From award-winning author, Jose Elvin Bueno, comes a Filipino horror shrouded by an unspeakable presence that is intent on slashing through the divides between influencer and the influenced.

THE GAME is called The Summoning. “We say a prayer to the Dark Lord. Then He, in His infinite malevolence, sends an evil spirit to visit us. And hopefully, hilarity will ensue.”

THE PLAYERS are the young and the beautiful looking for a kick this Friday night. Rafa, a corporate professional/loyal wingman. Basti, a financial wizard/unrivaled scenester. Vicente, a video gamer/early adopter. Pia, a fashion model/revered influencer. Mitzi, a free spirit/porn star.

THE STAKES are their very own perfectly Instagrammable lives. One by one, they realize that someone malevolent is indeed summoned, singularly focused on killing all of them.

 WHO WILL LIVE TO TELL THE TALE?

A24’s Bodies, Bodies, Bodies meets Talk To Me in these pages full of drugs and blood that summon Gigantivm Penisivm: A Tale of Demonic Possession.

PREVIOUS PRAISE FOR JOSE ELVIN BUENO

“Jose Elvin Bueno blurs the lines between conspiracy theories and elusive truths in this riveting satirical thriller. Hilariously agitating!”

—Chris Martinez, author of Last Order sa Penguin and Welcome to IntelStar

“Set against the real-life backdrop of the worst excesses of current Philippine politics, Jose Elvin Bueno presents a tautly written thriller revolving around a slain periodista's dangerous discovery, involving the most powerful and dangerous men of the country. As the situation escalates in both the real world and the digital realm, Sindicato & Co.'s fiercely imagined and nuanced cast of characters find themselves on an inevitable collision course that will rock the nation. Bueno tells his gripping story with confidence, finesse, and an easy grace.”

—Dean Francis Alfar, author of The Kite of Stars and Other Stories and Salamanca (A Novel)

“In this outrageously pseudo-historical tableau, what may seem accidental and grotesque—words that resonate throughout the narrative—acquire a logic of their own, as with Philippine society and politics itself. Practically all the characters are damnably complicit and irredeemably fake. The reader is left to either reject the rampant absurdity of things, or to recognize it with a chilling familiarity.”

—Jose Dalisay, Jr., author of Killing Time in a Warm Place and Penmanship and Other Stories

Jose Elvin Bueno is a first-generation immigrant to the United States from the Philippines. He is a fictionist, playwright, and novelist. His debut novel Subversibo, Inc. is the recipient of the Grand Prize in the 63rd Palanca Awards for Literature, the Philippines’ most prestigious literary prize. He is also the author of the novel Sindicato & Co. He lives in New York where he’s writing his next book.

ON SALE 9.24.2024

ISBN: 9781960988348