By Martha Cornog   In this magical realist fictional tale set in Manila, a young man struggles against a parasitic illness. Conrad’s X-ray shows a tiny bud invading his heart—a parasitic growth that will flourish like a cancer to become full-bloom flower within his body that kills him. But in this folklore-driven urban noir from award-winning speculative fiction novelist Victoria (Dwellers), such fantastic “spontaneous diseases” can be cured only by magical beings. Yet soliciting their help can be even more convoluted than getting Medicare to cover some unusual, deadly condition. And not just convoluted but illegal. Twenty-something Conrad will die… Read More