Bibliophile Stalker

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A blog on speculative fiction and my other hobbies such as tabletop RPGs and anime/manga.
URL: http://charles-tan.blogspot.com/
Updated: 54 min 29 sec ago

February 10, 2012 Links and Plugs

Thu, 02/09/2012 - 18:18
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An A–Z of the Fantastic City by Hal Duncan
Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

February 10, 2012 Links and Plugs

Thu, 02/09/2012 - 18:18
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An A–Z of the Fantastic City by Hal Duncan
Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

February 9, 2012 Links and Plugs

Wed, 02/08/2012 - 18:21
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Goblin Fruit Winter 2012
Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

February 87, 2012 Links and Plugs

Tue, 02/07/2012 - 18:54
Signal-boosting Worldbuilders.

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 Under the Moons of Mars edited by John Joseph Adams
Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

February 7, 2012 Links and Plugs

Mon, 02/06/2012 - 18:06
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Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed
Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

February 6, 2012 Links and Plugs

Sun, 02/05/2012 - 17:15
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Eyes Like Leaves by Charles de Lint
Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

February 3, 2012 Links and Plugs

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 19:13
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Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole
Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

February 2, 2012 Links and Plugs

Wed, 02/01/2012 - 19:15
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Clarkesworld February 2012

    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    2012 January World SF Releases

    Wed, 02/01/2012 - 19:00
    I'm attempting to build a database of World SF releases in English--and to a certain extent, work by POC (since there's overlap). This isn't a comprehensive list, so if you have any suggestions or corrections, feel free to comment (which is moderated) and I'll the recommendation to the final list at the end of the year.

    To a certain extent--and there's something ironic in this--I'm basing the list on works first published in the US (when applicable) so these should theoretically qualify for next year's Hugo and Nebula Awards. For translated work, only new translations are included (these don't necessarily qualify for the Hugo).

