Book Review: David Hontiveros

BOOK REVIEW

David Hontiveros’ SEROKS Iteration 1: Mirror Man

Andrea Carmeli O. Abulencia

Given the chance, would you ever consider cloning yourself? What if someone told you that it was possible to modify and customize your clone according to your specifications? Would you treat your clone as you would yourself or treat them like the different person you have customized them to become? If geeky science fiction is your interest or you do not mind a mild dose of existentialist philosophy, then SEROKS Iteration 1: Mirror Man by David Hontiverosis the book for you!

As a Filipino writer, Hontiveros is known not only for producing works that mix genres, usually those of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also for writing for local komiks and graphic novels, as well as contributing articles and film reviews to various local newspapers. He was a National Book Award Finalist for the Best Comic Book category in 1997, when he wrote for the comic book Dhampyr. In 2002, he won a Palanca Award for his short story entitled “Kaming Mga Seroks,” which was the precursor for his short fiction collection series SEROKS.

SEROKS Iteration 1: Mirror Man is the first in a series of short fiction collections published in 2012. The second instalment entitled SEROKS Iteration 2: Once in a Lifetime was released in 2014. The third iteration is still currently in the works.

The first book introduces the reader to a world that is vastly different from, yet vaguely similar to, our own. Set in a dystopic future in the Philippines that is seemingly controlled by the ever omnipresent Maharlika Company, this world is littered with clones, where everything is a commodity and anything can be pirated, even people. The reader follows the story of a particular set of clones of a disgraced Filipino actor-politician, whose sinister plans for using his clones to prolong his life sets off a chain of events that ushers these clones into a life where they can be the heroes of their own stories and prove to others that they deserve their individuality as much as any other person.

If like me you want to read good Philippine science fiction, then this book and its subsequent iterations might suit you! It has the old-school sci-fi feel of Blade Runner but is more reflective of older works by Philip K. Dick and William Gibson, leaning more toward the genre of speculative biopunk. Slightly reminiscent of Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in its portrayal of clones and their treatment in a post-apocalyptic society, the book tackles sundry interesting questions regarding individuality, identity, and intersubjectivity of people. Most of the protagonists are seroks (copies of clones) of actor-politician Federico Rubio, who gave his DNA to have clones grown to look like himself in the different stages of his famed film career from child star to veteran actor. But what makes them so fascinating and compelling is that they are all genetically engineered and modified not just to look like the actor but to actually be the characters themselves. What must it be like to be confronted with the question of your existence when you are faced with the person whose DNA you sprang from but you crave the individuality that comes with possessing your unique identity and name in a sea of others who look and act like you?

If you are not much into tackling these odd philosophical questions of existentialism in sci-fi clone fiction, maybe you will be pulled in by Hontiveros’ dynamic storytelling. Far from the conventional regular narrative structure found in most books, SEROKS is told through a series of short narratives that are loosely connected in some parts but serve to paint a bigger and still relevant picture of the events of the story. The story traverses from first person perspectives to television scripts, blog posts, interviews, and even to camera-like stage directions, giving different angles to enhance the imagery and feel of the narrative. justice. He is a literal superhero, whose goal is to free his fellow Rubio seroks and other like them, and fights “xenogs,” humans who have had animal enhancements augmented to their bodies to make them physically stronger but all the more monster-like, and “sporks,” literal creatures created for the sole purpose of being monsters that the heroes kill in countless action films.

Perhaps something more intriguing and engaging are all the references Hontiveros makes to the Philippine film industry and its history, which is essential to the main narrative of the protagonists. Most, if not all of them, were born out of characters in films Rubio acted in. The parallels made between what Rubio was like when he portrayed certain roles are juxtaposed with how his seroks start off as just the characters but end up becoming into their own identities as shaped by the experiences they went through because of him.

On a less positive note, I am not really a big fan of the allusions to Philippine politics. Understandably, as a piece of dystopian science fiction, it is inevitable for it to tackle such issues. But since much of Philippine fiction in general already has dealt with this issue enough, it is like beating a dead horse at this point. In parts where I would rather follow the stories of one of the protagonists more, I found myself slightly tuning out whenever the story veers away from them in order to give room for more world building: a necessary evil in many ways.

