Yvette Tan’s latest collection of horror short stories under Anvil Publishing should come with a warning on the cover: don’t read at night. And make sure you’re not snacking on anything, especially sisig.

Blissfully ignorant, I started reading the first story while waiting for an event to start, only to hastily shut it after reading only a few pages, out of sheer shock. It’s the kind of book that requires a certain mindset. After that short-but-oh-so-scary preview, I knew better than to read it at night. I waited for the next bright morning, listened to the birds chirping as I sipped my coffee and reopened this collection I had heard so much about.

SEEK YE WHORE (2022) is made up of ten short stories written by journalist and horror maven Yvette Tan. This is her most recent publication under Anvil, with Waking the Dead being the earlier one (published in 2021). 

The first story (the one that shocked me in a mall) was Fresh Fruit for Rotting Corpses, which asks what kind of sisig can one cook when in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. It sets the tone for the rest of the book. It is brutal. Gory. Gripping. And all too realistic, especially since the stories are very clearly set in the Philippines. They feature our unique monsters (both the famous and the rare), such as The Last Moon, with a heroic tikbalang and a human on the race against time to defeat Bakunawa; and also in Her Room Was Her Temple, with a human male hopelessly addicted to visiting an aswang in a high class bordello. What wouldn’t he give to be with her? 

Others refer to historical events, such as Fold Up Boy (with its recreation of the Sangley Massacre of 1603), and some depict the harsh reality of the Filipino countryside (Dead Season gives new meaning to the customary greeting ‘Tao Po,’ as some monsters are capable of looking human up until it’s too late to defend oneself).

Tan is writing for a Filipino audience, which this reader appreciated, especially in a story like All the Birds, which depicts what happens when you take care of a dying friend who is not as mortal as you are. Tan assumes her readers know the supernatural significance of the black chick that appears towards the end, and if you aren’t, ask a Pinoy friend.

Seek Ye Whore, the last story and the title chosen to lead this sophomore collection, is an Americanized version of the island of Siquijor that many (still) fear to visit, due to legends of witchcraft going back generations. Hungry for love and gourmet sandwiches, an American orders his bride from a strange website, only to realize that the expected Filipina will arrive in a series of small packages.

As with all good horror, the fantasy and supernatural elements only serve to highlight real-life horrors that abound in all societies. Yvette Tan just happens to focus on terror close to home, that many do not like to speak about in so-called ‘polite society.’

From married men visiting prostitutes and mail-order brides sent to the US (which is why your child safety feature must be turned on when you Google the seemingly innocent word ‘Filipina’), to the hunger and suffering experienced by unemployed farmers during ‘Tiempo Muerto’ (the period between harvests), as well as the dog–eat-dog morality of people based only on sheer survival, Yvette Tan highlights sociological problems we have become inured to, or were blissfully ignorant of. And what better way to underscore the inhumanity of our times than using the horror story as a vehicle?

In a talk with fellow local horror writers Kenneth Yu and Douglas Candano, the issue of nation building was raised. It was mentioned that some literary fiction writers had previously scoffed at the form’s seeming lack of social relevance.

To those who doubt horror’s ability to portray the true horrors of society, this reader recommends they peruse this collection. Look past the violence and gore (parents/teachers must note that these are more suited to readers in senior high, and above).

Focus on what lies behind the Filipino fae creatures and their carnivorous ways.

The real horror is there. Her stories show that they are here; we are living in them. As Yvette Tan says, her stories can happen to anyone. ‘Even to you, dear reader.’

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Yvette Tan’s collection of horror stories Seek Ye Whore and Waking the Dead are available from Lazada and National Bookstore. The reviewer purchased her copy from NBS for P250.00.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Gabi Francisco is a classically trained soprano who now performs in the English / Music / Drama classroom. On weekends she soaks in as much art and literature as she can, so she can pass her love for the arts on to her students. She passionately believes in the transformative role of arts education in nation-building. (IG: teacher.gabi.reads )