Asian Ghost Short Stories

Book excerpt: Another deluxe edition of new writing and neglected perspectives. Asian ghosts, from India to China, Japan to Thailand, Korea to the Philippines, can be both terrifying and comforting. Underpinned by strong cultural beliefs in the cycles of life and ancestor worship, the nature of Asian spirits differs from that of their counterparts in other areas of the world. The possibility is more instinctually accepted that ghosts remain with us, as part of the world, whether we can see them or not. In Saigon The Daughter of Hui Bi Hua roams the corridors of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Art, in Japan the Kappa displays an insatiable appetite for cucumbers, in Indonesia the Kuntilanak is a wicked spirit, feared by all, and in Thailand the Preta is a disgusting, hungry ghost. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.