    Novels (40,000 words or more)
    Anthologies
    • Three Messages and a Warning edited by Eduardo Jiménez Mayo and Chris N. Brown (see Short Stories below)
    • The Weird edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (US eBook now available, US print in May; previously released in 2011 in the UK; see Short Stories and Novella below)
    • Diaspora Ad Astra edited by Joseph F. Nacino (see Short Stories below)
    Novella (17,500 ~ 40,000 words)
    • Interim Goddess of Love by Mina V. Esguerra (eBook)
    • "The Other Side of the Mountain" by Michel Bernanos, translated by Gio Clairval (The Weird)
    Novelette (7,500 ~ 17,500 words)
    Short Stories
    • "The Last Summer" by Ken Liu
    • "What Everyone Remembers" by Rahul Kanakia
    • "Scattered Along the River of Heaven" by Aliette de Bodard
    • "The Stoker Memorandum" by Lavie Tidhar
    • "Birth Story" by Joyce Chng
    • "Remains of the Witch" by Tony Pi
    • "Story with Pictures and Conversation" by Brontops Baruq, translated by Christopher Kastensmidt
    • "Endless Life" by Nadia Bulkin (Phantasmagorium #2)
    • "Under a Mount of Earth" by Celestine Trinidad
    • "The Tower And The Kite" by Matthew Jacob F. Ramos
    • "Recognizing Gabe: un cuento de hadas" by Alberto Yáñez
    • "Cosmic Love" by Harry Markov
    • "Clay, Cast, Cats" by TCA Lakshmi Narasimhan
    • "Maxwell's Demon" by Ken Liu (Fantasy and Science Fiction January/February 2012)
    • "The Guest" by Amparo Davila, translated by Anna Guercio (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Murillo Park" by Agustin Cadena, translated by C.M. Mayo (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Hour of the Fireflies" by Karen Chacek, translated by Michael J. Deluca (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Waiting" by Iliana Estañol, translated by Joanna Tilley (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Hunting Iguanas" by Hernan Lara Zavala, translated by Eduardo Jimenez Mayo (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "1965" by Edmee Pardo, translated by Lesly Betancourt-Gonzalez (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Variation on a Theme of Coleridge" by Alberto Chimal, translated by Chris N. Brown (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Photophobia" by Mauricio Montiel Figueiras, translated by Jen Hofer (The Weird)
    • "The Last Witness to Creation" by Jesus Ramirez Bermudez, translated by Eduardo Jimenez Mayo (The Weird)
    • "Rebellion" by Queta Navagomez, translated by Rebecca Huerta (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Future Perfect" by Gerardo Sifuentes, translated by Chris N. Brown (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Luck Has Its Limits" by Beatriz Escalante, translated by Stephen Jackson (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Stone" by Donaji Olmedo, translated by Emily Eaton (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Trompe-l’œil" by Monica Lavin, translated by Andrea Rosenberg (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Lions" by Bernardo Fernandez, translated by Chris N. Brown (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "A Pile of Bland Desserts" by Yussel Dardon, translated by Osvaldo de la Torre (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Amalgam" by Amelie Olaiz, translated by Armando Garcia (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Nahual Offering" by Carmen Rioja, translated by Emily Eaton (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Pachuca Second Street" by Lucia Abdo, translated by Emily Eaton (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Wittgenstein's Umbrella" by Oscar de la Borbolla, translated by Sara Gilmore (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Mannequin" by Esther M. Garcia, translated by Chris N. Brown (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Mr. Strogoff" by Guillermo Samperio, translated by Steve Vasquez Dolph (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Mediator" by Ana Gloria Alvarez Pedrajo, translated by Anisia Rodriguez (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Pin" by Leo Mendozza, translated by Armando Garcia (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Nereid Future" by Gabriela Damian Miravete, translated by Michael J. Deluca (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Pink Lemonade" by Liliana V. Blum, translated by Toshiya Kamei (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Return of the Night" by Rene Roquet, translated by Armando Garcia (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Three Messages and a Warning in the Same Email" by Ana Clavel, translated by Elsy Jackson (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The President without Organs" by Pepe Rojo, translated by Chris N. Brown (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Transformist" by Horacio Senties Madrid, translated by Eduardo Jimenez Mayo and Jose Alejandro Flores (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Drop" by Claudia Guillen, translated by Leah Leone (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "Wolves" by Jose Luis Zarate, translated by Bernardo Fernandez and Chris N. Brown (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • "The Infamous Juan Manuel" by Bruno Estañol, translated by Anisia Rodriguez (Three Messages and a Warning)
    • “The Dissection” by Georg Heym, translated by Gio Clairval (The Weird)
    • “The Vegetable Man" by Luigi Ugolini, translated by Anna and Brendan Connell (The Weird)
    • "Mister Taylor" by Augusto Monterroso, translated by Larry Nolen (The Weird)
    • "Axolotl" by Julio Cortazar, translated by Gio Clairval (The Weird)
    • "The Ghoulbird" by Claude Seignolle, translated by Gio Clairval (The Weird)
    • "Oplan Sanction" by Alexander Marcos Osias
    • "Ina Dolor's Last Stand"  by Raymond P. Reyes
    • "The Cost of Living" by Vince Torres
    • "A List of Things We Know" by Isabel Yap
    • "The Keeper" by Audrey Rose Villacorta
    • "Ashes/////Embers" by Dannah Ruth S. Ballesteros
    • "Rizal" by Eliza Victoria
    • "Gene Rx" by Katya Oliva-Llego
    • "Robots and a Slice of Pizza" by Raydon L. Reyes
    • "Lucky" by Raven Guerrero
    • "Space Enough and Time" by Anne Lagamayo
    • "Taking Gaia" by Celestine Trinidad
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    February 1, 2012 Links and Plugs

    Tue, 01/31/2012 - 11:45
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     Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    January 31, 2012 Links and Plugs

    Mon, 01/30/2012 - 18:22
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    Darkest Light by Hiromi Goto
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    The Lam-Ang Experiment

    Mon, 01/30/2012 - 06:48

    Mina V. Esguerra, me, and Michael Co

    I was abducted last Saturday to attend The Lam-Ang Experiment announcement (it's a graphic novel by Michael Co) and the Pintakasi celebration (Carljoe Javier is one of the writers for the film).
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    January 30, 2012 Links and Plugs

    Sun, 01/29/2012 - 18:37
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    Skirmish by Michelle West
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    My Room

    Thu, 01/26/2012 - 21:58
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    January 27, 2012 Links and Plugs

    Thu, 01/26/2012 - 18:59
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    The Weird edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    January 26, 2012 Links and Plugs

    Wed, 01/25/2012 - 18:50
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    When We Were Executioners by JM McDermott
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    January 25, 2012 Links and Plugs

    Tue, 01/24/2012 - 11:29
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     Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila by Carlo Vergara
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    January 24, 2012 Links and Plugs

    Mon, 01/23/2012 - 18:33
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     The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    January 23, 2012 Links and Plugs

    Sun, 01/22/2012 - 18:22
    Just plugging IDW's Zombies VS. Robots fiction line.

