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Review: Sinophagia by Xueting C. Ni

November 3, 2024 by Paige Leave a Comment

Rating: 10/10

Synopsis:

An anthology of unsettling tales from contemporary China, translated into English for the very first time.

Fourteen dazzling horror stories delve deep into the psyche of modern China in this new anthology curated by acclaimed writer and essayist Xueting C. Ni, editor and translator of the British Fantasy Award-winning Sinopticon.

From the menacing vision of a red umbrella, to the ominous atmosphere of the Laughing Mountain; from the waking dream of virtual working to the sinister games of the locked room… this is a fascinating insight into the spine-chilling voices working within China today – a long way from the traditional expectations of hopping vampires and hanging ghosts.

This ground-breaking collection features both well-known names and bold upcoming writers, including: Hong Niangzi, Fan Zhou, Chu Xidao, She Cong Ge, Chuan Ge, Goodnight, Xiaoqing, Zhou Dedong, Nanpai Sanshu, Yimei Tangguo, Chi Hui, Zhou Haohui, Su Min, Cai Jun, and Gu Shi.

Review:

I received a copy of Sinophagia in exchange for an honest review.

This is an utterly incredible collection of Chinese Horror. Xueting has done a truly incredible job of curating and translating collection, it’s got a stunning variety of stories, in length, content and horror type. It has ghost stories, it has locked-room horror, it has horror with a twist at the end and every single one deserves it’s place in Sinophagia.

At the very start of the collection is an introduction from Xueting that speaks of the sheer amount of effort that went into Sinophagia. It gives an insight into the horror scene over in China and Xueting explains the journey she went through to make this book happen. It really made me appreciate the collection all the more for having that understanding and background to the works.

For me there wasn’t a bad story in the book. They’re all so varied but you start to see patterns in what constitutes horror in China, and the reason I love reading translated works is how it can differ to what we’re used to in the West. From stories involving superstitions around food and how it can be used to link the living and the dead, to stories that are firmly rooted in the struggles of modern China I found myself gripped by them all.

Some are strange. There’s a particular very short story about mountain hiking and the things you may meet. It’s the only story without any content warnings but yet it’s one of the first I think of when I think of this short story collection. Forbidden Rooms is arguably the story that a Western audience is most familiar with, it’s a locked-room story that definitely gave me Saw vibes (but WAY less gory thankfully). I found myself drawn to this story because I could see such familiarity in it, but I think there is also something to be said for reading outside of your comfort zone.

All of these stories have a feeling of unease and I love discovering what makes a genre tick in other countries. I think I’ll be diving into more Chinese horror if I can find it translated anywhere. There’s just something about cultures and customs and how that mixes with the genre that I love. It’s so hard to explain but if you’ve ever read translated sci-fi or horror you’ll probably see what I’m trying to say.

Read this. Please. It’s perfect to read as the nights draw in and you need to experience Xueting’s incredible editing and translation.

Filed Under: Anthology, Fear For All, Ghosts, Gothic, Reviews Tagged With: Sinophagia, Solaris, Xueting C Ni

About Paige

Paige started book blogging 7 years ago and never looked back. She started out in YA and has since moved on to Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror, although it’s rare for her to read something she doesn’t enjoy! Paige is chronically out of shelf-space but that doesn’t stop her buying books. She is an avid gamer when she isn’t reading.

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