True Philippine Ghost Stories
October 28, 2021 9:34 AM Subscribe
Romano Santos (Vice, 10/27/2021), "Remembering the Thrill of Reading 'True Philippine Ghost Stories'": "'Very chilling stories, indeed. I can't imagine ever seeing someone's doppelgänger. But for sure, I am not looking forward to seeing mine,' Mendoza said. As gripping as these stories are, she believes the books offer something much deeper than an easy scare." True Philippine Ghost Stories #1 [Internet Archive].
Nice collection, thanks for linking it. Hadn't heard of the phrase 'comfort room' used for bathroom before. Interesting to see some of the difference in characters that populate these stories compared to western ghost stories, depending on the storytellers being colonisees or colonisers.
If you haven't clicked in yet: there are mildly creepy pictures every few pages, but nothing that made me (a scaredycat of the supernatural) jump, though it helps that I'm reading this in broad daylight.
There are one or two instances of pretty outdated language/ideas (a racial term & gay villain character) but otherwise nothing offensive (one chinese girl described as having 'ch*nky eyes' (Model), and in one story a villain is referred to as 'the lesbian' despite it having no relevance to the story (The House that Cries in the Night)).
CW for a few stories involving death by suicide (The House of the Unholy & Message from Two Lovers), and one involving a sexual assault (not graphic) in The House of the Unholy.
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 5:55 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you haven't clicked in yet: there are mildly creepy pictures every few pages, but nothing that made me (a scaredycat of the supernatural) jump, though it helps that I'm reading this in broad daylight.
There are one or two instances of pretty outdated language/ideas (a racial term & gay villain character) but otherwise nothing offensive (one chinese girl described as having 'ch*nky eyes' (Model), and in one story a villain is referred to as 'the lesbian' despite it having no relevance to the story (The House that Cries in the Night)).
CW for a few stories involving death by suicide (The House of the Unholy & Message from Two Lovers), and one involving a sexual assault (not graphic) in The House of the Unholy.
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 5:55 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
Maybe also of note, the editor and several contributors seem to have been journalists associated with The Manila Times and/or CNN Philippines.
posted by Wobbuffet at 6:30 PM on October 28, 2021
posted by Wobbuffet at 6:30 PM on October 28, 2021
Philippine Mythology is complicated. They share some culture/ghosts from Indonesia and Malaysia, but it's diversified throughout the islands. Kulintang music is something.
posted by ovvl at 6:37 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by ovvl at 6:37 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
Thanks for posting this - Southeast Asia as a whole is really big on ghosts and there’s a similar iconic series in Singapore. I remember going to the bookstore and reading these in a corner when I was a kid. Seeing the Filipino version does bring back memories.
posted by pandanpanda at 11:26 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by pandanpanda at 11:26 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
This is awesome, I love pulp horror!
posted by lkc at 12:10 AM on October 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by lkc at 12:10 AM on October 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
« Older "They left the sukkah standing when they fled." | there’s no mistaking it—we’ve got a glory hole on... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by glasseyes at 2:05 PM on October 28, 2021 [1 favorite]