My journey into Asian story began with Black Cranes, edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn. I have two stories in that book, but it is more than another anthology. The stories were specifically about women of horror and Asian descent- black cranes. I’ve gone on to write and publish my own stand-alone works from the Asian perspective, and our sisterhood gets stronger with every new book. We aren’t alone in appreciating representation. The books we’ve written since Black Cranes have an impressive collection of Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and all sorts of other awards.
Few books from the Asian perspective are from the Ryukyuan (Okinawan, Shimanchu) pov, but this book accomplishes this with an intricate blend of fantastical storytelling. I wish I’d known Darcy when we were looking for essayists for my book!
A profound exploration of grief and cultural identity, the collection is a tapestry of stories that intertwine language, culture, and the deep impacts of loss. Each narrative—ranging from a scholar in the Ryukyu Islands to a spirit observing the aftermath of her death—left me unable to put the book down.
Including an immigrant who sprouts wings and a journalist witnessing the event, which adds a layer of magical realism that is tender and dear. Representation really does matter, and I am grateful to Darcy Tamayose for taking up her pen.
Award-winning author Darcy Tamayose returns with Ezra's Ghosts, a collection of fantastical stories linked by a complex mingling of language and culture, as well as a deep understanding of grief and what it makes of us. Within these pages a scholar writes home from the Ryukyu islands, not knowing that his hometown will soon face a deadly calamity of its own. Another seeker of truth is trapped in Ezra after her violent death, and must watch how her family--and her killer--alter in her absence. The oldest man in town, an immigrant who came to Canada to escape imperial hardships, sprouts…
K.P. Kulski is one of the essayists in my book and an enthusiastic supporter of Asian women’s voices, and she brings it all out in this powerful novel. Set in a mysterious Joseon-era palace and told from the pov of three generations of women, the story's strength is its blend of cultural heritage and feminist themes.
Kristi draws inspiration for this book from the Korean folk tale A Tiger’s Whisker. I greatly respect KP Kulski for daring to use menstruation as an integral part of the plot. This book is compelling for those interested in a unique blend of historical setting, folklore, and a poignant examination of female identity—all three are a win for me.
"As sharp as broken pottery and as delicate as a peony petal, House of Pungsu is the story my spirit hungered for. K.P. Kulski shifts rice paper doors to reveal the darkest truth."-Lee Murray, USA Today bestselling author and four-time Bram Stoker Award(R) winner.
No one knows what's beyond the walls of the Joseon-era palace that never seems to decay, a sprawling complex where daughter, mother, and grandmother are the only inhabitants. Why is her bed-bound grandmother locked in her room each night, and what exactly is behind the locked doors of the palace pavilions and halls? When daughter unexpectedly…
When newlyweds Celia and Ed Cooney discover Celia is pregnant, they pledge to give their baby a good life—but what’s a couple living in a cramped room on $30 a week to do?
They start robbing Brooklyn businesses, much to the amusement of the city’s newspapers: A woman bandit is…
Don’t let the title put you off! It’s a play on the pronunciation of an island in the Philipines called Siquijor (sounds like “seek ye whore”), but the titular story is still pretty titillating.
Yvette Tan is another of the essayists in my book. Her writing vividly portrays Filipino culture, replete with its myths and legends and drenched in the complexities of human emotion. I appreciate that Tan didn’t just make another horror collection; it's a lens through which the rich tapestry of Filipino life, with its blend of the mundane and the magical, is explored.
The collection is a good pick for those who enjoy horror with a cultural twist. This book gives a panoramic and multifaceted experience of Filipino life with which I was unfamiliar.
I have read this book by Alma Katsu three times now. About the often-forgotten period in US history where American citizens of Japanese and Okinawan blood were locked up in internment camps, Alma does a fabulous job of telling the story without picking sides.
From an Asian-mixed family myself, I could see aspects of my relationship with my mother mixed in the story. A brilliant blend of historical events and elements of Japanese folklore, Alma’s skillful storytelling not only entertains but also educates, shedding light on a dark period in American history when the humanity of certain groups was unjustly questioned because of their race.
This book is more than just a dark story; it explores identity, demonization, and the human spirit's resilience.
The acclaimed author of the celebrated literary horror novels The Hunger and The Deep turns her psychological and supernatural eye on the horrors of the Japanese American internment camps in World War II.
1944: As World War II rages on, the threat has come to the home front. In a remote corner of Idaho, Meiko Briggs and her daughter, Aiko, are desperate to return home. Following Meiko's husband's enlistment as an air force pilot in the Pacific months prior, Meiko and Aiko were taken from their home in Seattle and sent to one of the internment camps in the Midwest.…
In 1939, on a remote Pacific island, botanical researcher Irene Greer plunged off a waterfall to her death, leaving behind a legacy shrouded in secrets. Her great-niece Julia, a struggling journalist recovering from a divorce, seeks answers decades later.
Tasked with retrieving Dr. Greer’s discovery–a flower that could have world-changing…
Another essayist from my book, Ai Jiang, writes a heartbreaking story. I think a lot of us trapped in debt can feel in our core. Ai’s book captures the essence of human connection in a world increasingly dominated by technological advancement and capitalist pursuits.
Despite the sci-fi story, Ai focuses on the human, everyday interactions that truly define our collective experience. She emphasizes the value of the moments we share with those closest to us—our families, friends, and neighbors. Often overlooked in the hustle of getting ahead, these interactions keep a community alive.
A wonderful author and person, her story digs deep into all the feels.
"Moving, brilliant, and certified 100% human." -Samit Basu, author of Turbulence
If you have the opportunity to give up humanity for efficiency, mechanical invincibility, and to surpass human limitations. . . would you?
Ai is a cyborg, under the guise of an AI writing program, who struggles to keep up with the never-blinking city of Emit as it threatens to leave all those like her behind.
Kaori, Yuki and Shigeko are indigenous Ryukyuan girls on the edge of womanhood who find themselves trapped in a fictionalized Battle of Okinawa. They survive by connecting to their intuition, shiisaa guardians specific to Okinawa, and each other. Based on true events, shamanistic magic may be what brings them together, but the girls must ultimately find the power resident in themselves. Their sisterhood is what defies and defeats those that threaten them.
Trigger warning: Sexual violence is an essential part of the plot to represent the real life situation women in Okinawa face to this day, but there are no graphic depictions of the act in this story. It remains only a threat to the characters.
