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Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror
From hungry ghosts, vampiric babies, and shapeshifting fox spirits to the avenging White Lady of urban legend, for generations, Asian women's roles have been shaped and defined through myth and story. In Unquiet Spirits, Asian writers of horror reflect on the impact of superstition, spirits, and the supernatural in this unique collection of 21 personal essays exploring themes of otherness, identity, expectation, duty, and loss, and leading, ultimately, to understanding and empowerment.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 2, 2022
Stars: 5 out of 5 (one star added for the gorgeous cover).
I don't often read non-fiction unless I need it for work, so I was a bit skeptical when I picked up this book. But that cover drew me in like a magnet, so I decided to give it a try. And I must admit that I didn't regret my choice.
This is a collection of essays by Asian women about their experiences having to reconcile two often different cultures or trying to integrate into a culture that is different then the one they were born into. It's also about the role of women in Asian culture and how powerless they often are. And each essay also talks about some monsters traditional to various Asian cultures and how those monsters are often females.
Yes, summarized like that this book doesn't sound particularly interesting, but trust me, it is. Maybe because being an immigrant myself, I can relate to the struggle of reconciling different cultures within oneself. I had to move and integrate into a different society several times in my life, and each time I had to decide which parts of myself I wanted to leave behind and what was the "core" of my being that I wouldn't compromise on, no matter how strange and "foreign" that made me in my new country.
And while my culture doesn't have such a radical and repressive stance against women, I still can relate to their struggles. My mother also sacrificed her career to follow my father into a foreign country and dedicated her life to raising a family. She also never bothered to learn the language. She surrounded herself with friends that spoke the same language instead. So you might say that she never fully integrated, even after living there for 20 years.
So a lot of these stories resonated with me, and as a bonus, I got to learn about folklore of other countries, which I am always fascinated with.
PS: I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don't often read non-fiction unless I need it for work, so I was a bit skeptical when I picked up this book. But that cover drew me in like a magnet, so I decided to give it a try. And I must admit that I didn't regret my choice.
This is a collection of essays by Asian women about their experiences having to reconcile two often different cultures or trying to integrate into a culture that is different then the one they were born into. It's also about the role of women in Asian culture and how powerless they often are. And each essay also talks about some monsters traditional to various Asian cultures and how those monsters are often females.
Yes, summarized like that this book doesn't sound particularly interesting, but trust me, it is. Maybe because being an immigrant myself, I can relate to the struggle of reconciling different cultures within oneself. I had to move and integrate into a different society several times in my life, and each time I had to decide which parts of myself I wanted to leave behind and what was the "core" of my being that I wouldn't compromise on, no matter how strange and "foreign" that made me in my new country.
And while my culture doesn't have such a radical and repressive stance against women, I still can relate to their struggles. My mother also sacrificed her career to follow my father into a foreign country and dedicated her life to raising a family. She also never bothered to learn the language. She surrounded herself with friends that spoke the same language instead. So you might say that she never fully integrated, even after living there for 20 years.
So a lot of these stories resonated with me, and as a bonus, I got to learn about folklore of other countries, which I am always fascinated with.
PS: I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2023
When I first started reading it, I had no idea what to expect. I try to start every book without many expectations, this way I can't really get too disappointed. This companion connects Asian mythology to the lives of Asian Horror/Ghost Story Writers in a series of intensely personal and emotional essays rather than simply a collection of ghost stories. Which I actually hoped for.
It was interesting reading about the background of all those ghost stories, which always star a female ghost. But unfortunately, I don't really know all those stories which were marked. Or maybe I did hear of some of them, but just a slightly different version. As it is with all kind of mythological creatures, every culture has them in a slightly different version.
It was quite interesting reading about the writers' backgrounds, but nevertheless I hoped for more ghost story time.
It was interesting reading about the background of all those ghost stories, which always star a female ghost. But unfortunately, I don't really know all those stories which were marked. Or maybe I did hear of some of them, but just a slightly different version. As it is with all kind of mythological creatures, every culture has them in a slightly different version.
It was quite interesting reading about the writers' backgrounds, but nevertheless I hoped for more ghost story time.
January 26, 2023
Every single essay in this collection was beautifully-written, thought-provoking, and full of heart. I was teary at so many points, and I spread out my reading of it to ensure I could fully appreciate each piece. I want to hug every author, because as a Taiwanese Chinese American woman, I related to so, so much of what was shared. Absolute must-read!
January 13, 2023
I cannot love this enough. For those who want the stories behind the storytellers, this is one of the most authentic and powerful experiences I've encountered in years. Unquiet Spirits is what happens when a collection of sisters unite to articulate ancestral truths and find convergence in who they have become -- a formidable and inspirational force crafted from diaspora, deep compassion, and some seriously true grit. A priceless collection of highly skilled writers and voices. Please don't miss this.
August 15, 2022
I think I misunderstood the blurb for this one. I was expecting an essay about how the writers were Asian and how that affects them when it comes to writing horror, then a short horror story in relation to the particular spirit that they were talking about. And while a few of these had that format, not all of them did. Some read more like bios that sort of touched on the spirit. I also think that perhaps if there were less writers in here, it would have been a lot better.
I did have favorites in here:
Plant a cherry tree over my grave
Ghost month in Taiwan
Tearing ourselves apart
I did have favorites in here:
Plant a cherry tree over my grave
Ghost month in Taiwan
Tearing ourselves apart
February 8, 2023
Find my review of this book online in LIBRARY JOURNAL.
February 10, 2023
Contained in this book are twenty-two essays written by Asian women from the world of literary horror. Authors and poets, these women write the realities of their own lives as beautifully as any fiction.
While the essays tend to relate back in some way to the ghosts, spirits, and monsters of Asian folklore (which are fascinating enough to read about on their own), the heart of these writings, the truly relatable horrors held within, are those of searching for identity, of struggling against both familial expectations and a society which scorns those ideals. Here are women weighted down with the task of honoring centuries-old traditions while living in a modern world. Here are women caught between two cultures, trying desperately to hold themselves together while being pulled in opposite directions.
I cannot relate, personally, to being a child of two opposing cultures. However, I can, and did, while reading, relate to the hardships faced just by being a woman in a world which tells women they should be one thing or another, or all things to everyone, without ever considering or honoring who that woman is as herself and not as a daughter, sister, wife, mother.
These essays are both fascinating and heartbreaking. I think all women will find them achingly relatable, and men might just catch a glimpse into what it is to grow up female.
While the essays tend to relate back in some way to the ghosts, spirits, and monsters of Asian folklore (which are fascinating enough to read about on their own), the heart of these writings, the truly relatable horrors held within, are those of searching for identity, of struggling against both familial expectations and a society which scorns those ideals. Here are women weighted down with the task of honoring centuries-old traditions while living in a modern world. Here are women caught between two cultures, trying desperately to hold themselves together while being pulled in opposite directions.
I cannot relate, personally, to being a child of two opposing cultures. However, I can, and did, while reading, relate to the hardships faced just by being a woman in a world which tells women they should be one thing or another, or all things to everyone, without ever considering or honoring who that woman is as herself and not as a daughter, sister, wife, mother.
These essays are both fascinating and heartbreaking. I think all women will find them achingly relatable, and men might just catch a glimpse into what it is to grow up female.
