MANILA, PHILIPPINES — As the weather gets colder and the nights longer, the annual tides of the -ber months are coming in strong. But before Christmas celebrations start to fully rear their head, first comes Halloween. Costumes, lights-off storytelling, and the foreboding sense of someone watching over your shoulder — October ushers in the spooky season and we’re all too happy to embrace this season with horror-themed reading material.
Here are a few titles by Filipino authors that we guarantee will satisfy your Spooktober cravings with jump scares and all the best goosebump-inducing moments:
Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap
This collection of short stories combines mythology, fantasy, and horror in its pages with stories from both make-believe worlds and familiar backdrops. Each story, no matter how short, paints an atmosphere of wonder and eeriness, while injecting Filipino culture into the mix. The first few stories start off light with folklore retellings, but the entries get increasingly more disturbing and horrifying as one gets deeper into the collection.
Trese by Budjette Tan
A cult classic in the Philippine horror scene and now a Netflix animated series, this comic book series follows Alexandra Trese as she traverses the crimes, politics, and terrors of a supernatural-infested Philippines. The story brings forth some of the most iconic legends and folktales of Filipino culture, with modern twists that make them all the more engaging and terrifying as we imagine their possibility.
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
For fantasy fans that want a taste of Philippine horror alongside its magic, The Bone Witch is a widely appreciated series by a beloved Filipino author who has written several hair-rising novels in the past few years. This one in particular follows a witch who accidentally resurrects her dead brother, awakening an ancient power within her that many would fear, and a dangerous few would want to either destroy or control.
After Lambana: A Graphic Novel: Myth and Magic in Manila by Eliza Victoria and Mervin Malonzo
This is another title for fantasy fans but in graphic novel format. After Lambana explores a realm of supernatural fairies called Diwata, after all forms of magic have been prohibited by the government. In a frantic move to survive, friends Conrad and Ignacio take on a dangerous quest to attain magical treatments and enter a world that’s highly risky and all the more illegal. In this shadowy Manila, the events of the story transpire in just one night, on a desperate race against time.
The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
Another Rin Chupeco title, The Girl from the Well is a chilling series that stays true to the horror genre. Think The Grudge, or Sadako, as this novel follows a dead girl who takes it upon herself to hunt down murderers and rapists, as she was murdered herself. This is a Young Adult entry that captures a morally gray, borderline-villainous, protagonist out for blood — literally.
