Status
Checked out
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Buku Fixi (Fixi Novo) (2014), 288 pages
Description
Drawing inspiration from Asian myth, folklore and her own queer experience, the award-winning Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho will guide you from the mundane to the magical, to enchanted realms inhabited by dragons, vampires and incorrigible grandmothers.We'll meet an elderly ex-member of parliament, who recalls her youthful romance with an orang bunian. This was forbidden. Not because her lover was an invisible jungle spirit, but because she was Muslim and he was not. Then a teenage vampire struggles to balance homework, bossy aunties, first love . . . and eating people. A mischievous matriarch returns from the dead to disrupt her own funeral rites, pitting granddaughter against granddaughter. An earth spirit becomes entangled in protracted negotiations with an annoying landlord. And Chang E, the Chinese moon goddess, spins off into outer space - the ultimate metaphor for diaspora.Across nineteen sparkling stories, this is a journey into magical new worlds of the imagination.Praise for Zen Cho's work:'An enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susannah Clarke, full of delights and surprises' -Naomi Novik, author of Uprooted, on Sorcerer to the Crown'Phenomenal. This is what it is to be queer and Asian . . . Magical and mundane, fierce and hopeful, Malaysian to the bone - this book is uncompromisingly itself' - Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun on Black Water Sister… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Larou
This is a collection of Urban Fantasy stories – “Urban Fantasy” in the more traditional (think Charles de Lint etc.) sense of magic spilling into everyday life rather than the more recent (think Charlaine Harris) of sexy vampires and werewolves. It also is a collection of stories by a
This might have come across as an affectation, the real world equivalent of third-rate Fantasy authors splashing made-up words all over their texts to make them look more exotic, but you never get that feeling reading Spirits Abroad: For one thing, Zen Cho is emphatically not a third-rate writer, but emphatically first-rate and her generous use of Malayan terms is actually a case on point – even if you do not the meaning of the words she uses (and I admit to having often been too lazy to look them up), there is a rhythm to her sentences, a rhythm that is slow and easy but none the less compelling for that, and a melody to her sounds, a melody made of vivid and intense tone colours (and on a side note, the cover of the e-book version of this collection really fits the stories perfectly).
It all combines to a very distinct, unique narrative voice that remains identifiable and close to itself even through various narrators. In fact that is the single small niggle I have towards this collection – the narrators, in particular those in first person, always seem in danger of becoming indistinguishable, of running together in the larger auctorial voice. It never quite happens (hence this is a really minor thing) but I at least felt there was a potential problem here. In any case, if one was to describe Zen Cho’s narrative voice, I think the term that will most likely come first to one’s mind is “charming” – there is such an obvious delight the narratives take in themselves, in the sheer act of their telling, the spinning out of their tales in this colourful, highly rhythmical manner that it seems impossible for any reader to not become enchanted by that voice and then enthuse about it in turn.
So far so remarkable – but what I think makes this collection really stand out and lifts it from the merely very good to the truly excellent, is that Zen Cho somehow manages to use that charming voice – which seems made for cute, lovely stories – to tell some very dark and occasionally even gruesome tales, the apparent innocence of the narrator’s tone heightening the haunting effect these stories have on the reader. While there are several quite wonderful stories in Spirits Abroad that are funny and heartwarming, the one that tend to stick in the reader’s memory (this reader’s, anyway) are the ones where the charm is layered over or shot through with a darker tone, like “The First Witch of Damansara” or “The House of Aunts”. The latter one in particular (according to the author, her take on Twilight – and in retrospect, you can see where she is coming from there, although I never would have noticed just from the story, it is just so different) has a huge emotional impact and I can understand why that is apparently the most popular of her stories.
This was a really enjoyable collection, and I’m eager to read more by Zen Cho – she has a novel coming out in September, described by Naomi Novik as “An enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susanna Clarke, full of delights and surprises.” Needless to say, it went on my preorder list straight away.
