#allentan

[subterraniamania]

Mind behind Subterrania

The writer behind the short story subterrania is none other than Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak. He was a music critic, a Philippine writer, a resident writer for PULP magazine, a columnist for the Philippine Star, and an associate editor for Esquire Philippines. 

He was born on July 26, 1974, and died on April 20, 2016, due to an extensive stroke that the doctors can no longer recover to help him during the incident at the age of 41. He graduated from the University of the Philippines and shifted from being a major in mathematics to a major for creative writing. Katigbak was a recipient of four Palanca Awards, the Philippine Graphic Award, and a Young Artists' Grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts also known as NCCA. 

His books Happy Ends, a collection of his short stories; and The King of Nothing to Do, the collection of his essays, were nominated for the Manila Critics National Book Award.

[lifesci-grp1]

"THE GENETIC BOTTLENECK" - CORTEZ

Part 2/3 of "Out of Africa and Into the World"

The tropical rainforests of Indonesia. 75,000 years ago. After another long day, Bapak watches his family sleep.

  Bapak: (to himself, tired) Well, another routine day is over. Another boar killed. Another swim in the river. Rain, rain, rain. (notices a wound on Gema) Oh poor child. Her brother must have roughed her up again. (frowns, then smiles) Let children be children I guess.

  Bapak lies down.

  Bapak: (smiles) At least we’re all safe. And happy. (proceeds to wake Ibu up)

Ibu: (sleepy) What is it, dear?

Bapak: Oh, nothing. It’s just that our children are growing up already. Soon they will find their own families. They’ll create their own tools, hunt their own food. I’m afraid I haven’t taught them well enough.

Ibu: Did you eat a bad fruit, dear? Stop saying that. You know better.

Bapak: I can’t sleep. Those are the things that go on in my head late at night.

Ibu: I’ll take the night shift then. Go to sleep.

  Dogs bark in the distance. Bapak checks his surroundings. Dogs continue barking. The sky darkens.

  Ibu: (to the children) Children, wake up.

Putra: Huh?

Gema: What’s going on?

  The earth shakes. Animals retreat in their direction.

  Bapak: (to himself) What on earth? (to his family) Stick together guys.

  BOOM. Everyone goes deaf. Darkness covers the land.

  Chaos.

  The Toba eruption wiped out all wildlife in the area. The ash clouds caused a great winter. Food became scarce. Those who survived starved to death or migrated to Africa, which was unaffected.

Sources:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-toba-catastrophe-theory.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/t/toba_catastrophe_theory.htm