November 7, 2022
This was one of those books that I definitely did not know what I was getting when I originally set to read it. Rather than it being a selection of Ghost Stories, this seems to be a companion piece to an earlier anthology called Black Cranes (which incidentally is from the same publishers) and relates Asian folklore to the lives of Asian Horror Writers in a set of deeply personal essays.
The book is an interesting view of being an Asian woman who has been part of the historic Asian Diaspora throughout the world. Over the perspectives of a number of women from different backgrounds, each short piece has its roots in folklore and mythology and gives a series of self-explorations through the medium of horror.
There are a number of different subjects in this compilation of essays, dealing with trauma, tradition, culture, identity, all mirroring different aspects of being unquiet, of just accepting that things will be the same and that in order to resonate back the feelings of the women who are writing the essays.
The essays themselves have a plethora of differing voices, ranging from the academic, to the conversational. From the formal, to the informal and through these allegorical manifestations of the spirits, monsters and phantasms, the individual writers tell not only their own experiences, but those of their mothers and their grandmothers.
One of the things that I found that resonated with me was the differing interpretations of folklore and how this has an impact on differing cultures. As a person from England, I realise that a number of our folklore tales have now become lost to the mists of time or have been Potterised in order to give a certain boy wizard a back story and have less of impact than they once did (although, I do applaud the woman for using folklore in these books). In addition to his, it is interesting to see how much tales of fox spirits and hungry ghosts still have an effect on different cultures and how they relate to the everyday experience in the twenty first century.
On the whole, I enjoyed this series of essays. As you can guess some hit home more than others, which is something that you would expect when you are reading a collection of essays. A couple seemed out of place, although they are not without their merit, it’s just that they did not seem to fit, and I notice that another reviewer thought the same.
As a postscript, I think for me that the only negative thing (if you can call it that, it was more like a niggle!) that I seemed to get out of the book was that at times I felt that there was some background that I was missing, and I think that this was highlighted more in the first essay in which the author used fragments of her own tales from the earlier anthology Black Cranes, and I felt that it may have been advantageous to read this first, not essential, but advantageous.
The book is an interesting view of being an Asian woman who has been part of the historic Asian Diaspora throughout the world. Over the perspectives of a number of women from different backgrounds, each short piece has its roots in folklore and mythology and gives a series of self-explorations through the medium of horror.
There are a number of different subjects in this compilation of essays, dealing with trauma, tradition, culture, identity, all mirroring different aspects of being unquiet, of just accepting that things will be the same and that in order to resonate back the feelings of the women who are writing the essays.
The essays themselves have a plethora of differing voices, ranging from the academic, to the conversational. From the formal, to the informal and through these allegorical manifestations of the spirits, monsters and phantasms, the individual writers tell not only their own experiences, but those of their mothers and their grandmothers.
One of the things that I found that resonated with me was the differing interpretations of folklore and how this has an impact on differing cultures. As a person from England, I realise that a number of our folklore tales have now become lost to the mists of time or have been Potterised in order to give a certain boy wizard a back story and have less of impact than they once did (although, I do applaud the woman for using folklore in these books). In addition to his, it is interesting to see how much tales of fox spirits and hungry ghosts still have an effect on different cultures and how they relate to the everyday experience in the twenty first century.
On the whole, I enjoyed this series of essays. As you can guess some hit home more than others, which is something that you would expect when you are reading a collection of essays. A couple seemed out of place, although they are not without their merit, it’s just that they did not seem to fit, and I notice that another reviewer thought the same.
As a postscript, I think for me that the only negative thing (if you can call it that, it was more like a niggle!) that I seemed to get out of the book was that at times I felt that there was some background that I was missing, and I think that this was highlighted more in the first essay in which the author used fragments of her own tales from the earlier anthology Black Cranes, and I felt that it may have been advantageous to read this first, not essential, but advantageous.
January 6, 2025
Finally finished this book! Took me 2 whole weeks!
I’m not going to do a breakdown of each essay because I am lazy and that is too much work but I probably enjoyed about 40% of the essays and didn’t care for the other 60%.
Below are some quotes from the book that I liked:
“As women, we live with the weight of expectation—the expectation of what it means to be a woman, as told to us by the world around us. It’s a game we had no choice in; we were in the middle of it before we agreed to play. And in that arena, we often lose sight of ourselves.”
-Lisa Kröger (Foreward)
“Where can we go if we know not where we came from? And where could we go if we knew?”
-Celine Murray (Fox Daughter)
“Not one of us, not me, not you, understands the pain of others, and so we take their misery too lightly—at least up to the point they take their life.”
-Yi Izzy Yu (The Substitute)
“They say those who are nearest and dearest to us know us best, but perhaps sometimes those are the people from whom we hide ourselves most, and perhaps those are the people who are sometimes most blinded to the pain we hold inside.”
-Ai Jiang (The Unvoiced, The Unheard, The Unknown, The Unquiet)
“I cannot imagine anyone stronger than a mother.”
-Ai Jiang (The Unvoiced, The Unheard, The Unknown, The Unquiet)
“There’s loss in all the selves we decide not to become.”
-Kiyomi Appleton Gaines
I’m not going to do a breakdown of each essay because I am lazy and that is too much work but I probably enjoyed about 40% of the essays and didn’t care for the other 60%.
Below are some quotes from the book that I liked:
“As women, we live with the weight of expectation—the expectation of what it means to be a woman, as told to us by the world around us. It’s a game we had no choice in; we were in the middle of it before we agreed to play. And in that arena, we often lose sight of ourselves.”
-Lisa Kröger (Foreward)
“Where can we go if we know not where we came from? And where could we go if we knew?”
-Celine Murray (Fox Daughter)
“Not one of us, not me, not you, understands the pain of others, and so we take their misery too lightly—at least up to the point they take their life.”
-Yi Izzy Yu (The Substitute)
“They say those who are nearest and dearest to us know us best, but perhaps sometimes those are the people from whom we hide ourselves most, and perhaps those are the people who are sometimes most blinded to the pain we hold inside.”
-Ai Jiang (The Unvoiced, The Unheard, The Unknown, The Unquiet)
“I cannot imagine anyone stronger than a mother.”
-Ai Jiang (The Unvoiced, The Unheard, The Unknown, The Unquiet)
“There’s loss in all the selves we decide not to become.”
-Kiyomi Appleton Gaines
September 8, 2022
Ever since I was little, I loved reading Asian fairy tales and stories, because they sounded more serious, wiser, and scarier than other recommended stories for children.
For Asian families, it’s important to maintain regular contact with the dead, to ensure they are nourished and entertained—to placate them. In Chinese culture, people become hungry ghosts because of evil deeds carried out in the course of their lifetime.
It is very interesting, that the realm of ghosts is full of greedy women who want more than their due.
The book Unquiet Spirits presents several stories written from the female point of view, mainly from the point of view of people who are permanently displaced or born outside their native land and therefore not only physically separated from their ancestral roots and traditions but also spiritually. Hence the fear that after death they can become hungry ghosts or apparitions.
This unique collection of essays explores themes of identity, expectation, duty, and loss.
Empowering and emotional read about woman's role in folklore, which still affects lives in the Asian diaspora today.
For Asian families, it’s important to maintain regular contact with the dead, to ensure they are nourished and entertained—to placate them. In Chinese culture, people become hungry ghosts because of evil deeds carried out in the course of their lifetime.
It is very interesting, that the realm of ghosts is full of greedy women who want more than their due.
