Henry Lien’s book Spring Summer Asteroid Bird provides an introduction to a common form of Asian storytelling known in the West by its Japanese name kishotenketsu.

To understand and appreciate kishotenketsu we need to quickly recap the traditional three-act story structure. In this familiar structure the first act sets up the story and introduces the catalyst that propels the protagonist on their ‘hero’s journey’. By the end of the first act, we have met the main characters and understand the...