4 out of 4 stars
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Frank Q. Aurillo, Jr.'s Terror in Manila is equal parts philosophical exploration and history lesson, with a time-travel adventure thrown in for good measure. All three aspects are equally and effectively compelling.
Nick Aboitiz is a Filipino scientist obsessed with the literal and figurative notions of time and independence. Nick has invented a time machine that he plans to use to free his country from the shackles of its 1946 independence from the United States. If that sounds backwards, well, it's complicated. Nick's internal dialogue and motivations do not always meet even the narrator's approval.
The historical driver is the July 4, 1946 proclamation of independence of the Philippines from the United States. Nick believes this freedom actually confined his country, which in the following decades remained heavily agrarian. If the country only retained the economic opportunities presented by remaining an American territory or state, it could have grown and prospered.
So how to thwart such dreaded freedom? Shoot the messenger. Paul V. McNutt is the commissioner who read the proclamation of independence. Nick's goal is to kill McNutt during his speech. Because this was a unilateral proclamation by the U.S., Nick believes an assassination at just that moment would prove that the Philippines was not ready to go out on its own.
Nick's reluctant partner in historical crime is Francis, a cautious and moral foil to Nick. Francis helps only in building the time machine and trading philosophical punches with Nick.
The time machine uses molecular vibration and mystical philosophy. Basically, Nick gets shaken to the past. But also the Kabbalah. And karma. There is not a science vs. ethereal dichotomy -- they act in concert. It's an interesting exploration.
The time machine has both a manual and an automatic setting. The automatic recall means that Nick must return to the machine within 48 hours, at which point the machine will return home with or without him. The clock is ticking.
The plan: Go back in time. Shoot McNutt during the speech. Get away in the time machine. Enjoy the once-and-future Philippines tethered to the U.S.
Nick's first trip is not grand--48 hours into the past for a banal conversation with Francis's confused sister about Francis's weekend plans.
Almost immediately thereafter, Nick heads straight to July 2, 1946, landing in a barn (not the only Back to the Future-esque scenario) with two days to prep. With a momentous task ahead of him, what does he do? Grabs a drink at a bar. Goes to church. Buys a Time magazine and a copy of H.G. Wells's The Time Machine-because he's a time traveler, see?
Nick ruminates about his plan and his dueling realities in 1946 and his original present. He knows he's a terrorist and rationalizes why that isn't so bad. This part is very interesting, if not altogether comfortable.
Suddenly it's July 4 and the clock is really ticking. The action from there is shockingly fast and over before rumination on the universe comes roaring back. None of the slow burn or meticulous planning of other time-travel fiction. I recently read 11/22/63, and they are thematically similar and compare favorably, but King's work really puts you through the paces.
Time is the central theme throughout and it's not giving anything away to say it plays a crucial role in the outcome.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It's a short read at just over 100 pages, and probably could have explored some of the history in a little more depth. But action, while brief, was gripping. As with most time-travel stories there are a few points that you just need to suspend disbelief, but if you were into the previously mentioned King work or even something like the old Quantum Leap TV series, this book is well worth your ... time.
******
"Terror In Manila"
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