Tropical Gothic is an intense collection of stories that includes the "Summer Solstice", which inspired the local film Tatarin ; Candido's Apocalypse, "a twisted coming-of-age story on finding identity in the grossly obvious; "Doña Jeronima", the legend of the nymph and her lover in a cave by the river Pasig, and many more haunting tales in the writer's distinguished style. This book is highly recommended to fourth year high school or first year college students.