The book Unquiet Spirits presents several stories written from the female point of view, mainly from the point of view of people who are permanently displaced or born outside their native land and therefore not only physically separated from their ancestral roots and traditions but also spiritually. Hence the fear that after death they can become hungry ghosts or apparitions.
This unique collection of essays explores themes of identity, expectation, duty, and loss.
Empowering and emotional read about woman's role in folklore, which still affects lives in the Asian diaspora today.
October 22, 2022
This is a wonderfully thought out and well-constructed essay collection. Each story had its own 'ghost' - be it an actual creature from horror and folk tales or a manifestation of little pieces of womanhood and the search of belonging in this world. I believe each reader will find essays that resonate with them the most, that spell out their deepest thoughts, and some stories may be less intruiging but no less interesting and evocative. The collection is masterfully edited to show off the writers' unique strenghts and style, and to join the essays into a cohesive compilation of self-exploration through horror.
My absolute favourite essays:
"The Substitute"
"Fox Daughter"
"100 Livers"
"Plant a Cherry Tree Over My Grave"
"Ghost Month in Taiwan"
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC
February 18, 2023
First, I'll start off saying that I love anthologies. It's a nice way to discover new authors and stories from different cultures. This is a horror anthology book. Thats what caught my attention. I can honestly say that this book did not disappointed. The tropes for the stories range from vampires., ghost, urban legends and other fantasy entries. an incredible collection of stories that fuse well together. I discovered new authors and uniquely weird stories. I enjoyed my journey with this book, and I think it's a must read for horror fans.
Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Black Spot Books for a copy of this book and I am leaving this book voluntarily.
Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Black Spot Books for a copy of this book and I am leaving this book voluntarily.
October 2, 2022
Thank you to Black Spot Books Non-Fiction for providing me with an e-ARC of Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror!
I love non-fiction that has anything to do with horror & Unquiet Spirits was absolutely no exception. I learned so much about different lore in several different Asian cultures & every essay tied these stories with the author's personal lives & gosh, I loved it. Every single author in the TOC put their heart in every word they wrote; it was so raw and honest. 10/10 recommend.
I love non-fiction that has anything to do with horror & Unquiet Spirits was absolutely no exception. I learned so much about different lore in several different Asian cultures & every essay tied these stories with the author's personal lives & gosh, I loved it. Every single author in the TOC put their heart in every word they wrote; it was so raw and honest. 10/10 recommend.
dnf
February 1, 2023I'm going to blame this DNF entirely on myself. For some reason, I believed this to be a horror collection by Asian women. The word "essays" in the title didn't click. This is a collection of non-fiction essays by horror writers and its very academic.
While I'm sure this is important and would be a wonderful resource for students its just not what I was expecting (again, entirely my own fault).
No rating. I hope this finds in audience.
I was offered an ARC copy of this title by the publisher, Black Spot Books via netgalley. I was not required to leave this review.
While I'm sure this is important and would be a wonderful resource for students its just not what I was expecting (again, entirely my own fault).
No rating. I hope this finds in audience.
I was offered an ARC copy of this title by the publisher, Black Spot Books via netgalley. I was not required to leave this review.
February 6, 2023
Thank you for the ARC Netgalley!
I really tried with this one, I dnf'd and restarted 3 times, but I have to say I found this extremely tough to read and can't see how a general fantasy reader could easily enjoy this book.
It's mainly the constant references in parenthesis that really broke the flow of the stories and made it a bit too tedious to read.
I'm gonna give it another go in a bit, see if my perspective changes, but for now I'll leave this at 2 stars.
I really tried with this one, I dnf'd and restarted 3 times, but I have to say I found this extremely tough to read and can't see how a general fantasy reader could easily enjoy this book.
It's mainly the constant references in parenthesis that really broke the flow of the stories and made it a bit too tedious to read.
I'm gonna give it another go in a bit, see if my perspective changes, but for now I'll leave this at 2 stars.
March 12, 2023
A brilliant non fiction read where the writers explore various Asian myths, legends and superstitions and what that has meant for them in their lives and the 21st century touching on issues of being an immigrant; breaking from certain family and gender roles and exploring your own heritage - strongly recommended!
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
February 25, 2023
Fantastic collection of folklore, well put together and a great place to start finding new anuthors for me, but also to learn about folklore of different cultures, great stuff
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 23, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“Unquiet Spirit” is a deeply personal and intriguing collection of essays. Across multiple authors you are introduced to a multitude of haunting female ghosts across Asia, ghosts that have found their way into each writer’s life. They symbolize, trauma, tradition, hunger, all of these ghosts reflect the unquiet feelings inside us.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these essays and receiving multiple perspectives from a diverse collection of Asian diaspora writers. I learned a lot about the mythology and culture of the different countries, that I’d been totally unaware of before. If you enjoy thoughtful essays and want to read some with an element of the supernatural thrown in, this is the collection for you.
“Unquiet Spirit” is a deeply personal and intriguing collection of essays. Across multiple authors you are introduced to a multitude of haunting female ghosts across Asia, ghosts that have found their way into each writer’s life. They symbolize, trauma, tradition, hunger, all of these ghosts reflect the unquiet feelings inside us.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through these essays and receiving multiple perspectives from a diverse collection of Asian diaspora writers. I learned a lot about the mythology and culture of the different countries, that I’d been totally unaware of before. If you enjoy thoughtful essays and want to read some with an element of the supernatural thrown in, this is the collection for you.
January 3, 2023
Unquiet Spirits is an important book for broadening and diversifying discussions about gender and race in today's politics. Exploration of local supernatural and ghost stories to describe the history of women's oppression and the current status of women's rights and liberation in Asia is not only an interesting choice, but also an effective tool in emphasizing the importance of personal narratives in enriching our understanding of the experiences of Asian women in the diaspora. Although some essays veered away from ghost stories and instead focused on folklore, myth, and religion, the collection remained true to its goal of painting a clear picture of what it means to be a woman of Asian descent, including their suffering, obligations, frustrations, motivations, and longings.
The best essays in this collection are those that perfectly balance history, trivia, memoir, and literary analysis. Some of my favorites are Yi Izzy Yu's The Substitute, Ai Jiang's The Unvoiced, The Unheard, The Unknown, The Unquiet, Benebell Wen's Ghost Month in Taiwan, and Vanessa Fogg's Hungry Ghosts in America. Those that didn't stand out to me were those that lacked cohesion or failed to meet the definition of a messay.
I also appreciated how the essays were organized and how that choice connected each essay with the goal of demonstrating that Asian horror stories share common themes and are frequently cautionary tales about discrimination and violence against women. Thus, despite having few unremarkable essays, Lisa Kröger, who wrote the foreword, was completely right that each and every essay in this book is important—no word is wasted.
The best essays in this collection are those that perfectly balance history, trivia, memoir, and literary analysis. Some of my favorites are Yi Izzy Yu's The Substitute, Ai Jiang's The Unvoiced, The Unheard, The Unknown, The Unquiet, Benebell Wen's Ghost Month in Taiwan, and Vanessa Fogg's Hungry Ghosts in America. Those that didn't stand out to me were those that lacked cohesion or failed to meet the definition of a messay.
I also appreciated how the essays were organized and how that choice connected each essay with the goal of demonstrating that Asian horror stories share common themes and are frequently cautionary tales about discrimination and violence against women. Thus, despite having few unremarkable essays, Lisa Kröger, who wrote the foreword, was completely right that each and every essay in this book is important—no word is wasted.
