Spirits Abroad: an award-winning short story collection of Asian myths and folklore

Zen Cho's Spirits Abroad is a collection of short stories that take the reader from the mundane to the magical, drawing inspiration from East Asian and Malaysian myth and folklore. It features dragons, vampires, and incorrigible grandmothers, as well as an elderly ex-member of parliament who recalls her youthful romance with an orang bunian, a teenage vampire who struggles to balance homework, bossy aunties, first love, and eating people, and a mischievous matriarch who returns from the dead to disrupt her own funeral rites. The collection won the Ray Bradbury LA Times Prize for science fiction and fantasy and contains the Hugo Award winner "If At First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again." It is praised for its engaging and immersive reading experience, with many readers finding it a joy to read.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 17 August 2023
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

This collection of short stories takes readers on a captivating journey, whisking them away from the ordinary and into the realm of enchantment. Drawing inspiration from East Asian and Malaysian myth and folklore, Zen Cho guides the reader through enchanted realms inhabited by dragons, vampires, and incorrigible grandmothers.

In these pages, we meet an elderly ex-member of parliament who recalls her youthful romance with an orang bunian, a forbidden affair due to their religious differences. A teenage vampire struggles to balance homework, bossy aunties, first love, and the urge to feed on humans. A mischievous matriarch returns from the dead to disrupt her own funeral rites, pitting granddaughter against granddaughter. An earth spirit becomes entangled in protracted negotiations with an annoying landlord. And Chang E, the Chinese moon goddess, embarks on an extraordinary adventure into outer space, serving as a metaphor for the diaspora.

Spirits Abroad, a remarkable work, has earned the Ray Bradbury LA Times Prize for science fiction and fantasy, and it also contains the Hugo Award-winning story "If at First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again." This collection has received widespread acclaim, with authors such as Veronica Roth, KJ Charles, and Freya Marske praising it as a joy to read and an immersive reading experience.

With its captivating stories, rich mythology, and vivid prose, Spirits Abroad offers readers a delightful and captivating journey into the world of fantasy. Whether you're a fan of short fiction or seeking an escape into a realm of magic and wonder, this collection is sure to captivate and delight. So, grab a copy and prepare to be transported to a world where anything is possible.

Weight: 568g
Dimension: 242 x 160 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781035015641