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Seroks #1
Seroks, Iteration 1: Mirror Man
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Seroks, Iteration 1: Mirror Man, is the first in a series of short fiction collections set in the dystopic future world which was first seen in the Palanca Award-winning short story "Kaming Mga Seroks” by David Hontiveros.
In this Iteration, paired with the singular artistic sensibilities of Alan Navarra, Hontiveros continues to explore this clone-littered world where everything is a commodity, and everything can be pirated, even people. A world where the truth is ugly and a fake can be a hero.
FOR SECURITY, MANUAL LABOR, OR SEX!
CHOOSE FROM A WIDE VARIETY WHILE STOCKS ARE AVAILABLE!
CALL ARNEL AT 09108-SEROKS
Seroks, Iteration 1: Mirror Man, is the first in a series of short fiction collections set in the dystopic future world which was first seen in the Palanca Award-winning short story "Kaming Mga Seroks” by David Hontiveros.
In this Iteration, paired with the singular artistic sensibilities of Alan Navarra, Hontiveros continues to explore this clone-littered world where everything is a commodity, and everything can be pirated, even people. A world where the truth is ugly and a fake can be a hero.
156 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
22 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 14, 2013
In 2002 David Hontiveros won second prize in Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards- Futuristic Fiction Category for his short story titled Kaming Mga Seroks. That piece forms the first story in this collection. I say collection but Seroks is a tightly structured series of stories, so tightly linked that I am inclined to call it a mosaic novella.
Through a number of forms and perspectives Hontiveros gives us a far future Philippines run by an almost omnipresent Maharlika Company, a world where the Chinese are the dominant force and the United States was bought out in the aftermath of a gene based attack on the male section of the populace leaving them mostly sterile.
If you are a fan of old school Gibsonian Cyberpunk you’ll feel a tingling of familiarity. Hontiveros, however, drags in some other ideas and influences that give this mosaic a fresh feel -there’s some Superhero DNA, the history of Filipino film is alluded to, and the occurrence of piracy is extrapolated past the point of software and cd’s.
Imagine a world with clones, imagine that film studios can clone actors and have the duplicates or Seroks (took me half the book to realize that Seroks = Xerox and that it roughly translates to Copies) stand in for them. Imagine then that these clones or the templates that are used to create them can be pirated. We have a world that’s ripe for abuse. We have a world where Seroks, who are for all intents and purposes human, don’t have human rights.
The mosaic follows the fortunes of a group or Seroks owned by aging Filipino movie star and disgraced President Frederico Rubio. The Seroks are all grown to look like the aging star at the different stages in his movie career, some engineered to be the characters and not merely the actor playing the character.
Seroks is part thriller, part comment on corporate greed, part superhero story. I love the diversity of writing form that Hontiveros brings to the work; first person point of view, television script, a couple of the pieces described almost in terms of stage directions. It comes as no surprise to me that he writes the Supehero comic series Bathala as I feel he has a very good handle on imagery and conveying that to the reader.
As a first Iteration, a part one, Seroks, does a very good job of laying down a firm foundation and giving the reader some action and resolution. The world building is fresh and tangible and I think that Hontiveros has played it well; giving us just enough to feel immersed and temporarily satisfied. I await further iterations. Don’t leave us waiting too long Mr Hontiveros.
The artwork is provided by Alan Navara - the cover and internal story separators. I think he and Visprint should be commended for rounding out the work with high spec. production and simple but striking artwork.
Through a number of forms and perspectives Hontiveros gives us a far future Philippines run by an almost omnipresent Maharlika Company, a world where the Chinese are the dominant force and the United States was bought out in the aftermath of a gene based attack on the male section of the populace leaving them mostly sterile.
If you are a fan of old school Gibsonian Cyberpunk you’ll feel a tingling of familiarity. Hontiveros, however, drags in some other ideas and influences that give this mosaic a fresh feel -there’s some Superhero DNA, the history of Filipino film is alluded to, and the occurrence of piracy is extrapolated past the point of software and cd’s.