September 8, 2024
This is not an anthology of horror stories, but an anthology of deeply personal essays written by 21 female Asian horror authors.
It will draw you in and bring you to the author's place straddling cultures, the power of identity, the strength of belonging, and their reality as women in a culture where the majority of monsters are female.
Not all the essays are comfortable reading, but they are all told from the powerful place of truth.
This book will bring you to an understanding of Asian horror in a way you hadn't expected and may make you examine your perception of what 'monstrous' truly means.
*Thank you to Black Spot Books Non-Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this title.*
It will draw you in and bring you to the author's place straddling cultures, the power of identity, the strength of belonging, and their reality as women in a culture where the majority of monsters are female.
Not all the essays are comfortable reading, but they are all told from the powerful place of truth.
This book will bring you to an understanding of Asian horror in a way you hadn't expected and may make you examine your perception of what 'monstrous' truly means.
*Thank you to Black Spot Books Non-Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this title.*
September 9, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of Unquiet Spirits!
If you are looking for an anthology on Asian mythology, this is not the book for you.
If, however, you are interested in a book that explores the experience of women of the Asian diaspora that is framed through Korean, Chinese, Thai, Philippine, Japanese, and other Asian folklore, this is definitely a book you should pick up.
And if this collection teaches you anything, it should be that unquiet spirits are real, just not in the ways we might expect.
I personally want everyone to read Unquiet Spirits. The topics discussed are incredibly timely—the pandemic, women's rights and power, depression, racism—makes this a powerful and moving collection of essays from women across the Asian diaspora grappling with ghosts, both those in fiction and the metaphorical kind. These women who write horror fiction draw connections between the ghosts and spirits of folklore—fox demons, substitute-seekers, the ever hungry ghosts—and demonstrates just how real these creatures are in their day to day life and in their past.
"Otherness transforms us into scapegoats, witches, dolls, and monsters. For many of us, monster is the label of choice." –Angela Yuiko Smith
As a white woman, there are without a doubt ideas in this book that are inaccessible to me. The racism that these women experienced or watched their parents suffer is not a reality I will know. However, there are other parts of this story that couldn't feel more real to my life and situation that if I'd written it myself (which wouldn't happen because I don't have the talent of these authors). The hunger for dreams you've had to let go of, the anxiety and depression that can hang onto us like a weight, conflicted feelings as we cannibalize some of the best parts of our lives for "progress", the difficulties of navigating a world hostile to the female body and our "sexual vulnerability".
"In her eyes, I see a fox, a spirit that now lives in me. And we're angry. Feral. We want retribution." –Celine Murray
I expected essays more on the subject of how these different authors interpret different kinds of spirits in their fiction, but instead they delivered heartfelt explorations of themselves and their experiences to explain why their respective cultures might have created such unquiet spirits. The authors mix memoir with folklore and advice for readers in captivating essays that are equal parts familiar and new.
"Tap into whatever your culture perceives a madwoman to be and watch the berth you're given widen; watch the leash you're on extend." –Nadia Bulkin
These women also go beyond the traditional undead ghouls we as readers associate with horror. One author includes the Christian idea of the Holy Spirit to explore the role of religious assimilation in immigrant populations. Another uses the yamauba to theorize about the strangeness—especially any deviation off the path toward motherhood— that turns women into witches in society's eyes. This chapter in particular is very poignant for an American reader in light of Roe v. Wade.
"I am reminded that the spirit is not just a silent reminder, a haunting of the awful things that have happened in the past. The spirit is also something that animates us, that moves us to be better and stronger and braver than we are now." –Gabriela Lee
Overall, I'd give this book a rating of 4.5 stars. This book has more lines that I've highlighted because they resonated with me than probably any book I've read in a decade. My only "complaint" (even that feels too harsh) is that there are two essays that stand out as not really jiving with the rest of the collection. Grace Chan's "Holy Revelations" centering on the Holy Spirit feels strange to me in a collection of stories about traditional folklore, but I think the overall point of the essay helps it fit. "The Agency of Modern Kunoichi" by Tori Eldridge discusses female ninjas, which is incredibly cool but so unlike the rest of the figures of folklore that it doesn't mesh as well with the rest of the essays. It is still wonderfully written, and I want to get the author's novels in the near future. Both of these essays are good in their own right, they just felt somewhat disconnected to the others in terms of their content.
CW: Suicide, racism, death, spiritual possession, fat shaming (last chapter, directed at author), sexual assault/rape, murder, gun violence, domestic violence, hate crimes
If you are looking for an anthology on Asian mythology, this is not the book for you.
If, however, you are interested in a book that explores the experience of women of the Asian diaspora that is framed through Korean, Chinese, Thai, Philippine, Japanese, and other Asian folklore, this is definitely a book you should pick up.
And if this collection teaches you anything, it should be that unquiet spirits are real, just not in the ways we might expect.
I personally want everyone to read Unquiet Spirits. The topics discussed are incredibly timely—the pandemic, women's rights and power, depression, racism—makes this a powerful and moving collection of essays from women across the Asian diaspora grappling with ghosts, both those in fiction and the metaphorical kind. These women who write horror fiction draw connections between the ghosts and spirits of folklore—fox demons, substitute-seekers, the ever hungry ghosts—and demonstrates just how real these creatures are in their day to day life and in their past.
"Otherness transforms us into scapegoats, witches, dolls, and monsters. For many of us, monster is the label of choice." –Angela Yuiko Smith
As a white woman, there are without a doubt ideas in this book that are inaccessible to me. The racism that these women experienced or watched their parents suffer is not a reality I will know. However, there are other parts of this story that couldn't feel more real to my life and situation that if I'd written it myself (which wouldn't happen because I don't have the talent of these authors). The hunger for dreams you've had to let go of, the anxiety and depression that can hang onto us like a weight, conflicted feelings as we cannibalize some of the best parts of our lives for "progress", the difficulties of navigating a world hostile to the female body and our "sexual vulnerability".
"In her eyes, I see a fox, a spirit that now lives in me. And we're angry. Feral. We want retribution." –Celine Murray
I expected essays more on the subject of how these different authors interpret different kinds of spirits in their fiction, but instead they delivered heartfelt explorations of themselves and their experiences to explain why their respective cultures might have created such unquiet spirits. The authors mix memoir with folklore and advice for readers in captivating essays that are equal parts familiar and new.
"Tap into whatever your culture perceives a madwoman to be and watch the berth you're given widen; watch the leash you're on extend." –Nadia Bulkin
These women also go beyond the traditional undead ghouls we as readers associate with horror. One author includes the Christian idea of the Holy Spirit to explore the role of religious assimilation in immigrant populations. Another uses the yamauba to theorize about the strangeness—especially any deviation off the path toward motherhood— that turns women into witches in society's eyes. This chapter in particular is very poignant for an American reader in light of Roe v. Wade.
"I am reminded that the spirit is not just a silent reminder, a haunting of the awful things that have happened in the past. The spirit is also something that animates us, that moves us to be better and stronger and braver than we are now." –Gabriela Lee
Overall, I'd give this book a rating of 4.5 stars. This book has more lines that I've highlighted because they resonated with me than probably any book I've read in a decade. My only "complaint" (even that feels too harsh) is that there are two essays that stand out as not really jiving with the rest of the collection. Grace Chan's "Holy Revelations" centering on the Holy Spirit feels strange to me in a collection of stories about traditional folklore, but I think the overall point of the essay helps it fit. "The Agency of Modern Kunoichi" by Tori Eldridge discusses female ninjas, which is incredibly cool but so unlike the rest of the figures of folklore that it doesn't mesh as well with the rest of the essays. It is still wonderfully written, and I want to get the author's novels in the near future. Both of these essays are good in their own right, they just felt somewhat disconnected to the others in terms of their content.
