| Title | : | The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010-2020 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 9671659942 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9789671659946 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 332 |
| Publication | : | Published November 24, 2022 |
A wish for better weather has unexpected consequences. A pianist finds an unlikely audience in her next-door neighbour. A girl attempts Mount Kinabalu only to regret it. Curated by editors Zhui Ning Chang and JY Tan, The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010–2020 spans the speculative and realist to thrillers and drama. It explores the bold new directions of contemporary Malaysian writing and hints at the new heights of our future national literature.
The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010–2020 includes: Hugo Award winner Zen Cho; 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Prize Regional Winner Saras Manickam; Fixi Novo Contest winners Terence Toh and Chua Kok Yee; and USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw.
The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010-2020 Reviews
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Disclaimer: I received this book from the Malaysian Writers Society in exchange for my honest review.
Love the cover!
The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010–2020 presents a decade of 19 short stories collection. From surrealism to reality. From drama to day to day life as is. Some I enjoyed, some were meh, some I went, "What?" and some that I felt I had just wasted 5 minutes of my life reading them.
But the stories balanced each other out, so one does not feel bereft too much, or overwhelmed or felt cheated some how by some of the story lines. Here are the few ones that made an impression :
Ash to Ashes by Celine Wu who wrote about respecting nature that has a life of its own. I love how the spirits were given its own character with feelings! There's beauty and diversity in plants and wildlife, says Celine. Too true!
Appa's Mutton Curry by Sumitra Selvaraj. Recipe included! I could almost taste that succulent curry with the lyrical words so entwined with the spices and the story behind each dishes and preparation!
The Ministry of Sun and Storms by Terence Toh. Has the element of a Harry Potterism story but then, the what ifs made the story really plausible indeed.
Sambal without anchovies by Chua Kok Yee. Ahhhh, love letters can be written in many ways. Sometimes, we just need to look at it differently. No wonder this became one of the three stories used as required reading in SPM English Literature since 2015.
Overall, the book was quite interesting. A spectrum of stories from various themes and point of views. Quite a fast read as well and that's certainly important, in a world, where life rushes by with a blink!
Go get the book and support our local authors!
#reviewedbysyaz #klbacreviews -
Very enjoyable read!
Truly excellent stories, each unique in its own special way, offering very unique perspective, setting, and plot. Incredible writing as well, which this reader feels is truly difficult to execute.
Do check it out! A must-read!
