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Mythical Man
In Mythical Man, David Ly builds, and then tears down, an army of men in a quest to explore personhood in the 21st century. Tenderness, toxic masculinity, nuances of queer love, and questions of race and identity mix in Ly’s poetry, casting a spell that enters like “a warm tongue on a first date.” Mythical Man is an authentic and accomplished debut.
Praise for Mythical Man
"Mythical Man walks out of the dreamscape and plunges straight into your heart. David Ly’s debut collection is a shimmering mirage, a shapeshifting vision that bares both its fangs and its throat to deliver the sexiest, most exciting gay poetry you’ve read in years. Fairytale themes, contemporary gay culture, and the emotional geography of diaspora come together to form a marvellous beast that challenges mainstream notions of male beauty, gay sex, and Asian identity. Ly’s voice is as raw as the cry of a wolf, but his use of language is as meticulous as the construction of a honeybee’s hive. These are poems that snarl, whine, gurgle, hiss, and rattle like the wild longing that’s lived in your soul for as long as you can remember. Read them."— Kai Cheng Thom, author of a place called No Homeland
"In his aching debut, David Ly shatters any myth that racism doesn’t continue to pervade queer spaces. Thick with desire, and self-interrogation, these poems reject normative ideas of manhood to create something new."—Vivek Shraya, author of I’m Afraid of Men
Praise for Mythical Man
"Mythical Man walks out of the dreamscape and plunges straight into your heart. David Ly’s debut collection is a shimmering mirage, a shapeshifting vision that bares both its fangs and its throat to deliver the sexiest, most exciting gay poetry you’ve read in years. Fairytale themes, contemporary gay culture, and the emotional geography of diaspora come together to form a marvellous beast that challenges mainstream notions of male beauty, gay sex, and Asian identity. Ly’s voice is as raw as the cry of a wolf, but his use of language is as meticulous as the construction of a honeybee’s hive. These are poems that snarl, whine, gurgle, hiss, and rattle like the wild longing that’s lived in your soul for as long as you can remember. Read them."— Kai Cheng Thom, author of a place called No Homeland
"In his aching debut, David Ly shatters any myth that racism doesn’t continue to pervade queer spaces. Thick with desire, and self-interrogation, these poems reject normative ideas of manhood to create something new."—Vivek Shraya, author of I’m Afraid of Men
70 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2020
1 person is currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
David Ly
15 books43 followersDavid Ly is the author of Mythical Man (Anstruther Books, 2020) and Dream of Me as Water (Anstruther Books, 2022), both short-listed for ReLit Poetry Awards, and the fantasy novel Not All Dragons (Poplar Press, 2026). He co-edited, with Daniel Zomparelli, Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022).
David’s poems have appeared in publications such as Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, PRISM International, and The Ex-Puritan, where he won the inaugural Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence, as well as in the Pan MacMillan anthologies He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems (2024) and You’re Never Too Much: Poems for Every Emotion (2025). He is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine.
David’s poems have appeared in publications such as Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, PRISM International, and The Ex-Puritan, where he won the inaugural Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence, as well as in the Pan MacMillan anthologies He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems (2024) and You’re Never Too Much: Poems for Every Emotion (2025). He is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 23, 2022
Such a beautiful poetry collection with vivid imagery that’s also accessible to us common people who don’t always “get” it.
From toxic masculinity to “sorry I don’t date Asians” comments, this poetry collection is just as magical and thought-provoking as its beautiful collection suggested it to be.
I can’t wait to read more of David’s works!
From toxic masculinity to “sorry I don’t date Asians” comments, this poetry collection is just as magical and thought-provoking as its beautiful collection suggested it to be.
I can’t wait to read more of David’s works!
February 23, 2022
MYTHICAL MAN by David Ly is an incredible poetry book! I loved these poems!! In this debut collection Ly’s poetry explores the topics of toxic masculinity, queer love, race, identity, dating apps, and social media.
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I immediately connected to this author as we’re both based in Vancouver and to the setting of the poems Granville and West Georgia and Celebrity Sighting. I stroll by the “dilapidated London Drugs” on the corner of Granville and West Georgia almost everyday. I loved all the other references in these poems as well including Lady Gaga and the rainbow crosswalk. The poems revealing how his Asian identity is perceived on dating apps were brutally honest and heartbreaking.
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This is a book that I read in one sitting. These poems absorbed me and at one point I was even teary eyed. I really enjoyed all the poems and my faves are Nice to Meet You and State of Man. If you’re looking for an amazing CanLit poetry book then read this one!! I can’t wait to read his second poetry book coming out this fall called Dream of Me as Water!
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Thank you to the author for this signed gifted review copy! It’s a treasure to add to my collection!
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I immediately connected to this author as we’re both based in Vancouver and to the setting of the poems Granville and West Georgia and Celebrity Sighting. I stroll by the “dilapidated London Drugs” on the corner of Granville and West Georgia almost everyday. I loved all the other references in these poems as well including Lady Gaga and the rainbow crosswalk. The poems revealing how his Asian identity is perceived on dating apps were brutally honest and heartbreaking.
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This is a book that I read in one sitting. These poems absorbed me and at one point I was even teary eyed. I really enjoyed all the poems and my faves are Nice to Meet You and State of Man. If you’re looking for an amazing CanLit poetry book then read this one!! I can’t wait to read his second poetry book coming out this fall called Dream of Me as Water!
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Thank you to the author for this signed gifted review copy! It’s a treasure to add to my collection!