Show More
Malaysian author, and the tales are deeply steeped not only in Malaysian folklore but also in the languages of Malaysia – a very distinctive way of using English which is generously peppered with (presumably) Malaysian terms, not to mention all kinds of exotic foodstuffs. I was glad to be reading this on a Kindle, as that way I could at least easily look up the latter, but of course I did not get very far with the words from Malay that way; so be prepared to be puzzled a lot or have frequent recourse to the internet search engine of your choice.This might have come across as an affectation, the real world equivalent of third-rate Fantasy authors splashing made-up words all over their texts to make them look more exotic, but you never get that feeling reading Spirits Abroad: For one thing, Zen Cho is emphatically not a third-rate writer, but emphatically first-rate and her generous use of Malayan terms is actually a case on point – even if you do not the meaning of the words she uses (and I admit to having often been too lazy to look them up), there is a rhythm to her sentences, a rhythm that is slow and easy but none the less compelling for that, and a melody to her sounds, a melody made of vivid and intense tone colours (and on a side note, the cover of the e-book version of this collection really fits the stories perfectly).
It all combines to a very distinct, unique narrative voice that remains identifiable and close to itself even through various narrators. In fact that is the single small niggle I have towards this collection – the narrators, in particular those in first person, always seem in danger of becoming indistinguishable, of running together in the larger auctorial voice. It never quite happens (hence this is a really minor thing) but I at least felt there was a potential problem here. In any case, if one was to describe Zen Cho’s narrative voice, I think the term that will most likely come first to one’s mind is “charming” – there is such an obvious delight the narratives take in themselves, in the sheer act of their telling, the spinning out of their tales in this colourful, highly rhythmical manner that it seems impossible for any reader to not become enchanted by that voice and then enthuse about it in turn.
So far so remarkable – but what I think makes this collection really stand out and lifts it from the merely very good to the truly excellent, is that Zen Cho somehow manages to use that charming voice – which seems made for cute, lovely stories – to tell some very dark and occasionally even gruesome tales, the apparent innocence of the narrator’s tone heightening the haunting effect these stories have on the reader. While there are several quite wonderful stories in Spirits Abroad that are funny and heartwarming, the one that tend to stick in the reader’s memory (this reader’s, anyway) are the ones where the charm is layered over or shot through with a darker tone, like “The First Witch of Damansara” or “The House of Aunts”. The latter one in particular (according to the author, her take on Twilight – and in retrospect, you can see where she is coming from there, although I never would have noticed just from the story, it is just so different) has a huge emotional impact and I can understand why that is apparently the most popular of her stories.
This was a really enjoyable collection, and I’m eager to read more by Zen Cho – she has a novel coming out in September, described by Naomi Novik as “An enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susanna Clarke, full of delights and surprises.” Needless to say, it went on my preorder list straight away.
Show Less
LibraryThing member imyril
This collection of short stories from young Malaysian author Zen Cho (full disclosure: a friend of a friend) is absolutely delightful.
Zen Cho has a light touch that takes the sting out of her sometimes spiky tales of ghosts and spirits. There's a sense of humour and a fearsome resilience in her
Most of the tales are set in Malaysia, with a couple set in the UK, one in Japan and one on the Moon. Those in the UK were two of my favourites: a group of Malay teenagers at an English boarding school unexpectedly fending off an attack by an army of enraged faeries, the teachers having decamped over night; and a visit from a dragon come to claim his traditional due, resulting in a massive upsurge of magical activity that turns the city on its head as he tries to woo his preferred bride.
The stories tackle topics ranging from self harm, self knowledge, family honour, interracial relationships and immigration. All share a warm core, and there are repeated themes of the importance of family, friendship, respect and compassion.
Highly recommended. Unexpectedly comforting reading for a collection of ghost and spirit stories.
Zen Cho has a light touch that takes the sting out of her sometimes spiky tales of ghosts and spirits. There's a sense of humour and a fearsome resilience in her
Show More
characters - both her heroines and their 'aunties' - that utterly endeared them to me. The tales are from a Malay tradition of spirits and the author takes no prisoners here - the prose is peppered with Hokkien phrases, with no glossary provided. You work it out from context, and it never gets in the way.Most of the tales are set in Malaysia, with a couple set in the UK, one in Japan and one on the Moon. Those in the UK were two of my favourites: a group of Malay teenagers at an English boarding school unexpectedly fending off an attack by an army of enraged faeries, the teachers having decamped over night; and a visit from a dragon come to claim his traditional due, resulting in a massive upsurge of magical activity that turns the city on its head as he tries to woo his preferred bride.
The stories tackle topics ranging from self harm, self knowledge, family honour, interracial relationships and immigration. All share a warm core, and there are repeated themes of the importance of family, friendship, respect and compassion.
Highly recommended. Unexpectedly comforting reading for a collection of ghost and spirit stories.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Larou
This is a collection of Urban Fantasy stories – “Urban Fantasy” in the more traditional (think Charles de Lint etc.) sense of magic spilling into everyday life rather than the more recent (think Charlaine Harris) of sexy vampires and werewolves. It also is a collection of stories by a
This might have come across as an affectation, the real world equivalent of third-rate Fantasy authors splashing made-up words all over their texts to make them look more exotic, but you never get that feeling reading Spirits Abroad: For one thing, Zen Cho is emphatically not a third-rate writer, but emphatically first-rate and her generous use of Malayan terms is actually a case on point – even if you do not the meaning of the words she uses (and I admit to having often been too lazy to look them up), there is a rhythm to her sentences, a rhythm that is slow and easy but none the less compelling for that, and a melody to her sounds, a melody made of vivid and intense tone colours (and on a side note, the cover of the e-book version of this collection really fits the stories perfectly).
It all combines to a very distinct, unique narrative voice that remains identifiable and close to itself even through various narrators. In fact that is the single small niggle I have towards this collection – the narrators, in particular those in first person, always seem in danger of becoming indistinguishable, of running together in the larger auctorial voice. It never quite happens (hence this is a really minor thing) but I at least felt there was a potential problem here. In any case, if one was to describe Zen Cho’s narrative voice, I think the term that will most likely come first to one’s mind is “charming” – there is such an obvious delight the narratives take in themselves, in the sheer act of their telling, the spinning out of their tales in this colourful, highly rhythmical manner that it seems impossible for any reader to not become enchanted by that voice and then enthuse about it in turn.
So far so remarkable – but what I think makes this collection really stand out and lifts it from the merely very good to the truly excellent, is that Zen Cho somehow manages to use that charming voice – which seems made for cute, lovely stories – to tell some very dark and occasionally even gruesome tales, the apparent innocence of the narrator’s tone heightening the haunting effect these stories have on the reader. While there are several quite wonderful stories in Spirits Abroad that are funny and heartwarming, the one that tend to stick in the reader’s memory (this reader’s, anyway) are the ones where the charm is layered over or shot through with a darker tone, like “The First Witch of Damansara” or “The House of Aunts”. The latter one in particular (according to the author, her take on Twilight – and in retrospect, you can see where she is coming from there, although I never would have noticed just from the story, it is just so different) has a huge emotional impact and I can understand why that is apparently the most popular of her stories.
This was a really enjoyable collection, and I’m eager to read more by Zen Cho – she has a novel coming out in September, described by Naomi Novik as “An enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susanna Clarke, full of delights and surprises.” Needless to say, it went on my preorder list straight away.
Show More
Malaysian author, and the tales are deeply steeped not only in Malaysian folklore but also in the languages of Malaysia – a very distinctive way of using English which is generously peppered with (presumably) Malaysian terms, not to mention all kinds of exotic foodstuffs. I was glad to be reading this on a Kindle, as that way I could at least easily look up the latter, but of course I did not get very far with the words from Malay that way; so be prepared to be puzzled a lot or have frequent recourse to the internet search engine of your choice.This might have come across as an affectation, the real world equivalent of third-rate Fantasy authors splashing made-up words all over their texts to make them look more exotic, but you never get that feeling reading Spirits Abroad: For one thing, Zen Cho is emphatically not a third-rate writer, but emphatically first-rate and her generous use of Malayan terms is actually a case on point – even if you do not the meaning of the words she uses (and I admit to having often been too lazy to look them up), there is a rhythm to her sentences, a rhythm that is slow and easy but none the less compelling for that, and a melody to her sounds, a melody made of vivid and intense tone colours (and on a side note, the cover of the e-book version of this collection really fits the stories perfectly).
It all combines to a very distinct, unique narrative voice that remains identifiable and close to itself even through various narrators. In fact that is the single small niggle I have towards this collection – the narrators, in particular those in first person, always seem in danger of becoming indistinguishable, of running together in the larger auctorial voice. It never quite happens (hence this is a really minor thing) but I at least felt there was a potential problem here. In any case, if one was to describe Zen Cho’s narrative voice, I think the term that will most likely come first to one’s mind is “charming” – there is such an obvious delight the narratives take in themselves, in the sheer act of their telling, the spinning out of their tales in this colourful, highly rhythmical manner that it seems impossible for any reader to not become enchanted by that voice and then enthuse about it in turn.
So far so remarkable – but what I think makes this collection really stand out and lifts it from the merely very good to the truly excellent, is that Zen Cho somehow manages to use that charming voice – which seems made for cute, lovely stories – to tell some very dark and occasionally even gruesome tales, the apparent innocence of the narrator’s tone heightening the haunting effect these stories have on the reader. While there are several quite wonderful stories in Spirits Abroad that are funny and heartwarming, the one that tend to stick in the reader’s memory (this reader’s, anyway) are the ones where the charm is layered over or shot through with a darker tone, like “The First Witch of Damansara” or “The House of Aunts”. The latter one in particular (according to the author, her take on Twilight – and in retrospect, you can see where she is coming from there, although I never would have noticed just from the story, it is just so different) has a huge emotional impact and I can understand why that is apparently the most popular of her stories.
This was a really enjoyable collection, and I’m eager to read more by Zen Cho – she has a novel coming out in September, described by Naomi Novik as “An enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susanna Clarke, full of delights and surprises.” Needless to say, it went on my preorder list straight away.
Show Less
LibraryThing member imyril
This collection of short stories from young Malaysian author Zen Cho (full disclosure: a friend of a friend) is absolutely delightful.
Zen Cho has a light touch that takes the sting out of her sometimes spiky tales of ghosts and spirits. There's a sense of humour and a fearsome resilience in her
Most of the tales are set in Malaysia, with a couple set in the UK, one in Japan and one on the Moon. Those in the UK were two of my favourites: a group of Malay teenagers at an English boarding school unexpectedly fending off an attack by an army of enraged faeries, the teachers having decamped over night; and a visit from a dragon come to claim his traditional due, resulting in a massive upsurge of magical activity that turns the city on its head as he tries to woo his preferred bride.
The stories tackle topics ranging from self harm, self knowledge, family honour, interracial relationships and immigration. All share a warm core, and there are repeated themes of the importance of family, friendship, respect and compassion.
Highly recommended. Unexpectedly comforting reading for a collection of ghost and spirit stories.
Zen Cho has a light touch that takes the sting out of her sometimes spiky tales of ghosts and spirits. There's a sense of humour and a fearsome resilience in her
Show More
characters - both her heroines and their 'aunties' - that utterly endeared them to me. The tales are from a Malay tradition of spirits and the author takes no prisoners here - the prose is peppered with Hokkien phrases, with no glossary provided. You work it out from context, and it never gets in the way.Most of the tales are set in Malaysia, with a couple set in the UK, one in Japan and one on the Moon. Those in the UK were two of my favourites: a group of Malay teenagers at an English boarding school unexpectedly fending off an attack by an army of enraged faeries, the teachers having decamped over night; and a visit from a dragon come to claim his traditional due, resulting in a massive upsurge of magical activity that turns the city on its head as he tries to woo his preferred bride.
The stories tackle topics ranging from self harm, self knowledge, family honour, interracial relationships and immigration. All share a warm core, and there are repeated themes of the importance of family, friendship, respect and compassion.
Highly recommended. Unexpectedly comforting reading for a collection of ghost and spirit stories.
Show Less
LibraryThing member nmele
This is a collection of short stories reimagining or better imagining various Malay supernatural beings in contemporary milieus in Malaysia and Great Britain. Cho is inventive, often very funny, and a consistently engaging writer. I enjoyed this book very, very much.
LibraryThing member adamwolf
I really liked this. I ended up getting sucked into a variety of Manglish slang wikis while reading it :)
It reminds me of Kelly Link, a little.