Taking inspiration from old Japanese tokusatsu media as well, it lets the protagonists take center stage as heroes of their own stories, sometimes even literally in the cases of those engineered for that specific purpose. There is Roqué, who is a seroks of a template for the fictional agimat-bearing superhero named Paladin, who takes his role as a superhero off the screen and onto the streets in his search for Given all of this, I would recommend SEROKS to those out there interested in the niche genre of Philippine science fiction.

Andrea is a Humanities alumna of UA&P and is currently a full-time faculty member of the Department of Arts of the College of Arts and Sciences. The book she reviewed was the subject of her thesis for her master’s degree.

Commemorating the dead constitutes one of the most enduring traditions in the Asia Pacific region. A day or a month to remember the deceased is typically celebrated by almost all nations, ethnic groups, and religious communities in the region.

The practice of remembering the departed loved ones dates back thousands of years ago. For instance, the Mexicans’ Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) has its roots in the ancient Aztec and Mayan customs. The rituals have been observed for not less than 3,000 years.

The indigenous celebrations have undergone transformations ensuing from cultural exchanges and the influence of religions, particularly the three of the four universal/world religions, i.e., Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Islam, the fourth universal religion, has no special day equivalent to All Souls’ Day but considers going to cemetery and praying for the dead as pious and commendable acts.

Following are the ways by which some Asia Pacific nations and cultures commemorate the dead.

All Souls’ Day

In the Christian world, All Souls’ Day forms part of the triduum composed of Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day from October 31 to November 2. Halloween is the night preceding the Christian holy days of All Hallows’ Day or Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day on November 1, and All Souls’ Day on November 2. Halloween is derived from the root word “hallow,” meaning “holy.” Therefore, the feast on October 31 assumes the full name All Hallows’ Eve which means “the evening before All Hallows’ Day or All Saints’ Day,” the Christian holiday for remembering and honoring all the saints of the Church, both known and unknown, who have entered Heaven. All Souls’ Day is a day of remembrance of all the faithful departed, the baptized Christians believed to be in purgatory cleansing their sins before being granted the vision of God in Heaven (beatific vision).

Recently becoming more popular in the Philippine cities, through the influence of US and other Western Christian countries, is the celebration of a now secularized and commercialized Halloween on October 31, when Halloween parties are held in malls and offices and trick-or-treat activities by children are done.

In the country, the first two days of November are also called Undas (said to be referring to uno-dos or 1-2 of November). On November 1, candles, flowers, and photos of the deceased are brought to the cemetery. Family members also carry food and beverages. Some graves can be seen with bits of food offerings but more predominant is the practice of offering prayers and masses for the deceased to help them in the process of purification and eventual reunion with their Creator. The prayers and requiem masses continue to be offered during the month. On the whole, Undas also creates an avenue for family reunions.

The modern date for celebrating All Souls’ Day was popularized by St. Odilo, a Benedictine Abbot of Cluny Abbey in France, between 1028 and 1030 A.D. In 1784, Pope Benedict XIV officially declared November 2 as All Souls’ Day.

This is a three-day religious festivity celebrated at different times by the Temuan and Mah Meri ethnic groups in Selangor, Malaysia, especially those who have not converted to universal religions. On this feast, ceremonies are performed on two levels: communal and individual or private. Each village constructs a Spirit Hut (Rumah Muyang) where special prayers and bounties received in honor of their ancestors and spirits are communally offered. People express their gratitude for the good fortune bestowed upon them as well as raise their petitions for prosperity in the future. During the rituals, the shaman usually leads in marking the foreheads and forearms of the participants with rice powder-based solutions mixed with aromatic flowers and leaves. After the purification process, a special mask dance called Mayin Jo-oh is performed by a group of men and women to invite the ancestral spirits to join the festivity. The men execute dance movements reflecting their daily activities. Then the villagers gather to partake of traditional dishes (except meat dishes), fruits, and drinks. On the other hand, a family altar (panga/ sanggar) is built in each family’s yard where individual or private ceremonies are held at dusk. Prayers and food offerings are presented to the souls of the deceased family members.

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Popular in Mexico and other Latin American countries, this two-day celebration involves remembering the souls of the deceased children (on the first day) and adults (on the second day) who are believed to reunite with their families on the first two days of November. Families set up in their respective abodes or yards colorful ofrenda or altars decorated with their departed loved ones’ photos, favorite food, beverage, and knick-knacks together with popular symbols such as huge pan de muerto and stylized skulls and effigies of skeletons. People, both young and old alike, visit the cemeteries in their colorful attires and with skeleton-like features painted on their faces. The Mexicans dedicate the celebrations to goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead/Underworld and wife to Mictlantecuhtli, Lord of the Underworld.

