Eastern Heathens: An Anthology of Subverted Asian Folklore

by Amanda Lee Koe (Editor and Contributor), Ng Yi-Sheng (Editor), Cyril Wong (Contributor)

We love Asian folklore. We grew up listening to Chinese legends, Arab fairy tales, Malay ghost stories and Indian sacred epics, and their fabulous images have continued to inhabit our imaginations ever since.

Yet as grown-ups, we’ve sometimes been bugged by the moralistic, simplistic manner in which these fables are often told. What better way to negotiate this than to reinvent our heritage? This collection brings together 14 subversions, reinventions and adaptations of folktales from all across Asia, written by an international crew of authors.

Within these pages, you'll find Cambodian horror story, a poetic meditation on Japanese fox spirits, a crime parable based on the Indian epic of the Ramayana, a sci-fi redaction of the Chinese legend of Lady White Snake, and many more exquisite gems.

This book is a treasure trove of the imagination, containing tales both intelligent and wondrous, combining the best elements of Asian heritage with the wit of the 21st century.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy, Asia, Asian Literature

142 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

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Reviews

[Tamara✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off I just want to take a moment to appreciate how PRETTY this book is!!! It's such a small thing but I have small hands, so I always appreciate it when things are my size and don't make me feel like an infant. ANYWAY, the people they chose to contribute to this anthology were all so good. I feel like it was pretty well rounded!! I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Ramayana retelling!! I can't remember now who wrote it, but it was so good. I am briefly acquainted with the story myself so it was really fun to see the references while reading along.

The other story I really enjoyed was the one about Chang-E, because as anyone who knows me well enough knows, there are several paths to my heart, and one of them is SciFi. I was really into the world that was created to jump-start the retelling and I would love to read more about it! The other thing I appreciate about this anthology is that after each story, there is an explanation on the original folk tale so that the reader can truly appreciate the story. WELL DONE MY DUDES.

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[tandin ozzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love myth and folklore; therefore, I conclude that this is one of the best books I have read in 2016. Grateful to our public library that they added new collections. It was like love at first sight. Eastern Heathens: An Anthology of Subverted Asian Folklore is a collection of re-created, re-dramatized myths and folktales from Asia to accommodate with our modern times. Additionally, it also shed lights on how our values, behaviors, and customs that are found in the myths and folktales have remained same and unquestioned. My favorites are the myths from Cambodia, the re-told love story from the Arabian Nights, and finally re-enactment of Sita’s (from the epic Ramayana) trial and tribulations to prove her faithfulness and virginity.

[Seejy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Putting a modern twist on Asian folklore, this is a collection of 14 short stories that has been re-imagined. However, they did little for me and at times trying a little too hard such that it feels like modernity is imposing upon tradition in an awkward manner that fails to flow, making it jarring and unpalatable to read.

[Stephanie Lai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun, a collection of rewritings and interpretations of mythology and folklore from different Asian countries. Interesting to see the folklore I'm familiar with (or is mine) and see how it's interpreted, whether I agree or disagree. I especially enjoyed 'The Great Disappearing Act' by Zeny May Dy Recidoro based on Tungkung Langit at Alunsina, 'Tenali Raman Redux' by Jennani Durai, and 'The Dragon Prince's Letter to His Father' by Cyril Wong based on the Dragon King. Would love to see more of this, maybe country specific.

I'm only giving this three stars because despite very much enjoying some stories, others felt like they didn't add anything new, leaning into the misogynistic undertones of the original tales rather than challenging them, and it impacted my enjoyment of the anthology overall.

[David Poon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have given a higher score if the stories were ordered differently rather than by length. Really enjoyed the last 4 longer stories which I thought were very good retelling of an old folklores in a modern sci-fi, steampunk and even romance form. There's even a bit of world-building in the last one that could lead to a whole new franchise; a sort of oriental version of the currently airing Netflix hit "Bright".

The rest of the stories were just not that enjoyable, some even seemed crude and disrespectful of the source material they were based on, as if the authors hated the very stories they were retelling and choose to tell a different story altogether.

[corey chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all anthologies, there are stories that catch my eye and others that don't. The selection of stories for this anthology was actually quite impressive overall; a good number of the stories were interesting and well-written, the modern twists on folklore well-executed. There were other, however, that simply did not stand out, and were a bit of a chore to get through. Overall an interesting read, the concept of subverting folklore we've grown up with is a great one and a fair amount of these stories deliver well on that concept. But if you're expecting every single story here to be perfect, lower your expectations a little.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! It's a short story collection, with interpretations of myths from Asia! Some stories are a little more compelling than others, and unfortunately the short story form means some stories don't get explored deeply or taken to a satisfying conclusion, but it's still an awesome book. Definitely recommend it if you're looking at modern-era takes on traditional folklore outside of the Greek pantheon/Nordic gods.

[Ziqin Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourites were The Dragon Prince’s Letter to his Father (Cyril Wong) and First Weave (Li Huijia)

[sha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed most of this! Especially the stories in the first half.