Horror books have been experiencing a boom for the past several years, and Asian American horror reads are no exception.
Like all good horror, Asian American horror has a lot to say about what’s really scary in this world. Because, sure, monsters are terrifying. But so are lots of other things. And while Hollywood loves to cast people in the same kinds of roles as long as consumers are willing to pay to see them, Asian American horror reads deliver far more nuance and innovation than mainstream horror films tend to allow for Asian American characters.
As Rena Mason points out in her essay for Nightmare Magazine on Asian women in horror, “It’s time to let the women with the long wet hair in Asian cinema and their Western remakes rest. They’re tired.” In other words, it’s high time “the Asian ‘revenge wraith’ trope” was set aside to make room for other explorations of Asian and Asian American women.
The Asian American horror reads on this list will give you a taste of the creative terrors these talented writer are crafting for you. Before you peruse them, though, take a min...
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