though I promised myself no new books until I've cleared my to-read pile.
Kinda nitpicky comment, but I do wish 'Goggles and Gloves' wasn't one of the stories near the end of the collection, though. Like, I have nothing against steampunk set in countries other than the British Empire (I used to be doubtful, but [a: Cherie Priest|221253|Cherie Priest|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1405811775p2/221253.jpg] crushed all those doubts to bits). Anyway, my problem with 'Googles and Gloves' isn't that it's steampunk (Christ, I'm excited to read a Filipino steampunk story), but because I felt it would work better as a novella or even a novel.
We get the island of Maharlika, a thriving place with booming trade, putting up a Shield when war broke out in order to repel the invaders. Men were needed to keep this Shield working, and so those who lost their jobs when Maharlika closed off its ports were forced to work underground as miners. So far, so good.
Why did I think it was weak (as a short story) then, and should probably be put in the middle of the book? Well, I was expecting someone from the story to wonder what the fuck the nobles (or whatever governing body Maharlika has) are doing overground, someone to express some doubt about the backbreaking dangerous job (and people DID indeed die), someone to question the status quo. But because there was a foreign invader, we forget the bad governing system and bad political decisions and choose to fight only to survive. It's a story of survival, but only that. I'd be happy to see more stories in this world.
In other news, 'Steps' is beautiful, unexpected, haunting, and made me cry. Easily my favourite in this collection.
Kinda nitpicky comment, but I do wish 'Goggles and Gloves' wasn't one of the stories near the end of the collection, though. Like, I have nothing against steampunk set in countries other than the British Empire (I used to be doubtful, but [a: Cherie Priest|221253|Cherie Priest|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1405811775p2/221253.jpg] crushed all those doubts to bits). Anyway, my problem with 'Googles and Gloves' isn't that it's steampunk (Christ, I'm excited to read a Filipino steampunk story), but because I felt it would work better as a novella or even a novel.
We get the island of Maharlika, a thriving place with booming trade, putting up a Shield when war broke out in order to repel the invaders. Men were needed to keep this Shield working, and so those who lost their jobs when Maharlika closed off its ports were forced to work underground as miners. So far, so good.
Why did I think it was weak (as a short story) then, and should probably be put in the middle of the book? Well, I was expecting someone from the story to wonder what the fuck the nobles (or whatever governing body Maharlika has) are doing overground, someone to express some doubt about the backbreaking dangerous job (and people DID indeed die), someone to question the status quo. But because there was a foreign invader, we forget the bad governing system and bad political decisions and choose to fight only to survive. It's a story of survival, but only that. I'd be happy to see more stories in this world.
In other news, 'Steps' is beautiful, unexpected, haunting, and made me cry. Easily my favourite in this collection.
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