DJ Elton is back with a drabble from Mythical Beings in Asia. Enjoy! The Little People in our Spirit House DJ Elton When I was small my mother knew someone stole her sweet rice biscuits. They would vanish and we would see the two working elephants eating them. But how could the elephants steal the... Continue Reading →
Mythical Drabbles: ‘Like Langka’ by Celestine Trinidad
Time for some drabbles! Starting today, I'll be sharing 2-3 drabbles per week from last year's drabble anthology, Mythical Beings of Asia. This collection is Book 4 in our Insignia Drabbles series; and a sample of drabbles from Mythical Creatures of Asia (Book 3) are available to read here online, published in 2021. First up,... Continue Reading →
Mythical Drabbles: ‘Kitsune, Hulijing and Kumiho’ by Jo Wu
It's always a pleasure to introduce Jo Wu's stories here at Insignia! Jo has 3 drabbles in both Mythical Creatures of Asia and in the upcoming Mythical Beings of Asia, and is a featured author in this year's Insignia 2021: Best Asian Speculative Fiction anthology. Enjoy today's drabble, from Mythical Creatures of Asia! Kitsune, Hulijing... Continue Reading →
Mythical Drabbles: ‘Steamy Blind Date’ by Ben Umayam
Time for another round of Mythical Drabbles! Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing more drabbles from our latest anthology, Mythical Creatures of Asia. Please enjoy today's dark fantasy drabble by Filipino writer, Ben Umayam. Steamy Blind Date Ben Umayam Nenita goes on a single’s cruise, blind date nightly. Blindly, she is swept up,... Continue Reading →
Mythical Drabbles: ‘Who Sits Beneath the Unlit Lantern’ by Nick Tan
Enjoy this moody drabble from Malaysian writer, Nick Tan! Who Sits Beneath the Unlit Lantern Nick Tan Qi Jin set the bowl of steaming noodles beneath the unlit lantern at her doorway. The landlord was coming up the street, banging at his tenants’ doors, collecting the rent she could no longer afford. She hurried inside... Continue Reading →
Mythical Drabbles: ‘Beneath the Mangoes’ by Natasha Sinclair
Today's Mythical Creatures of Asia drabble features the kapre, from Filipino mythology. Natasha Sinclair has three drabbles in this anthology, and is also a contributor from Insignia Drabbles #2. I personally love her dark fantasy stories! More drabbles from the Mythical Creatures of Asia anthology are now available online on this page. Beneath the Mangoes... Continue Reading →
INSTINCTS #15: ‘Bloodwork Mandarins’ by Deborah Wong
Happy November everyone! This month's INSTINCTS poem comes from Malaysian writer and recent Horror Matsuri contributor, Deborah Wong. Enjoy 🙂 Bloodwork Mandarins Deborah Wong for the executed wandering spirits I’d weaved too many ancestors dreams,succulent and salty blood in drips,land being stolen, drenched in mad fears,the fate is to erase history—colossal of wishesin flames and... Continue Reading →
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: JO WU
You might recognize the subject of our Author Spotlight today - Jo Wu has been featured in all 3 of the new Insignia anthologies releases this year! I love her stories (my favorite is 'The Amaterasu Kimono' in Castles & Kimono), and she has been a pleasure to work with on these projects. Let's get... Continue Reading →
FEATURED BOOKS 2020: ‘BLACK CRANES’ ANTHOLOGY
I have the perfect book recommendation for Horror Matsuri - Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women, edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn and just released on September 26, 2020. I picked this up yesterday and can't wait to read it! And how awesome is this cover? Blurb: Almond-eyed celestial, the filial daughter, the perfect... Continue Reading →
HAPPY RELEASE DAY: ‘SOUTHEAST ASIAN FANTASY DRABBLES’!
It's here! I've really enjoyed putting together this second drabble anthology; some of the contributors are from Japanese Fantasy Drabbles, but the majority are new contributors and it's wonderful to feature the work of so many native Southeast Asian writers as well. SOUTHEAST ASIAN FANTASY DRABBLES This anthology includes 83 drabbles (100-word stories) inspired by... Continue Reading →