Imagine a world with clones, imagine that film studios can clone actors and have the duplicates or Seroks (took me half the book to realize that Seroks = Xerox and that it roughly translates to Copies) stand in for them. Imagine then that these clones or the templates that are used to create them can be pirated. We have a world that’s ripe for abuse. We have a world where Seroks, who are for all intents and purposes human, don’t have human rights.
The mosaic follows the fortunes of a group or Seroks owned by aging Filipino movie star and disgraced President Frederico Rubio. The Seroks are all grown to look like the aging star at the different stages in his movie career, some engineered to be the characters and not merely the actor playing the character.
Seroks is part thriller, part comment on corporate greed, part superhero story. I love the diversity of writing form that Hontiveros brings to the work; first person point of view, television script, a couple of the pieces described almost in terms of stage directions. It comes as no surprise to me that he writes the Supehero comic series Bathala as I feel he has a very good handle on imagery and conveying that to the reader.
As a first Iteration, a part one, Seroks, does a very good job of laying down a firm foundation and giving the reader some action and resolution. The world building is fresh and tangible and I think that Hontiveros has played it well; giving us just enough to feel immersed and temporarily satisfied. I await further iterations. Don’t leave us waiting too long Mr Hontiveros.
The artwork is provided by Alan Navara - the cover and internal story separators. I think he and Visprint should be commended for rounding out the work with high spec. production and simple but striking artwork.
July 19, 2014
A collection of short stories interwoven in a flashback, geeky and dystopian future of the motherland. Hard to imagine the suits and the armors, the netheads and all that chips and codes inside your head. Piracy is rampant, I can imagine that. And also the typhoon and the Pinoy flicks and the corrupt actor who became the President of the bleak future Philippines. Very very good prose, since its inspiration came from a Palanca-award-winning story of Kaming Mga Seroks.
The most meaty story in the collection is Salbahe, the Twelfth Hour, and the Thirteenth Hour. Most of the action or movement came in these 3proses. The others, are actually fill-in details to give color in a historic setting, or a bridge-in to what has happened in the past and present.
The ending's open-ended, giving you an anticipating outlook to look forward to the next novel.
The most meaty story in the collection is Salbahe, the Twelfth Hour, and the Thirteenth Hour. Most of the action or movement came in these 3proses. The others, are actually fill-in details to give color in a historic setting, or a bridge-in to what has happened in the past and present.
The ending's open-ended, giving you an anticipating outlook to look forward to the next novel.
May 22, 2013
Apocalyptic view of the future- good critique on pop culture, socio-political references and one's quest for identity.
June 7, 2017
3.5
There were some really interesting and compelling ideas in here, but some of it felt a bit too repetitive, which is ironic given the themes.
There were some really interesting and compelling ideas in here, but some of it felt a bit too repetitive, which is ironic given the themes.
December 16, 2020
very interesting concept. the storytelling made more sense to me when i learned this is a short story collection
February 19, 2017
Seroks is an interesting and unique read for Philippine Literature. It mixes real world problems and circumstances with touches of sci-fi and comic-book-like heroism. Although this feels more like an introduction and explanation to the world David Hontiveros first crafts in Kaming Mga Seroks, reading through it feels as if you've already been there: the world has already been worn and by the time you get into the next few chapters, it is disturbingly familiar and not at the same time. The stories link to each other by some means, whether it be directly or indirectly. It's rather exhilarating to try and connect the dots yourself, figure out which parts connect and what they, as a whole, reveal.
It has been almost half a year that I've been reading this book due to multiple interruptions (school, family concerns, personal matters, etc.) but it has been a pleasure being on this ride and I am excited to acquire and read the next book.
It has been almost half a year that I've been reading this book due to multiple interruptions (school, family concerns, personal matters, etc.) but it has been a pleasure being on this ride and I am excited to acquire and read the next book.
January 21, 2014
Sci-fi. Concept astig. Lawak ng creativity. Hirap nga lang ako sa writing style ni Sir. Vocabulary ko sabog.
February 13, 2015
Federico Rubio had me at the ending and also with Schadenfreude.
November 1, 2015
3.5/5
This would be better in a comic book. Already looking forward to reading the sequel
This would be better in a comic book. Already looking forward to reading the sequel
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews