Title: Black Cranes - Tales of Unquiet WomenAuthors: Lee Murray, Geneve Flynn, Nadia Bulkin, Ehline Cuyegkeng, Rin Chupeco, Grace Chan, Angela Yuriko Smith, Gabriela Lee, Rena Mason, Christina Sng, Nancy Holder, Alma Katsu
Genre: Anthology - Horror
Publisher: Raw Dog Screaming Press - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: March 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781947879560
Read: March 26 - April 12, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis from Publisher: *Winner of the Bram Stoker & Shirley Jackson Awards*
Almond-eyed celestial, the filial daughter, the perfect wife.
Quiet, submissive, demure.
In Black Cranes, Southeast Asian writers of horror both embrace and reject these traditional roles in a unique collection of stories which dissect their experiences of 'otherness, ' be it in the colour of their skin, the angle of their cheekbones, the things they dare to write, or the places they have made for themselves in the world. Black Cranes is a dark and intimate exploration of what it is to be a perpetual outsider.
NEW EDITION
This Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award-winning anthology in which Southeast Asian authors explore what it's like to feel otherness, took the literary horror communities and readers by storm in 2020 when it was first released. Now, Raw Dog Screaming Press is proud to re-release it in hardcover and paperback. The hardcover edition has new cover art by Greg Chapman, synching artistically to other books within the Black Cranes universe. The interior has been redesigned by book guru Todd Keisling who has incorporated images and textures for a lush reading experience. A new afterword by Nancy Holder, six-time Bram Stoker Award winner and New York Times best-selling author has been added to this edition.
Many of the stories included have been recognized individually. Grace Chan's Aurealis-nominated story "The Mark," was shortlisted for Australia's Norma K. Hemming Award, which recognizes excellence in the exploration of themes of race, gender, sexuality, class, or disability in a published speculative fiction work. The Eugie Foster was also awarded for Elaine Cuyegkeng's story "The Genetic Alchemist's Daughter." Black Cranes was an Aurealis Award Finalist, Australian Shadows Award Finalist, British Fantasy Award Finalist, and was Locus Award Recommended
Review: Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women features fourteen outstanding short stories from women that beautifully capture what it means to be both a woman and Asian.* Each author brings her own voice, perspective, experiences, and cultural history to the anthology, which gives it a robust and dynamic appeal. Whether the stories are based in science fiction, folklore, or the seemingly mundane world, each addresses the central themes in a unique way.
Here is my breakdown and thoughts on each story:
1. The Genetic Alchemist's Daughter (Elaine Cuyegkeng): A twisted tale about the pursuit of "perfection" and who defines it.
My thoughts: Wow. A fantastic way to start the anthology with hints of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and The Stepford Wives. I'd love to see this worked into a full-length novel.
2. Kapre: A Love Story (Rin Chupeco): Mythological creatures from the Philippines take center stage in an unconventional love story.
My thoughts: I'm a sucker for mythology and folklore, so this story satisfied on multiple levels. I loved the inclusion of different creatures that have wildly contrasting views on humanity and the relationship their kind should have with humanity.
3. A Pet Is For Life (Geneve Flynn): Featuring the kuchisake-onna (slit-mouthed woman) from Japanese urban legends, Flynn delivers a dark twist on predator and prey.
My thoughts: I freaking loved this story! Intensely visual and dark. I can absolutely see this as a horror movie.
4. Phoenix Claws (Lee Murray): Rooted in cultural bias and racism with a unique spin on the hungry ghost trope.
My thoughts: So twisted, and yet, despite the supernatural element, I can totally see the events of this story playing out as written.
5. Of Hunger and Fury (Grace Chan): Another spin on the hungry ghost myth, Chan creates a vibrant landscape filled with mystery and complex relationships.
My thoughts: A visceral entry that made me question reality. I'm still thinking about this one.
6. Skin Dowdy (Angela Yuriko Smith): One of the shortest stories in the anthology, this is a dark tale of technology, love, and revenge.
My thoughts: Although short, this is another story I can see making a great movie or a full-length novel. So many elements to explore and yet presented a complete, satisfying package.
7. Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth (Nadia Bulkin): A delightfully dark tale of Nyai Roro Kidul (Indonesian mermaid).
My thoughts: A little confusing at times, but overall, a dark twist on mermaids and the folklore that surrounds them in different cultures.
8. Rites of Passage (Gabriela Lee): A tale featuring the Philippine tiyanak (vampiric creature that takes on the form of an infant/toddler) and engkanto (mythic elemental forest spirits) that gives new life to the monstrous birth horror trope.
My thoughts: Dark, disturbing, and wildly imaginative. I loved this twisted-timeline story and again, would love to see it worked into a novel or even a movie.
9. The Ninth Tale (Rena Mason): Never try to outsmart a huli jing (Japanese fox spirit) or you just may end up reaping what you sow.
My thoughts: Another entry rooted in folklore and so beautifully written I was sad to see it end.
10. Vanilla Rice (Angela Yuriko Smith): Smith's second entry is no less powerful than her first. With a focus on identity and what makes us who we are, Vanilla Rice is a take of DNA manipulation gone awry.
My thoughts: We all have something we'd like to change about ourselves, but what if the choice of making that change was taken from us? Are we truly who we're meant to be? Short and though-provoking, and definitely one of my favorite.
11. Fury (Christina Sng): Set in the future on another planet, Fury is one of the longer stories and explores what it means to be human.
My thoughts: A solid science fiction story that has a few of my favorite elements: a strong female protagonist, a unique spin on zombies, and best of all, a cat!
12. The Mark (Grace Chan): Chan's second offering is no less disturbing than her first. A woman discovers a strange mark on her husband's torso and begins to question everything.
My thoughts: Vivid writing once again builds a complex relationship that will have you questioning if this is a tale of body snatchers or a woman mad with grief.
13. Frangipani Wishes (Lee Murray): Murray pulls off a rare second person point-of-view story about the lengths one will go to in order to better themselves with the flair of a classic Twilight Zone episode.
My thoughts: This started out a little confusing because of the second person POV, but I soon got into the meat of the story and was not expecting the twisted ending.
14. Little Worm (Geneve Flynn): Playing with the myth of the kwee kia, this story makes you wonder if the characters are actually faced with a "ghost child" or are they simply dealing with generational trauma.
My thoughts: Flynn's second story was my favorite of the anthology. I really wanted this to be longer because I didn't want it to end, and yet the ending was so perfect, I couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up this wonderful anthology.
Overall, I loved Black Cranes and will definitely be seeking out more stories from these authors. They each have strong, powerfully unique voices that must be heard in all their glory, and this anthology is a fantastic way to discover them.
*For the record, I'm not Asian but have been close friends with women who are, including daughters of Asian immigrants--specifically, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines--for years and have witnessed their struggles. However, I do not make any claim to fully understand those struggles as I am, after all, only an outsider to their respective cultures and families despite years long friendships.