Dia de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased)

This is celebrated in Peru on November 2. On this day, families especially in the rural areas visit the cemeteries, have their traditional meals there, and leave some food for the deceased. In the cities, families visit the cemeteries to offer flowers and favorite food of the departed loved ones. In Lima, the cemeteries attain a party atmosphere much like a street festival. At sunset, an altar bearing a skeleton sculpture of Santa Muerte, the female folk saint of death, is carried around the cemetery escorted by flower bearers. Lively tunes coming from Andean pan flute fill the air. In some cemeteries, bands provide upbeat music and for a certain fee, play three favorite songs of a dead relative, in effect, making music an offering.

Giant Kite Festival

This is a celebration of the Day of the Dead on November 1 in Guatemala. Aside from visiting and colorfully decorating the tombs of the departed loved ones and relatives and offering prayers and flowers, Guatemalans hold the Giant Kite Festival wherein kites made of fabric or rice paper with bamboo frames and having different sizes, colors, shapes, designs, and messages are flown. This practice stems from the 3,000-year-old traditional belief that through these kites, families can communicate with the deceased. For this feast, Guatemalans prepare for two days the El Fiambre, a special 50-ingredient dish. People converge and hold picnics in the cemeteries where huge, vibrantly colored kites as big as 19 meters are flown nearby.

This is a three-day festival celebrated in Japan in mid-July or mid-August. It features numerous religious and festive activities such as prayer and food offerings, holding memorial services at Buddhist temples, and hanging of lanterns in houses and establishments in the belief that their lights will guide the spirits. Highlighting the Obon festival is the dance parade called Bon Odori during which the participants sing and dance in a circle around a raised platform called a yagura. On the last night of Obon, people send off the spirits back to their realm with the help of candles, giant bonfires, and lighted, floating paper lanterns sent down the rivers to the ocean.

Pitru/Pitr Paksha

For Hindus, Pitru Paksha or Pitri/Pitr Paksha, which literally means “Fortnight of the Ancestors,” is the time when the spirits are believed to return to their descendants and reside with them for a month beginning on the Full Moon day until the New Moon day (13-28 September this year). Hindu males perform Shraddha or pay homage to their ancestors (Pitrs) especially by offering food. It is compulsory for the son to perform the Shraddha to enable the soul of the ancestor to attain heaven – the abode of the gods together with angels, saints, deified human beings, the blessed dead, and other celestial beings. Prayers for a peaceful rest of their forefathers are likewise offered.

A specific ritual is performed inside or outside of the temple for the deceased in each of the 16 days of celebration. In Bali, Indonesia, rituals include offerings for the souls of the maternal grandparents, for those of the unmarried family members, and for all the deceased members of the family. The last day of Pitru Paksha features three types of rituals: the offering of food; the offering of water mixed with barley, black sesame, white flour, and Kutha grass; and feeding of the Brahmin. Food offerings are brought to the temples by men and women donned in their native batik garments and many women carry with them tasseled parasols in bright colors. The rituals are performed to bring happiness and prosperity at home after appeasing the ancestors and loved ones.

Aside from its religious value, the continuing significance of observing the Day of the Dead lies on its latent functions of keeping the memory of the loved ones alive, facilitating family or clan reunions, enhancing community cooperation and unity through shared activities and shared foods, and strengthening the sense of oneness among the faithful and practitioners of faith. The feast serves as an avenue for exhibiting local resources and skills, e.g., cooking of special native dishes and delicacies, sculpting statues of deities and ancestors using local materials. Furthermore, it makes one realize that amidst modernization, people continue adhering to certain traditions which strengthen their sense of cultural and national identity. In effect, it helps define the societies in the Asia Pacific region.

Dr. Elizabeth T. Urgel is with the Department of Asia Pacific Studies of the College of Arts and Sciences. She teaches Southeast Asian Studies, Chinese Studies, and Asia Pacific Society.

www.academia.edu www.atlasobscura.com www.worldreligionnews.com www.drikpanchang.com www.pacificresort.com www.latitudes.nu www.britannica.com www.ucanews.com www.therealpresence.org Online Sources:

www.rappler.com www.aglobalworld.com www.readthespirit.com www.smithsonianmag.com www.readthespirit.com www.tripsavvy.com www.english.religion.info www.peruforless.com