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    Zombies vs. Robots: Pammi Shaw: Creator of Gods and Also Blogger by Brea Grant
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons

    Comic Review: Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila by Carlo Vergara

    Sun, 01/22/2012 - 10:05

    In retrospect, the original Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah graphic novel — first published a decade ago — was a product of its time. You had a superhero(ine) who was a parody of Darna, who in turn was a derivative of the Captain Marvel formula. The villains spoke in the same tone and inflection as celebrities that's part of the Filipino zeitgeist, and the comic was sprinkled with several pop culture references. But more than just a gag, Carlo Vergara subverted the expectations of what it means to be a successful mainstream title: your lead was a gay superhero, events took place outside of Metro Manila, and the language made good use of both English and Filipino, not simply in the mishmash Tag-lish that was prevalent.

    The challenge of a sequel, especially one which took almost ten years (take note impatient George R.R. Martin fans), is to deliver something that progresses the narrative, instead of simply rehashing the same formula. Vergara could have simply done that, with few people rallying in protest. But Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila, at least the first of what is supposed to be a three-part book (the original was released in two parts), comes out as fresh and daring as the first series was. One trait I admire when it comes to Terry Pratchett is that his writing has evolved over the years: if his initial Discworld books was simply an extended comedy and commentary on the fantasy genre, his later novels include depth and layering that has legs beyond the jokes. That's the case here, as Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila has this sense of gravity that wasn't present in the original. To illustrate the seriousness, the first scene in the book is a monologue by Ada, who recounts his fears and expectations. It isn't a dilemma of how to defeat a super-villain, but rather how to deal with his current relationship, especially in light of his troubled past. The narrative starts out slow and the humor is downplayed early on. Another example of deviated formula is how Zsazsa's iconic costume is not to be seen save for the cover. Instead, the hilarity stems from her improvised outfits. In many ways, it's understandable if fans of the original will be shocked at the sequel: as I said, this is an evolution, rather than simply a rehash of what's come before. These past ten years, I've grown as a reader, the times have changed, and Vergara has "leveled-up" as a writer/artist as well.

    Despite the changes to the comic, Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila retains the essence of what made the original wonderful, with its one-part parody, one-part social commentary, one-part romance, and one-part adventure. There are superhero fights, and there is a memorable scene where Zsazsa, in a chicken costume, fights a giant cockroach with a giant slipper. Class struggles is also a theme in the book, expressed in both explicit and implicit ways. What I appreciate about this comic is how Dodong takes a more prominent role in the narrative, a genuine co-star instead of simply being the McGuffin as he was in the original. And perhaps one of the problems of the portrayal of homosexuals in the Philippines is for the past few decades, it's revolved around one archetype: the flamboyant gay man. Dodong is a stark contrast to that model and hopefully becomes part of changing public perception.

    When it comes to art, what's great about Vergara is he understands what makes a great comic work, and puts it into practice. One weakness, for example, of many local artists is how a lot of their artwork is covered by either dialogue or text boxes, especially when they underestimate how lengthy the Filipino language can be. That's not the case here, even when monologues are long. Vergara knows panel structure, and his four horizontal panel framework is well utilized. One good example of this is how the panel-less pages leave no room for ambiguity when it comes to reading direction. Where I'm skeptical is when Vergara switches to his "humor art", the equivalent of super-deformed characters in manga. That's not to say that I'm convinced on its effectiveness, but considering the default style Vergara uses, it can be jolting instead of a seamless experience. I'm on the fence with this one, and probably needs more deliberation on my part. There is also the question of cover design, for while I understand the rationale behind the retro look, it's also a far cry from the content of the comic.

    Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila is a complex beast and might well be one of the most important comic releases for the year. Carlo Vergara is attempting to outdo himself and so far, he's on the right track.
    Categories: Blogs, D20 General Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons