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The Best Asian Speculative Fiction 2018
The Best Asian Speculative Fiction 2018 | Rajat Chaudhuri, Zafar Anjum
1 post | 1 read
Between singing asteroid stations with a secret, and chilling visions of dystopia, between mad sorcerers with an agenda and time-travelling phantoms perplexed by the rules of afterlife, this volume of stories offers a unique sampling of flavours from the infinite breadth of the Asian imagination. If science fiction, horror, and fantasy are the genres you swear by, but miss Asian voices and settings, then this anthology is your oyster. Call these stories speculative, sff, or by any other name, they are really tales well told, and they always take off at a tangent from the big, blustering ‘real’. Here the imaginative spirit is aflame, casting a rich lovely light. Tales from sixteen countries of Asia plus the diasporas. Freshly minted, told by seasoned writers and new talent—a smörgåsbord of Asia's finest speculative imagination.
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review
batsy
The Best Asian Speculative Fiction 2018 | Rajat Chaudhuri, Zafar Anjum
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Mehso-so

I'm reviewing this for a local daily & my suspicions of anthologies with "best" in the title are confirmed. For what's touted "best", there's a lot of mediocrity. For what's touted "speculative", there's a lot of "I've read this exact story several times before". I know that's unfair & even lazy criticism—what's life, after all, but the same stories told over & over again—but it has to be distinctive, fresh. Mostly wanted these 456 pages to end ?

TrishB Honest review 👍🏻 5y
gradcat I agree with @TrishB ... furthermore, I‘ve never really thought about it, but now that you point it out, you‘re so right: Beware the “Best Of” books! I know I‘ve read other anthologies purporting to be “best” collections that are exactly as you describe this one. (edited) 5y
saresmoore When it comes to spec fic, I think the anthologizers should choose the stories that give them the most inexplicable, visceral response as a reader. My experience with the “best of” collections is similar to yours & I imagine there are too many tired criteria being used in the selection process (no doubt a healthy portion of favoritism, too). 5y
See All 21 Comments
batsy @TrishB It's rather dispiriting when a book is a chore :( 5y
batsy @gradcat @saresmoore You're both so right. Sara, I feel like that should be the main criteria for spec fic. Something that truly shakes you up inside. I think there's so much unexpected work being done by Asian writers but they publish in smaller online venues and go unnoticed (favouritism and connections definitely play a part!) 5y
fleeting I vote that the word "best" be forever eliminated in anthologies. 5y
Lindy @batsy 😐What a shame. Luckily for me, I‘m currently reading a Best of with excellent writing: 5y
batsy @fleeting I completely agree! 5y
batsy @Lindy Oh, I'm glad to hear that! But now @fleeting and I will have to put our ban on hold 😁 5y
gradcat @batsy @saresmoore @fleeting @Lindy We can make an exception for food. Writing. For food writing! (Anything with food, and I‘m all in!). 😂 5y
Lindy @gradcat 😁👍 5y
batsy @gradcat I like the way you think! 😂 5y
Centique @Lindy I‘m keen on reading that too. Jenny spoke about it didn‘t she? It sounds so good 😍 5y
Centique Here‘s to the next book being completely different! #nomorechores 5y
Lindy @Centique Good memory! I heard about it on Jenny‘s @ReadingEnvy podcast. 5y
batsy @Centique Honestly, that's what life should be about 😂❤️ #nomorechores 5y
Cathythoughts Great work you are getting to do though ... exciting reviewing for the paper 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
Cathythoughts They are so lucky to have you ♥️👍🏻 5y
batsy @Cathythoughts Thank you, sweet Cathy 💕 5y
GatheringBooks i hear you. this kind of review is exactly what authors need - particularly from southeast asia - to push the narrative further and to elevate the discourse somewhat to more than just pandering and relentlessly affirming, without being constructive. 5y
batsy @GatheringBooks Thank you, I felt like I was being too harsh so it helps to hear this. I never want to just pander, especially not when it's SE Asian writers and I know they can be and should be held to higher standards. 5y
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