Spirits Abroad

Zen Cho's award-winning collection, "Spirits Abroad," invites readers on a captivating journey through realms where East Asian and Malaysian mythologies brilliantly collide with contemporary life. Across seventeen fantastical short stories, characters navigate a world rich with magical realism and ancient folklore. We encounter an elderly former politician reflecting on a forbidden love with an orang bunian, a jungle spirit, complicated not by his supernatural nature but by religious differences. A teenage vampire struggles with the mundane demands of homework and family expectations alongside her supernatural appetites and first crush. A mischievous matriarch disrupts her own funeral from beyond the grave, while an earth spirit finds itself embroiled in frustrating negotiations with a human landlord. The collection culminates with the poignant tale of Chang E, the Chinese moon goddess, who transcends earthly bounds into outer space, a powerful metaphor for diaspora and belonging. "Spirits Abroad" is a vibrant tapestry of humor, heart, and the extraordinary in the everyday.