CW: Suicide, racism, death, spiritual possession, fat shaming (last chapter, directed at author), sexual assault/rape, murder, gun violence, domestic violence, hate crimes
April 30, 2023
Hungry Ghosts, Anger, Heritage and Grief
Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror
Edited by Bram Stoker award winning authors: Lee Murray and Angels Yuriko Smith
Publisher: Black Spot Books Non-Fiction
Release date: 14th Feb 2023
In their introduction to this mammoth and innovative non fiction book, editors Murray and Yuriko Smith bring us;
“The unspoken secrets of a diaspora which extends across countries, over cultures, and through generations, and which steps into the shadowy realm of the dead.”
This is a collection of personal reflections and essays based on tales from the grandmothers, the mothers, the aunties, the sisters, nieces and daughters.
It is all of these women and many more through history.
And it is the women of now.
The Asian Women in Horror who are screaming their rage, their joy, their fears, and clawing their way to the top of the horror charts.
I was so excited to see this book come into fruition, having seen the great work Black Spots have done and the solid track record of 'Black Cranes : Tales of Unquiet Women’ and later to 'Tortured Willows: Bent Bowed and Unbroken’.
Geneve Flynn is name checked with the first book ‘Black Cranes’, which arose from an encounter with Lee Murray.
And now, three books later you hold something truly unique in your hands, so step in and embrace these unquiet spirits.
The anthology opens with Murray’s ‘Displaced Spirits: Ghosts of the Diaspora”.
This heartfelt – fully referenced – essay, talks about hungry ghosts, Murray’s identity as mixed race, the unnamed women who are left behind when their husbands are dead, and the story of a ship carrying bodies back to their homeland. The horrific treatment of Chinese migrants by numerous governments. This discussion comes up regularly throughout.
My words won’t do this justice. You have to read this piece.
There’s so much in here, I can feel that rage, the grief, the disconnect and then the strong voice we’ve come to recognise in Murray. And there is already so much I didn’t know or understand about the various roles, expectations and pressures these women face. It makes me want to learn more and I know that this variety of essays will help me get there.
In ‘Fox Daughter’, Celine Murray talks about how her and her partner “visited Dunedin’s Lan Yuan Chinese gardens, the only authentic Chinese garden in New Zealand.” She reflects on the panel dedicated to the loss of the S.S. Ventnor, her own heritage and the nine-tailed fox demon.
She talks about her own identity as a queer woman with Chinese and Maori heritage who also has an invisible disability. I related to the part in which she mentions how her disability is treated differently when she uses her walking stick, as opposed to when she has left it behind.
Like it is almost “visible proof” of the invisible disabilities.
And though I can’t relate to the following quote, I could understand a little more;
“Changing her form, she moulds herself into a good wife, hiding her pointed ears and sharp teeth.”
In Geneve Flynn’s essay, she deals with the kwee kia or the ghost child,. She tells us about her aunt Rosemary and her mom Rosalind and the history that links them to the ghost child. It’s an emotional and heart-breaking piece. Although surprising in places, particularly when it comes to her brothers. I have a strong Irish background and the family expectations were that all the women would eventually be wife and mother and before that would care for the men. Thankfully through time, this has changed. From reading the essays in this book, it’s clear that it was nowhere near as pressured as the dynamic experienced by these authors.
The roles and responsibilities expected of the women of Chinese and/or Asian heritage has clearly influenced many of the authors in this spectacular non fiction anthology.
It was great to see a few names whose work I’ve either read or an aware of like AI Jiang, Christina Sng and Tori Eldridge.
It’s a moving, powerful and effective anthology sharing the ghost stories of generations and the trials too.
Terrific work.
Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror
Edited by Bram Stoker award winning authors: Lee Murray and Angels Yuriko Smith
Publisher: Black Spot Books Non-Fiction
Release date: 14th Feb 2023
In their introduction to this mammoth and innovative non fiction book, editors Murray and Yuriko Smith bring us;
“The unspoken secrets of a diaspora which extends across countries, over cultures, and through generations, and which steps into the shadowy realm of the dead.”
This is a collection of personal reflections and essays based on tales from the grandmothers, the mothers, the aunties, the sisters, nieces and daughters.
It is all of these women and many more through history.
And it is the women of now.
The Asian Women in Horror who are screaming their rage, their joy, their fears, and clawing their way to the top of the horror charts.
I was so excited to see this book come into fruition, having seen the great work Black Spots have done and the solid track record of 'Black Cranes : Tales of Unquiet Women’ and later to 'Tortured Willows: Bent Bowed and Unbroken’.
Geneve Flynn is name checked with the first book ‘Black Cranes’, which arose from an encounter with Lee Murray.
And now, three books later you hold something truly unique in your hands, so step in and embrace these unquiet spirits.
The anthology opens with Murray’s ‘Displaced Spirits: Ghosts of the Diaspora”.
This heartfelt – fully referenced – essay, talks about hungry ghosts, Murray’s identity as mixed race, the unnamed women who are left behind when their husbands are dead, and the story of a ship carrying bodies back to their homeland. The horrific treatment of Chinese migrants by numerous governments. This discussion comes up regularly throughout.
My words won’t do this justice. You have to read this piece.
There’s so much in here, I can feel that rage, the grief, the disconnect and then the strong voice we’ve come to recognise in Murray. And there is already so much I didn’t know or understand about the various roles, expectations and pressures these women face. It makes me want to learn more and I know that this variety of essays will help me get there.
In ‘Fox Daughter’, Celine Murray talks about how her and her partner “visited Dunedin’s Lan Yuan Chinese gardens, the only authentic Chinese garden in New Zealand.” She reflects on the panel dedicated to the loss of the S.S. Ventnor, her own heritage and the nine-tailed fox demon.
She talks about her own identity as a queer woman with Chinese and Maori heritage who also has an invisible disability. I related to the part in which she mentions how her disability is treated differently when she uses her walking stick, as opposed to when she has left it behind.
Like it is almost “visible proof” of the invisible disabilities.
And though I can’t relate to the following quote, I could understand a little more;
“Changing her form, she moulds herself into a good wife, hiding her pointed ears and sharp teeth.”
In Geneve Flynn’s essay, she deals with the kwee kia or the ghost child,. She tells us about her aunt Rosemary and her mom Rosalind and the history that links them to the ghost child. It’s an emotional and heart-breaking piece. Although surprising in places, particularly when it comes to her brothers. I have a strong Irish background and the family expectations were that all the women would eventually be wife and mother and before that would care for the men. Thankfully through time, this has changed. From reading the essays in this book, it’s clear that it was nowhere near as pressured as the dynamic experienced by these authors.
The roles and responsibilities expected of the women of Chinese and/or Asian heritage has clearly influenced many of the authors in this spectacular non fiction anthology.
It was great to see a few names whose work I’ve either read or an aware of like AI Jiang, Christina Sng and Tori Eldridge.
It’s a moving, powerful and effective anthology sharing the ghost stories of generations and the trials too.
Terrific work.
