This month's poetry feature is by the talented Amrita Valan! Amrita is also a contributor in Mythical Creatures of Asia and the upcoming Mythical Beings of Asia anthologies. Defiance Amrita Valan The Apsara most adamant about herVisitPetitioned mighty commander Indra in vainAboard Indian Spaceship SuvarnarekhaDocked at space station Swarga. waiting in the netherworld dimensionsA swarthy... Continue Reading →
INSTINCTS #22: ‘INTER-DIMENSIONAL CLASSIFIED AD’ BY SULTANA RAZA (1/3)
It's my pleasure to introduce a new poet to our INSTINCTS series, Sultana Raza. She has graciously shared a series of three interlinked poems, in both English and the original French! What a treat! The second and third poems will be published next Monday and Thursday. Please enjoy! INTER-DIMENSIONAL CLASSIFIED AD Lines found scribbled in... Continue Reading →
WiHM & INSTINCTS #19:’The Legend of the Devil Bird’ by Anne Silva
Our last entry for Women in Horror Month is a piece by Sri Lankan poet, Anne Silva! This poem will also be listed as part of our online poetry series, INSTINCTS. 'The Legend of the Devil Bird' is based on a folktale about the Ulama (devil bird) that sounds like a women screaming in terror.... Continue Reading →
WiHM & AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: MEERA DANDEKAR
It's my pleasure to introduce another new contributor to our upcoming Mythical Creatures of Asia anthology, Meera Dandekar. Let's get to know her a little better with the following 25-question interview. banner - Meera Dandekar Meera Dandekar loves to explore the fictional worlds that show the magical realm of being. She’s studying mechanical engineering but... Continue Reading →
WiHM Drabble: ‘A Sailor’s Fear’ by Hien Fox
Today I'd like to introduce a new Insignia Stories contributor, Hien Fox! Hien has 3 drabbles appearing in our upcoming Mythical Creatures of Asia anthology. I selected this one, 'A Sailor's Fear' to share for Women in Horror Month. Enjoy! A Sailor’s Fear Hien Fox When my father taught me to swim, he threw me... Continue Reading →
WiHM & AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: FUSAKO OHKI
Today's Author Spotlight is presented (and translated) by guest editor, Toshiya Kamei! It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Fusako Ohki, an up-and-coming Japanese writer of fantasy and horror. She has three drabbles (originally titled, respectively, “Kappa,” “Nekomata,” and “Shuten-dōji”) in the forthcoming Mythical Creatures of Asia anthology. Poised to make a literary... Continue Reading →
Welcome to Women in Horror Month at Insignia Stories!
February is Women in Horror Month, and it's my pleasure to host a small blog series to celebrate the amazing women who contribute to projects here at Insignia Stories. WiHM banner We are an Asian speculative fiction press, with contributors from all over the globe. Our horror works tend to be more dark fantasy than... Continue Reading →
INSTINCTS #18: ‘Si Tenggang the Sailor’ by Ismim Putera
It's my pleasure to introduce the work of first-time Insignia Stories contributor, Ismim Putera. Please enjoy his poem, 'Si Tenggang the Sailor', inspired by a Southeast Asian folktale. Si Tenggang the Sailor Ismim Putera Si Tenggang yearns for the seawater washes his thighssalt encrusts on his facesands in his eyeshe is a weeping statuefossilised from... Continue Reading →
January News: Open calls & plans for 2021
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and summer/winter break. I went up in the mountains, to Takayama in Gifu. One of my favorite places in Japan! It has a lovely historical town, plus nice onsen (hot springs) and snowy mountain peaks. And the food is amazing. I highly recommend a... 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 →