My stories are normally set in a world that features both familiar fantasy settings (the Kag areas) and the less-than usual (a lot of Asian-inspired places, which includes the Gorent Islands, Gaspar, Jin-Sayeng, The Empire of Ziri-nar-Orxiaro), and a lot of fusion (Dageis). I’ve said before that part of the reason I refused to swap out cultures is because I am building this world from the ground up, and I didn’t want to rely on stereotypes.
So when I say that I am bringing epic fantasy from a Filipino point-of-view, it’s more of a matter of perspective and not so much setting. Sure, customs and myths sneak their way into there, but it’s a lot more than that, and certainly a lot more than just that my main characters generally tend to be people of colour. In particular, the themes that are important to me and my culture play a big role.
One that shows up in almost every single one of my work: self-sacrifice for the sake of family.
A beta-reader for Jaeth’s Eye once commented on how unusual it is that the character Sume would go through the lengths she did for her sister-in-law and nephew, the only family she had left at that point in time. I suppose it looks odd from a western perspective that she would feel so responsible for them that she is willing to work herself to the bone in order to see them through their day-to-day, even though she’s not that much older than her nephew herself. Sume exemplifies this very Filipino trait, but it also shows up in a lot of my other characters. Talyien’s zealousness to her family (and her husband…family by marriage is still family in Filipino culture) is noteworthy. Kefier from Aina’s Breath and up. Khine, in the Bitch Queen series, turned to a life of crime for his family’s sake, too. It shows up in my most recent WIP as well (Happy Farm Adventures).
This is so ingrained in my work that it gets written in unconsciously (you won’t usually see “will sacrifice everything for their family” on my notes). I’d probably find myself making more of an effort to explain a character who doesn’t put their family first rather than one who will go through hell for them without question.
Another one that shows up quite a lot: class differences. Filipino culture has a somewhat hidden class divide, i.e. it is harder to get regular people to take you seriously if you’re brown-skinned and you’re wearing simple clothing and have a heavy accent than if you’re paler-skinned and you’re wearing expensive clothes. So my work nearly always involves people from the bottom rung of society, and how everything else looks from there. There’s almost always a play on how the rich take advantage of the poor, or are seemingly oblivious to their struggles.
Branching off on that: poverty. Not just how it prevents people from accomplishing bigger things, how worrying about the day-to-day can hamper growth and opportunities, but also how it doesn’t necessarily mean that poor people are ignorant or only concerned about themselves. That you can find dignity, integrity, and even honour in the darkest places (a big reason why I label my stuff “light grimdark” in that I don’t hesitate to portray grim shit, but there’s always a thread of light running through it).
My work also prioritizes love and relationships. This wasn’t obviously Filipino to me until I started watching a lot of other Asian soap operas, and compared it to how Filipino drama is…for lack of a better word, almost over-dramatic. I know plenty of fellow Filipinos who find Filipino soap operas too cheesy. But I always put that on the execution (there’s some really awful ones and some pretty good ones). The most important part is that at its core, the messages are often very simple, yet profound: love is important. It is, perhaps, the most important thing. And it remains important even if everything goes sideways, shit hits the fan and everything gets blown to bits; that there can be love even in darkness, in rejection, and in pain. Filipinos are die-hard romantics…you should see how poetic even warriors can get, as shown by this love letter by a Filipino revolutionary leader to his wife.
I always say my books are extremely character-driven, because I try my best to truly explore everything that is important to these characters, which means a big priority on their relationships (and what they feel about them). So beyond family and romantic relationships, there’s friendship, and even casual acquaintances are treated with respect.
I’ve essentially laid out one of the reasons why “diverse works” are important beyond just checking off a list. Remember, I’ve never gone out of my way to specifically create a “diverse” fantasy world. I love this genre, right down to the old school stuff. Perspective, it seems, is enough to create diversity in itself.