February 17, 2024
Guys I have to come back and redo my review because I'm still not over this book ."Unquiet Spirits," curated by Lee Murray and Angela Yuriko Smith, was an eye-opening literary journey for me. This anthology plunges you deep into the heart of ghostly narratives and the uncanny, offering more than just fleeting chills—it invites you into a full-on exploration of otherworldly realms. I often read anthologies especially horror ones but this one stood out.
What really sets this collection apart is its diversity. Murray and Smith have brought together a wide array of ghost stories, each enriched by its own cultural backdrop and personal touch. Reading through "Unquiet Spirits," you encounter a spectrum of voices, from the well-established to the up-and-coming, all harmonizing to create a spine-tingling medley of the spectral that stays with you long after you've finished the book. Unlike some anthologies, you can tell each voice distinct from each other!
The anthology brilliantly juxtaposes the eerie with the profound. These aren't just stories designed to spook you (no cheap jump scares here); they're thoughtful explorations of love, loss, grief, and what it means to be human. The ghosts haunting these tales symbolize not just supernatural entities but also the personal haunts of regret and unresolved issues.
Every story in "Unquiet Spirits" shines with its own light, offering a fresh take on the theme of hauntings. Whether it's a classic ghost story that has you looking over your shoulder or an inventive twist that surprises you, the range is impressive. The editing is top-notch, ensuring a smooth flow from one story to the next while maintaining a rich variety throughout the collection.
This anthology dives deep, examining the theme of hauntings from every angle—fear, longing, closure, and the complex web of human relationships that extend beyond the tangible. The stories provoke thought and invite reflection, often leaving you pondering their deeper meanings well after the eerie sensations have passed.
"Unquiet Spirits" also stands out for its global perspective. The collection spans various cultures and landscapes, offering a panoramic view of how spirits and the supernatural are interpreted around the world. This global outlook enriches the anthology, setting it apart from the typical Western-centric narrative in the genre.
In terms of writing, this anthology is a showcase of narrative excellence. The prose is rich and evocative, with each author contributing their unique voice and style. The settings are so vividly described that you're transported directly into the story, with a pacing that alternates between the deliberately suspenseful and the intensely thrilling. It's really hard to do that with ghost stories
To me, "Unquiet Spirits" is much more than a compilation of ghost stories (I AM NOT JUST SAYING THAT). It's a deep dive into the shadows that lurk within us, reflecting our darkest fears and deepest yearnings. It proves that ghost stories can do more than scare—they can enlighten, challenge, and touch our hearts.This collection is as thought-provoking as it is haunting. It's a book I find myself coming back to, each time !
What really sets this collection apart is its diversity. Murray and Smith have brought together a wide array of ghost stories, each enriched by its own cultural backdrop and personal touch. Reading through "Unquiet Spirits," you encounter a spectrum of voices, from the well-established to the up-and-coming, all harmonizing to create a spine-tingling medley of the spectral that stays with you long after you've finished the book. Unlike some anthologies, you can tell each voice distinct from each other!
The anthology brilliantly juxtaposes the eerie with the profound. These aren't just stories designed to spook you (no cheap jump scares here); they're thoughtful explorations of love, loss, grief, and what it means to be human. The ghosts haunting these tales symbolize not just supernatural entities but also the personal haunts of regret and unresolved issues.
Every story in "Unquiet Spirits" shines with its own light, offering a fresh take on the theme of hauntings. Whether it's a classic ghost story that has you looking over your shoulder or an inventive twist that surprises you, the range is impressive. The editing is top-notch, ensuring a smooth flow from one story to the next while maintaining a rich variety throughout the collection.
This anthology dives deep, examining the theme of hauntings from every angle—fear, longing, closure, and the complex web of human relationships that extend beyond the tangible. The stories provoke thought and invite reflection, often leaving you pondering their deeper meanings well after the eerie sensations have passed.
"Unquiet Spirits" also stands out for its global perspective. The collection spans various cultures and landscapes, offering a panoramic view of how spirits and the supernatural are interpreted around the world. This global outlook enriches the anthology, setting it apart from the typical Western-centric narrative in the genre.
In terms of writing, this anthology is a showcase of narrative excellence. The prose is rich and evocative, with each author contributing their unique voice and style. The settings are so vividly described that you're transported directly into the story, with a pacing that alternates between the deliberately suspenseful and the intensely thrilling. It's really hard to do that with ghost stories
To me, "Unquiet Spirits" is much more than a compilation of ghost stories (I AM NOT JUST SAYING THAT). It's a deep dive into the shadows that lurk within us, reflecting our darkest fears and deepest yearnings. It proves that ghost stories can do more than scare—they can enlighten, challenge, and touch our hearts.This collection is as thought-provoking as it is haunting. It's a book I find myself coming back to, each time !
December 17, 2022
I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this collection: Modern horror? Literary criticism? Traditional tales of terror? It intrigued me regardless.
What Unquiet Spirits delivers is a combination of all of the above. It is memoir, criticism, history, and ethnography in balanced fusion. Each chapter is written by an Asian female author and in it she discusses both her own writing, the cultural and historical inspiration for her characters, the origins of some feminine demon, ghost, or creepy -- a unquiet spirit -- which haunts her and the pages she has produced. In some chapters the author draws on a deeper well of literature of the past and ponders the future of the female spirit archetype that is the focus of their chapter.
The books is divided by and devotes its pages equally to feminine spirits across the Asian continent, from East to Southeast to South Asia. I was pleasantly surprised to see such attention given to Southeast Asian spirits and archetypes (my favorite was always the pontianak, the evil spirit of a woman who lurks in the dark under the protection of a banana tree. In my recollection, she can be "pinned" to the tree with a needle or a pin and made to do the pin-holder's bidding. But, beware to that horrid individual if the offending metal is ever removed!)
While the collection examines different demons and feminine archetypes from across a swath of very diverse cultures, it ultimately makes a singular, united appeal to the reader. Their call to action is unmistakable: Asian women, as a whole, alive or dead, demonic or angelic, monstrous or victimized, are powerful beings. Asian women have been too long overlooked in the literary world and deserve more than the whispered, submissive voice they have been too long assigned by Orientalists; hear them shout, scream, screech!
For that reason alone, Unquiet Spirits is worth reading. But there is more.
The authors reveal facets of the Asian feminine that have rarely been visible, that is to Western audiences. To Asian women, we have always known they were there, even when our patriarchal societies told us to ignore them, to castigate them, to revile these demonic women as ill-influences on ourselves and our communities, yet still, Unquiet Spirits is sure to deliver novelties and new knowledge to Asian/Asian American readers.
What Unquiet Spirits delivers is a combination of all of the above. It is memoir, criticism, history, and ethnography in balanced fusion. Each chapter is written by an Asian female author and in it she discusses both her own writing, the cultural and historical inspiration for her characters, the origins of some feminine demon, ghost, or creepy -- a unquiet spirit -- which haunts her and the pages she has produced. In some chapters the author draws on a deeper well of literature of the past and ponders the future of the female spirit archetype that is the focus of their chapter.
The books is divided by and devotes its pages equally to feminine spirits across the Asian continent, from East to Southeast to South Asia. I was pleasantly surprised to see such attention given to Southeast Asian spirits and archetypes (my favorite was always the pontianak, the evil spirit of a woman who lurks in the dark under the protection of a banana tree. In my recollection, she can be "pinned" to the tree with a needle or a pin and made to do the pin-holder's bidding. But, beware to that horrid individual if the offending metal is ever removed!)
While the collection examines different demons and feminine archetypes from across a swath of very diverse cultures, it ultimately makes a singular, united appeal to the reader. Their call to action is unmistakable: Asian women, as a whole, alive or dead, demonic or angelic, monstrous or victimized, are powerful beings. Asian women have been too long overlooked in the literary world and deserve more than the whispered, submissive voice they have been too long assigned by Orientalists; hear them shout, scream, screech!
For that reason alone, Unquiet Spirits is worth reading. But there is more.
The authors reveal facets of the Asian feminine that have rarely been visible, that is to Western audiences. To Asian women, we have always known they were there, even when our patriarchal societies told us to ignore them, to castigate them, to revile these demonic women as ill-influences on ourselves and our communities, yet still, Unquiet Spirits is sure to deliver novelties and new knowledge to Asian/Asian American readers.
May 2, 2023
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from this collection: Modern horror? Literary criticism? Traditional tales of terror? It intrigued me regardless.
What Unquiet Spirits delivers is a combination of all of the above. It is memoir, criticism, history, and ethnography in balanced fusion. Each chapter is written by an Asian female author and in it she discusses both her own writing, the cultural and historical inspiration for her characters, the origins of some feminine demon, ghost, or creepy — a unquiet spirit — which haunts her and the pages she has produced. In some chapters the author draws on a deeper well of literature of the past and ponders the future of the female spirit archetype that is the focus of their chapter.
The books is divided by and devotes its pages equally to feminine spirits across the Asian continent, from East to Southeast to South Asia. I was pleasantly surprised to see such attention given to Southeast Asian spirits and archetypes (my favorite was always the pontianak, the evil spirit of a woman who lurks in the dark under the protection of a banana tree. In my recollection, she can be “pinned” to the tree with a needle or a pin and made to do the pin-holder’s bidding. But, beware to that horrid individual if the offending metal is ever removed!)
While the collection examines different demons and feminine archetypes from across a swath of very diverse cultures, it ultimately makes a singular, united appeal to the reader. Their call to action is unmistakable: Asian women, as a whole, alive or dead, demonic or angelic, monstrous or victimized, are powerful beings. Asian women have been too long overlooked in the literary world and deserve more than the whispered, submissive voice they have been too long assigned by Orientalists; hear them shout, scream, screech!
For that reason alone, Unquiet Spirits is worth reading. But there is more.
The authors reveal facets of the Asian feminine that have rarely been visible, that is to Western audiences. To Asian women, we have always known they were there, even when our patriarchal societies told us to ignore them, to castigate them, to revile these demonic women as ill-influences on ourselves and our communities, yet still, Unquiet Spirits is sure to deliver novelties and new knowledge to Asian/Asian American readers.
What Unquiet Spirits delivers is a combination of all of the above. It is memoir, criticism, history, and ethnography in balanced fusion. Each chapter is written by an Asian female author and in it she discusses both her own writing, the cultural and historical inspiration for her characters, the origins of some feminine demon, ghost, or creepy — a unquiet spirit — which haunts her and the pages she has produced. In some chapters the author draws on a deeper well of literature of the past and ponders the future of the female spirit archetype that is the focus of their chapter.
The books is divided by and devotes its pages equally to feminine spirits across the Asian continent, from East to Southeast to South Asia. I was pleasantly surprised to see such attention given to Southeast Asian spirits and archetypes (my favorite was always the pontianak, the evil spirit of a woman who lurks in the dark under the protection of a banana tree. In my recollection, she can be “pinned” to the tree with a needle or a pin and made to do the pin-holder’s bidding. But, beware to that horrid individual if the offending metal is ever removed!)
While the collection examines different demons and feminine archetypes from across a swath of very diverse cultures, it ultimately makes a singular, united appeal to the reader. Their call to action is unmistakable: Asian women, as a whole, alive or dead, demonic or angelic, monstrous or victimized, are powerful beings. Asian women have been too long overlooked in the literary world and deserve more than the whispered, submissive voice they have been too long assigned by Orientalists; hear them shout, scream, screech!
For that reason alone, Unquiet Spirits is worth reading. But there is more.
The authors reveal facets of the Asian feminine that have rarely been visible, that is to Western audiences. To Asian women, we have always known they were there, even when our patriarchal societies told us to ignore them, to castigate them, to revile these demonic women as ill-influences on ourselves and our communities, yet still, Unquiet Spirits is sure to deliver novelties and new knowledge to Asian/Asian American readers.
May 9, 2023
Unquiet Spirits is an illuminating series of essays from women about Asian mythology and the ways it continues to interact with the lived experience of Asian women. Each piece introduces a mythological figure or creature and ties its story to the story of women in the cultures that engage with these figures. In some of the accounts, the authors explore the origin of these creatures, which often arises from horrific life circumstances, while in others the focus is on the activity of the creature after it is formed. Ranging from substitute-seeking ghosts who try to free themselves by persuading people to kill themselves in the tragic way the ghost had originally died, to figures who become displaced spirits hungering after the living, and only having their being because of evil committed against them or because they were taken from their home, oppressed lives and tragic endings brought out these unsatisfied beings. It costs them their final rest, but finally gifts them with power they never could claim in life.
Throughout all these stories, myth and culture are found reflecting each other, and sometimes it’s difficult to tell which one grew out of the other. In their stories, these Asian women writers discuss the horrors of Asian mythology, and show how intimately they are linked to the experiences of family, culture, purpose, “otherness”, displacement, and disadvantage. They share, with personal accounts, how expectations within their particular cultures led women, and men, down the same road that these cultural ghosts traveled. Being ashamed at not fulfilling an expected role in society and family, or oftentimes by being removed totally from their cultural home and the land where their ancestor’s spirits would remain, the authors yet found that the restless spirits of their homeland followed them. For some, they realized they had actually become the unquiet spirit.
But these stories are not about loss of hope. They are about new life but also about the old. They are about living with both sides of yourself. They live alongside the supernatural: some evil, others divine, others good, and still others existing as all three. In trying to understand these figures, what seems horrifying at first might not be as evil as you thought. As Geneve Flynn quotes in her essay on the kwee kia, “…some things were dangerous, but could be lived with.”
Throughout all these stories, myth and culture are found reflecting each other, and sometimes it’s difficult to tell which one grew out of the other. In their stories, these Asian women writers discuss the horrors of Asian mythology, and show how intimately they are linked to the experiences of family, culture, purpose, “otherness”, displacement, and disadvantage. They share, with personal accounts, how expectations within their particular cultures led women, and men, down the same road that these cultural ghosts traveled. Being ashamed at not fulfilling an expected role in society and family, or oftentimes by being removed totally from their cultural home and the land where their ancestor’s spirits would remain, the authors yet found that the restless spirits of their homeland followed them. For some, they realized they had actually become the unquiet spirit.
But these stories are not about loss of hope. They are about new life but also about the old. They are about living with both sides of yourself. They live alongside the supernatural: some evil, others divine, others good, and still others existing as all three. In trying to understand these figures, what seems horrifying at first might not be as evil as you thought. As Geneve Flynn quotes in her essay on the kwee kia, “…some things were dangerous, but could be lived with.”
February 16, 2023
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for the advance copy of this stunning collection of essays! I was so happy to get to experience the delving into the experience of the Asian women whose minds were picked for these horror reflections. It shows how alike some of our histories can be, but also the immense weight of how different they have been and still are treated. All of this being wrapped up in my favorite genre was an amazing way to present these stories. It was so easy to get into the mindset of the writers and follow along with their specific journeys.
