About Samantha | Media Kit

The Quiet is Loud cover image (high-res)

Adult literary sci-fi, published in 2021 by Invisible Publishing.

Shortlisted for the 2022 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize.

The perfect marriage of literary and speculative fiction for readers of Kazuo Ishiguro and NK Jemisin.

When Freya Tanangco was ten, she dreamed of her mother’s death days before it happened. Freya’s life since has been spent in hiding: from the troubled literary legacy created by her author father, and from the scrutiny of a society that is hostile to vekers—people who, like her, have enhanced mental abilities.

When her prophetic dreams take a dangerous turn, Freya finds herself increasingly forced to sacrifice her own anonymity—and the fragile safety that comes with it—in order to protect those around her.

Interwoven with themes of Filipino Canadian and mixed-race identity, fantastical elements from Norse and Filipino mythology, and tarot card symbolism, The Quiet Is Loud is an intergenerational tale about the consequences of secrets and what happens when we refuse to let others tell our stories for us.

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“It’s a fearlessly unique book, and I look forward to whatever this exciting new author chooses to write next.”
—Broken Pencil

“In The Quiet Is Loud, Garner announces herself not only as a writer with a clear, fresh vision for what speculative fiction could be but also as a writer who will make it happen.”
—Prairie Fire

“The Quiet is Loud is a zeitgeist zirconia, a choker of sparkling speculation … Garner wears her spec fic, geek, and SF influences on her sleeve, and Quiet is a warm welcome to the more literary part of that universe.”
—Understorey Magazine

“At this moment in time, when so many people are raising their voices and uniting against oppression in all of its forms, The Quiet Is Loud is an especially urgent and important read.”
—Jessica Westhead, author of Avalanche

“Written in clear-eyed prose that effortlessly weaves in Filipino and Norse mythology, The Quiet is Loud is an exciting and sensitive look into the mind of a young woman grappling with the consequences of family secrets, while also coming to terms with her unique talents. It is a powerful debut.”
—Teri Vlassopoulos, author of Escape Plans