Zeno Antonio Denolo (known for his pen name Zero A.D.) might be a newcomer, but it doesn’t mean that he lacks the knack to pen a tongue-in-cheek yet significant narrative. Denolo was born in Manila in 1990. He graduated at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology degree. He joined the Cirilo F. Bautista Prize for the Novel in 2015. Out of 73 qualified submissions, his entry Uberman and other seven works from different authors were shortlisted. Unsurprisingly, his entry has been selected for the Special Jury Prize. Denolo then received P50, 000 and a winner’s certificate in the said writing competition. The distinguished Board of Judges of CFB Prize for the Novel which is composed of National Artist Cirilo F. Bautista (chair), Katrina Tuvera, Roland Tolentino, Dean Francis Alfar, and Joselito delos Reyes praised Denolo’s work for its “painful but pleasing critique of society” and “its ability to let the public read, be entertained, while pondering the follies of being a hero.” Moreover, the superhero-themed novel recently won the 16th Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award. This year’s award has been given to a writer in Filipino who has just written his or her first book. Out of six finalists, Zero A.D. snagged it.