These essays contain myths and legends such as the White Lady, and more Asian folklore like fox spirits. No matter which one-- the writers would weave in their personality and upbringing, making each story a unique beast. Some are formal, others written like a letter to a friend. The prose keeps things flowing in a beautiful way that really sends the heavy topics home. Behind the fictional monsters are ever-present behemoths like struggling with trauma, coming of age, and societal and familial expectations. These things shaped all of the women included here, and their hearts bleed onto the page... opening long-closed scars to share with the readers.
Though I cannot fully relate to the lives of the writers of these essays-- the issues they spoke on are universal. I think this is a must-read, not just for horror fans, but for those that are trying to gain insight on cultures that are different than their own. If we listened to more of these stories, the world would be a much kinder and pleasant place. I really respect the editor of this book for getting this group together, and I very much enjoyed hearing all of their voices and finding common ground between us. I hope to read more novels like this one in the future.
These essays contain myths and legends such as the White Lady, and more Asian folklore like fox spirits. No matter which one-- the writers would weave in their personality and upbringing, making each story a unique beast. Some are formal, others written like a letter to a friend. The prose keeps things flowing in a beautiful way that really sends the heavy topics home. Behind the fictional monsters are ever-present behemoths like struggling with trauma, coming of age, and societal and familial expectations. These things shaped all of the women included here, and their hearts bleed onto the page... opening long-closed scars to share with the readers.
Though I cannot fully relate to the lives of the writers of these essays-- the issues they spoke on are universal. I think this is a must-read, not just for horror fans, but for those that are trying to gain insight on cultures that are different than their own. If we listened to more of these stories, the world would be a much kinder and pleasant place. I really respect the editor of this book for getting this group together, and I very much enjoyed hearing all of their voices and finding common ground between us. I hope to read more novels like this one in the future.
October 17, 2022
This collection of essays written by Asian horror authors comprises a variety of voices from the academic to the conversational, from a variety of ancestral lands, and from new homelands across the Asian diaspora. Through ghost stories, allegories, and traditional folk tales, these women are able to parse their experiences and those of their parents and grandparents as they’ve left their homes behind. Filled with ruminations on longing, belonging, and feeling in between, Unquiet Spirits brings all of these voices together to give a picture of the stories that bind us all to our history and shape our understanding of ourselves.
As with any collection, there are essays that were more accessible to me, and more strongly written. I will say that the number of authors and the wildly varying styles did sometimes make the whole feel disjointed, but I found very few essays that really didn’t resonate. In addition to reading about some truly fascinating and terrifying (and mostly female) otherworldly creatures, I realized that the tales of the unquiet woman are cautionary in nature, but also reveal how frightened the status quo is of women who find their voice. This is a theme that I see in folktales from other cultures as well, and it was interesting to see how some authors identified with and claimed the hungry spirits as their own.
Recommended for students of folklore, fans of fairy tales, and anyone with interest in the stories of the women of the Asian diaspora.
Thank you to Netgalley and Black Spot Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
As with any collection, there are essays that were more accessible to me, and more strongly written. I will say that the number of authors and the wildly varying styles did sometimes make the whole feel disjointed, but I found very few essays that really didn’t resonate. In addition to reading about some truly fascinating and terrifying (and mostly female) otherworldly creatures, I realized that the tales of the unquiet woman are cautionary in nature, but also reveal how frightened the status quo is of women who find their voice. This is a theme that I see in folktales from other cultures as well, and it was interesting to see how some authors identified with and claimed the hungry spirits as their own.
Recommended for students of folklore, fans of fairy tales, and anyone with interest in the stories of the women of the Asian diaspora.
Thank you to Netgalley and Black Spot Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
October 12, 2023
"Unquiet Spirits" is a visceral, yet beautiful, look at the identities of women writers of mixed Asian descent through the perspective of ghosts and Asian ghost mythologies. Especially prevalent seem to be the hungry ghosts, forever tormented by emptiness they could never fill. It is a wonderful metaphor for having Asian and woman both as your identities, although I can truly only speak to the latter, as I am as white as they come (Ugro-Slavic, hell yeah).
Nevertheless, the woman portion of my identity found a lot of relatable themes in this collection, especially the hunger for more and the emptiness. As women, we are told from childhood to give ourselves away for others and keep nothing to ourselves, because that makes us selfish. We are left empty and wanting, craving for all the things we give to the world but never get back. We hunger for freedom to build our own identities outside of our parents, partners, society in general, and I believe it is this hunger that this anthology expresses so well. Of course, hungry ghosts or fox spirits consuming human flesh to feel more human are a ready metaphor for this identity hunger, but the writers' individual stories, which also speak to the realities of being mixed-Asian women, give them an added layer of lived experience, making the ghost stories feel incredibly real through relation.
I really enjoyed reading this anthology and will certainly look into more writing by the participating authors, as the excerpts they chose to quote in their essays left me intrigued and hungering for more.
Nevertheless, the woman portion of my identity found a lot of relatable themes in this collection, especially the hunger for more and the emptiness. As women, we are told from childhood to give ourselves away for others and keep nothing to ourselves, because that makes us selfish. We are left empty and wanting, craving for all the things we give to the world but never get back. We hunger for freedom to build our own identities outside of our parents, partners, society in general, and I believe it is this hunger that this anthology expresses so well. Of course, hungry ghosts or fox spirits consuming human flesh to feel more human are a ready metaphor for this identity hunger, but the writers' individual stories, which also speak to the realities of being mixed-Asian women, give them an added layer of lived experience, making the ghost stories feel incredibly real through relation.
I really enjoyed reading this anthology and will certainly look into more writing by the participating authors, as the excerpts they chose to quote in their essays left me intrigued and hungering for more.
August 24, 2022
This is an edited collection of writings by 21 Asian ladies on ghosts/spirits from their various cultures. What struck me most was that 1) many of these women are from immigrant communities and have sadly experienced racism and 2) many of the ghosts discussed are women who’ve been subject to violence by men. If you’re looking for a systematic treatment of Asian ghosts, this book is not it, nor is it trying to be.
These short essays analyse the ways in which traditional Asian systems have been setup to favour men: ghost stories as fables for how to be a “good woman” (who might still be murdered/attacked), polygamous marriage systems meaning wives can be neglected, expectations that women will sacrifice themselves for men/family (but no expectation that sons will do likewise), etc. These ghosts are then seen as part of various cultural Asian norms which the writers find themselves both resisting and conforming to. The chapters are not ordered by location of writer or ethnicity of writer or ghost(s) under consideration. This gives the collection a surprise factor as the reader is never sure what the next chapter will be covering.
This was a fascinating read but heartbreaking in places as you read of the suffering experienced. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
These short essays analyse the ways in which traditional Asian systems have been setup to favour men: ghost stories as fables for how to be a “good woman” (who might still be murdered/attacked), polygamous marriage systems meaning wives can be neglected, expectations that women will sacrifice themselves for men/family (but no expectation that sons will do likewise), etc. These ghosts are then seen as part of various cultural Asian norms which the writers find themselves both resisting and conforming to. The chapters are not ordered by location of writer or ethnicity of writer or ghost(s) under consideration. This gives the collection a surprise factor as the reader is never sure what the next chapter will be covering.
This was a fascinating read but heartbreaking in places as you read of the suffering experienced. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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