It reminds me of Kelly Link, a little.
LibraryThing member zeborah
I keep thinking I don't like anthologies as much as novels, but maybe it's just that I don't like multi-author anthologies as much as novels because they can be hit and miss as regards my personal taste; whereas Zen Cho's stories are pretty universally spot on regardless of the variety of
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characters and settings. Her voice very quickly 'infected' my mental voice, a disconcerting but fun effect. Show Less
LibraryThing member pwaites
Spirits Abroad is a delightful collection of short stories by Zen Cho. I’d previously enjoyed her novel The Sorcerer and the Crown and a couple of her short stories (specifically “Prudence and the Dragon” and “The Perseverance of Angela’s Past Life“). Zen Cho is a Malaysian fantasy
If you want to get a taste of Zen Cho’s work without investing in an entire collection, many of these stories are available for free online. In “Prudence and the Dragon,” a Dragon visits London and becomes enamored with Prudence, an ordinary med student. “The Perseverance of Angela’s Past Life” is a sequel story focusing on Prudence’s friend Angela. The only other connected stories in the collection are “起狮，行礼 (Rising Lion–The Lion Bows)“ and “七星鼓 (Seven Star Drum),” which follow a lion dance trope in England which uses their dances to perform exorcisms. “The Four Generations of Chang E” is a science fiction story about immigration and the different generations of one family that immigrates to the moon and assimilates (or tries not to assimilate) with the local lunar people. I’ll admit to being a bit confused by all the women being named “Chang E.” Was each successive daughter given the same name, or was this supposed to be the same woman somehow? Then again, the ambiguity only makes the story more interesting.
The last short story also available online is “The House of Aunts,” the story of Ah Lee, a young Malaysian vampire who lives with her five aunties. When Ah Lee begins to fall in love with a boy at school, the aunties are disapproving and full of dire warnings, but Ah Lee wants a life apart from them. There’s a free audio version available at PodCastle.
Other stories are only available in print, and some are specific to this collection. “The First Witch of Damansara” is the opening story, in which a young woman who’s immigrated to England has to return home for her grandmother’s funeral. Complicating matters, Vivian’s grandmother was a witch and her sister has inherited the power. Oh, and her grandmother’s spirit is hanging around and emotionally blackmailing the family to try and get the burial she wants.
“First National Forum on the Position of Minorities in Malaysia” might be the funniest story in the collection, despite the title. A forum on minorities in Malaysia is derailed when an orang bunian (a mythological invisible race that lives in the jungle) arrives wanting to discuss invisible people’s rights. Oh, and the failures of the modern education system.
Probably my favorite story of the collection is also the darkest: “The Fish Bowl.” Su Yin is a student under intense pressure to perform perfectly. She’s struggling to get by when she encounters a magic koi fish. The fish will grant her wishes, but in return, she’ll have to pay in pain and blood. It’s clearly a story about academic anxiety and self harm, and it’s one I related to a tad too much. My high school could be incredibly intense when it came to academics, and it wasn’t until after graduation that I realized so many of peers were also having mental health trouble. For all its fantastical elements, “The Fish Bowl” was a little too real.
My second favorite story is “The Mystery of the Suet Swain,” which deals with stalking and harassment. Sham and Belinda are both Malaysians attending college in England and are best of friends. When someone named “Suet” begins posting photos of Belinda online, Sham is determined to get to the bottom of it and support her friend.
“Balik Kampung (Going Back)” tells of a hungry ghost returning home to see her husband and finding out why she died. In “The Earth Spirit’s Favorite Anecdote,” an earth spirit has a series of exasperating encounters with her landlord. “One-Day Travelcard for Fairyland” takes the English boarding school setting, populates it with international students, and puts them in battle with local fairies. In “Liyana,” a girl is born from a pineapple. “Jebet Dies” is my least favorite story in the collection. I can’t begin to tell you what it’s about; it makes no sense to me. Maybe I just don’t have the cultural background to understand it?