April 25, 2020
Biting, witty, contemporary. Each page burst with surprise and sadness, then delight. Do yourself a favour and go buy Ly's debut.
September 2, 2020
I think this book is pretty good :)
August 3, 2020
The book is as sexy as the cover and inner vellum liner promise—but it is also tender, funny (particularly Disco the Pug is Mine, which as a pet owner, I just felt), and heart-breaking in its exploration of identity, dating, and racism. Then, Ly adds on this mythological element that definitely asks for a closer look. No wonder he’s on CBC’s list of writers to watch!
From “I finally learned how to love myself”
“I discovered that everything I despise
about how the world delimits people
infected him so that not even the way
I made him sweat could expel it from his body.”
February 18, 2021
I really enjoyed this anthology (even though I took a break from it for a while🙈). This is the first collection of poems I've read from a male author and it's set the bar pretty high now lol. In Mythical Man, David basically deconstructs the notion of "man", while sharing about his Asian identity (and not fitting in), relationships, online dating, sex, and addiction to social media.
I really liked this one.
I really liked this one.
November 9, 2020
ooh this book is delightful!!
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September 30, 2020This poetry collection by David Ly really cuts deep. David Ly is an Asian Canadian queer poet and his poetry reflects his experiences as an Asian gay man, expressing his dating experiences, experiences of racism, and experiences of being part of a larger Asian diaspora.
Racism in queer relationships and in dating as a queer person is something that Ly expresses really well, and I think is such an important issue to know about and discuss. MESSAGE RECEIVED and ANOTHER MESSAGE RECEIVED are two poems that express this really well.
Not all poems are sad though, as many of them end on a hopeful note. I FINALLY LEARNED HOW TO LOVE MYSELF is one that expresses hope in acceptance in his Asian identity. DISCO THE PUG IS MINE is just a very cute and heartwarming favorite of mine.
I'm a straight female, but so much of Ly's poetry struck a chord in me. It made me realize that racism and Asian fetishes aren't just something that Asian females experience. It's something that runs deep in western society toward Asians, and it's so problematic, particularly when it comes to dating. I hate that it's something we experience. I hate that we have to be on guard constantly and worry about whether the person we are interacting with has some sort of Asian fetish.
Some of these poems are too sexy for me (I'm very PG), but I would definitely recommend Ly's poetry to anyone who wants an emotional experience reading about LGBTQ dating experiences, dating as an Asian in North America, and queer identity. It will make you feel seen.
Thank you David Ly for sending me your poetry book for an honest review!
Racism in queer relationships and in dating as a queer person is something that Ly expresses really well, and I think is such an important issue to know about and discuss. MESSAGE RECEIVED and ANOTHER MESSAGE RECEIVED are two poems that express this really well.
Not all poems are sad though, as many of them end on a hopeful note. I FINALLY LEARNED HOW TO LOVE MYSELF is one that expresses hope in acceptance in his Asian identity. DISCO THE PUG IS MINE is just a very cute and heartwarming favorite of mine.
I'm a straight female, but so much of Ly's poetry struck a chord in me. It made me realize that racism and Asian fetishes aren't just something that Asian females experience. It's something that runs deep in western society toward Asians, and it's so problematic, particularly when it comes to dating. I hate that it's something we experience. I hate that we have to be on guard constantly and worry about whether the person we are interacting with has some sort of Asian fetish.
Some of these poems are too sexy for me (I'm very PG), but I would definitely recommend Ly's poetry to anyone who wants an emotional experience reading about LGBTQ dating experiences, dating as an Asian in North America, and queer identity. It will make you feel seen.
Thank you David Ly for sending me your poetry book for an honest review!
Read
January 28, 2022Familiar, funny, heartbreaking
Great debut collection, speaks to lived experience of queer EAsian identities in a city often perceived by non-locals and ignorant locals alike, as glamourous and open to diversity, when in fact there is still so much ugliness here. Ly takes that ugliness and makes it bite back, forcing the reader to realize there may be something off about the North Hollywood narrative
Great debut collection, speaks to lived experience of queer EAsian identities in a city often perceived by non-locals and ignorant locals alike, as glamourous and open to diversity, when in fact there is still so much ugliness here. Ly takes that ugliness and makes it bite back, forcing the reader to realize there may be something off about the North Hollywood narrative
November 15, 2020
Mythical Man is everything I want in a poetry collection. Equal parts playful, poignant, and personal.
I loved its mantra-like moments of repetition, its self-awareness, and its commentary on manhood, race, and queerness.
Definitely a fantastic collection for people new to poetry (or who may be scared of poetry).
I loved its mantra-like moments of repetition, its self-awareness, and its commentary on manhood, race, and queerness.
Definitely a fantastic collection for people new to poetry (or who may be scared of poetry).
January 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this collection of poetry. It explored Asian identity, gay culture, fairytales, and more. David Ly’s poems have a special way of making you feel every thing he has gone through, as if you were there in the moment with him.
May 11, 2020
REVIEW FORTHCOMING IN The Puritan
May 19, 2020
A binge worthy book.
October 18, 2020
amazing!! love this collection of poems. a must read!
November 18, 2020
A good collection of poems about love, lust and dating as a gay Asian man.
June 16, 2020
Thank you for this, David. Reading this was like inhabiting a shedding snake, peeling back my old skin, scale by scale.
February 13, 2023
I absolutely loved this collection, seeing the author's growth & pain arc over time sent me back and forth throughout the book. I wish I had his free moving sense of form.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews