[New from the Press] Song of the Mango and Other New Myths

Vida Cruz-Borja makes magic in first short story collection

Vida Cruz-Borja, a seasoned fictionist, releases her first illustrated short story collection, Song of the Mango and Other New Myths, published by Ateneo De Manila University Press. 

Immensely magical and spell-binding, each story exhibits the truths and complexities of human emotion. Its titular story, Song of the Mango, weaves a tale of familial love and friendship. Blushing Blue puts a new spin on the art of tattooing, where images become ghosts of the real thing, creating dire consequences for a family lost in grief after a storm ravishes their town. Have Your #Hugot Harvested at This Diwata-Owned Cafe shows a world where human heartbreak can be consumed and everyone wants a taste. In the Shadow of the Typhoon, Humans and Mahiwaga Cooperate for Survival, which was longlisted for the British Science Fiction Award, is a story where three diwatas are determined to bring relief goods to those affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

In the Afterword, Carljoe Javier states that while the stories are playful with their fantastical, elements, they are anchored in the real and relevant challenges in the country. “The Philippines is struggling with its own powerful dark forces,” he adds,“ and while fiction often isn’t a medium that inspires direct action, it is a space where ideas can combat historical revisionism, disinformation, and the outright lying that is being perpetrated by human rights violators and plunders. Fiction can shine a line past these and illuminate the truth, and we see Vida endeavor to do this in her stories.” 

Song of the Mango and Other New Myths is published by Bughaw, an imprint of the Ateneo de Manila University Press. It is available from the Ateneo Press website and in the Ateneo Press Lazada and Shopee stores in paperback. The ebook edition will be available in February 2023.

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Song of the Mango and Other New Myths by Vida Cruz-Borja

Category: Literature
Language: English
ISBN: 9786214482278
Price: P790.00
Get your copy: website | Lazada and Shopee stores

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About the Author

Vida Cruz-Borja has been published or is forthcoming from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Fantasy Magazine, PodCastle, and various anthologies. Her work has had her nominated, longlisted, and recommended for the Hugo Award, the British Science Fiction Award, and the James Tiptree Jr. (now Otherwise) Award. She is an alumna of the 2014 Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Workshop in San Diego, as well as of the Silliman University National Writers Workshop, the Iligan National Writers Workshop, and the Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Writers Workshop.

About the Illustrators

Kras Ny (To Megan with Half My Heart, Have Your #Hugot Harvested at This Diwata-Owned Café) is a full-time designer and part-time illustrator who specializes in children's book illustration. 

Andie (A Mask for the Queen of Shards) is a Manila-based freelance illustrator who specializes in creating fantasy illustrations for indie projects ranging from book illustrations to artwork for role-playing games. 

Chocnut-san (Blushing Blue, Child of Two Worlds) is a comic artist and illustrator whose works are mainly focused on slice-of-life and horror genres. She's been selling comics since 2017 and has been actively releasing new titles and doing collaborative works. Some of her works include, I Grew Up, I Guess, Walang Laman ang Kahon, Ang Laptop (written by Francis Martelino), Biyernes Santo (written by JP Palabon), and her recently finished series, In His Universe.

Bianca Morelos (Voice in the Air), also known by her handle name aerobicsalmon, is a 2D game artist from Quezon City and a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas. Despite studying advertising, she worked as a 2D artist in various casual gaming companies. Her art tries to pursue the true, good, and beautiful; interjecting her Catholic faith into her work at times.  

John Kaizen Naje (How the Jungle Got Its Spirit Guardian) is recognized for his detailed and intricate illustrations inspired by nature and wildlife using pen and ink with the finest tip. He started using the medium when he was in college, growing an audience on his social media pages, and then later landed multiple commissions for private individuals, collectors, and companies around the world.

Hansel Dimapilis (Call of the Rimefolk, Ink: A Love Story, The Museum of Incomplete Statues) is a graduate of creative writing from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Comics are her favorite medium and she loves telling stories that mix fantasy and realism. Some of her works include SMILE, Spirit Sprints, and Starscaping. Currently, she juggles being a content writer by day and an illustrator at night. Aside from comics, she also loves dogs, Philippine myths, and pedestrian lanes.

Allaine B. Leoncio (Have Your #Hugot Harvested at This Diwata-Owned Café) is an illustrator who specializes in fantasy illustration. 

Isa (Song of the Mango, Chosen Mother) is a comic book artist from Quezon City. She was inspired to explore making art by the manga and video games from her childhood.

Kulas (First Play For and By Tikbalang Triggers Uproar on Opening Night) does illustrations, graphic design, murals, graphite, and ink. He mostly creates art about slice-of-life scenes and pop culture inspirations that center on love, emotions, and the nature of relationships. He also does progressive artwork that tackles socio-political issues during his spare time. 

Mazielina C. Mayo (Odd and Ugly) is a twenty-one-year-old Filipino artist. Her artwork can be regarded as a stylized medley of inspirational visual storytelling and visual poetry. 

Miguel Co (book cover) is a digital illustrator who loves using bright colors and high contrast to create his images. Video games, people, and nature are his primary sources of inspiration.