EBFP 2021 Winner
Meihan Boey
A professional bookseller for eight years, Meihan is the author of the sci-fi romp The Messiah Virus, a space opera set in an all-Asian, mostly female, universe. She also published short comedy-horror fiction and contributed short stories. She is the Vice President of the Association of Comic Artists of Singapore and has been involved in many comic book projects, most recently The Once & Marvellous DKD, about Singaporean musicians in the Vietnam War. She is also involved in other local projects in support of the local comic book community. She is a mediocre but enthusiastic endurance athlete, and a rabid geek who’s been training to go Super Saiyan for 20 years. She is currently working on RPG games development with Bruce’s Blacksmith, a local Dungeons & Dragons campaign builder.
The Messiah Virus
The Empress has guided the expansion of the colonised universe for millenia - the operating system of a vast civilisation, a shepherd whose overriding priority is the survival and prosperity of her sheep - the entire human race.
But not everyone follows Her light. When the Messiah virus descends, disabling the Empress’ influence, a powerful little Psion girl is humanity’s only hope. Fatima, however, has chosen strange companions.
From Wanchai City, July Wong, the universe’s most famous courtesan, has no idea what he’s doing. Christine the cyborg karang guni junk-trader knows exactly what she’s doing, and doesn’t want to be doing it. Valentine Kusuma, the insane engineer, knows what everybody is doing all the time, and doesn’t see why he should care.
Meanwhile, Nurse Clerica Parvatiand Lady Superior Octavia of the Imperial Guard must risk their future, and question their conscience, as the Messiah holds the entire human race hostage.
S$19.00
The Formidable Miss Cassidy
Co-Winner of the 2021 Epigram Books Fiction Prize
In 1890s Singapore, the formidable Miss Leda Cassidy arrives as paid companion to Sarah Jane Bendemeer, whose family suffers under the thrall of Southeast Asia's most terrifying hantu. But there's more to Miss Cassidy than meets the eye, and she's faced down worse in her life than a pontianak.
However, she may have met her match in the indefatigable businessman, Mr Kay Wing Tong, whose large and constantly-growing family clearly requires female supervision—especially of the particular kind Miss Cassidy can provide. Ill omens and strange happenings surround Mr Kay and his colourful family, and Miss Cassidy must find a way to defend the ones she has learned to love.
S$24.90