Cho uses content warnings on all her stories with options to skip to the next one if you so choose. I decided to read them all, but I appreciated the warning. It might have been useful if I was having a bad anxiety day. Anyway, this was a fantastic collection that I highly recommend.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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author who often combines English fantasy tropes with Malaysian life and folklore. While many of her stories deal with serious topics (such as Angela disconnecting herself from her heritage and repressing her bisexuality in “The Perseverance of Angela’s Past Lives”), they are often humorous at the same time. Zen Cho is an immensely talented writer, and I enjoyed this collection to no end.If you want to get a taste of Zen Cho’s work without investing in an entire collection, many of these stories are available for free online. In “Prudence and the Dragon,” a Dragon visits London and becomes enamored with Prudence, an ordinary med student. “The Perseverance of Angela’s Past Life” is a sequel story focusing on Prudence’s friend Angela. The only other connected stories in the collection are “起狮，行礼 (Rising Lion–The Lion Bows)“ and “七星鼓 (Seven Star Drum),” which follow a lion dance trope in England which uses their dances to perform exorcisms. “The Four Generations of Chang E” is a science fiction story about immigration and the different generations of one family that immigrates to the moon and assimilates (or tries not to assimilate) with the local lunar people. I’ll admit to being a bit confused by all the women being named “Chang E.” Was each successive daughter given the same name, or was this supposed to be the same woman somehow? Then again, the ambiguity only makes the story more interesting.
The last short story also available online is “The House of Aunts,” the story of Ah Lee, a young Malaysian vampire who lives with her five aunties. When Ah Lee begins to fall in love with a boy at school, the aunties are disapproving and full of dire warnings, but Ah Lee wants a life apart from them. There’s a free audio version available at PodCastle.
Other stories are only available in print, and some are specific to this collection. “The First Witch of Damansara” is the opening story, in which a young woman who’s immigrated to England has to return home for her grandmother’s funeral. Complicating matters, Vivian’s grandmother was a witch and her sister has inherited the power. Oh, and her grandmother’s spirit is hanging around and emotionally blackmailing the family to try and get the burial she wants.
“First National Forum on the Position of Minorities in Malaysia” might be the funniest story in the collection, despite the title. A forum on minorities in Malaysia is derailed when an orang bunian (a mythological invisible race that lives in the jungle) arrives wanting to discuss invisible people’s rights. Oh, and the failures of the modern education system.
Probably my favorite story of the collection is also the darkest: “The Fish Bowl.” Su Yin is a student under intense pressure to perform perfectly. She’s struggling to get by when she encounters a magic koi fish. The fish will grant her wishes, but in return, she’ll have to pay in pain and blood. It’s clearly a story about academic anxiety and self harm, and it’s one I related to a tad too much. My high school could be incredibly intense when it came to academics, and it wasn’t until after graduation that I realized so many of peers were also having mental health trouble. For all its fantastical elements, “The Fish Bowl” was a little too real.
My second favorite story is “The Mystery of the Suet Swain,” which deals with stalking and harassment. Sham and Belinda are both Malaysians attending college in England and are best of friends. When someone named “Suet” begins posting photos of Belinda online, Sham is determined to get to the bottom of it and support her friend.
“Balik Kampung (Going Back)” tells of a hungry ghost returning home to see her husband and finding out why she died. In “The Earth Spirit’s Favorite Anecdote,” an earth spirit has a series of exasperating encounters with her landlord. “One-Day Travelcard for Fairyland” takes the English boarding school setting, populates it with international students, and puts them in battle with local fairies. In “Liyana,” a girl is born from a pineapple. “Jebet Dies” is my least favorite story in the collection. I can’t begin to tell you what it’s about; it makes no sense to me. Maybe I just don’t have the cultural background to understand it?
Cho uses content warnings on all her stories with options to skip to the next one if you so choose. I decided to read them all, but I appreciated the warning. It might have been useful if I was having a bad anxiety day. Anyway, this was a fantastic collection that I highly recommend.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Show Less
LibraryThing member quondame
All of these stories are good, and some are excellent. Mixtures of family, spirits, ghosts, tumbled with wry humor and spread across the various landscapes to which those who have lived in Malaysia may have moved, at least temporarily - or in the case of hell, more or less forever until
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reincarnation. Show Less
Awards
IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award (Winner — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014
ISBN
9670374987 / 9789670374987