Emerging Author Releases Zombie/Dystopian Novel with a Focus on Social Issues

Richmond, VA, December 23, 2024 --(PR.com)-- The oftentimes unfair practices that plague the publishing industry can sometimes get in the way of a successful campaign, but Cabiling’s debut novel, "Below," isn’t the problem. Editorial reviews have widely praised the book, with Kirkus Reviews saying that Cabiling is a “bold, new voice in Filipino horror” and that "Below" is “a thrilling, action-packed ride.” Cabiling might feel that he is on an island, being peerless because of a lack of horror writers from his native country of the Philippines, but this doesn’t take away from Below’s merits. "Below" doesn’t just offer significant amounts of violence but adds a plethora of social issues to ground the book in relevance. Cabiling writes about the drug epidemic and its connection with the trend in substandard mental healthcare; he links the problem of poverty with a lack of education; capitalism with materialism and greed. Indeed, Cabiling’s "Below" doesn’t intend to sound preachy the way some customer reviews have otherwise noted. If the lead character’s first-person POV chooses between a carousel of topics to mull over, it doesn’t strive to create the impression of being heavy-handed. For the most part, the many relevant social issues that complement the horror and mounting suspense also keep readers turning the page. While Cabiling’s prose can sometimes stride the line between literary and accessible genre fiction, some would take for granted the flow and lyricism that make complex and compound sentence structure a surprisingly rewarding read. A book so unique for its depiction of the grit characteristic of third-world slums warrants special notice, especially when good writing and life lessons abound.

For more information about this topic, please contact Alaric Cabiling personally by e-mailing him at alariccabilingauthor@gmail.com.