Japanese Shark Tank

Shinjuku Shark by Arimasa Osawa

Rating: ****

Culture Shock: *****

Summary: Jump the shark and discover Japanese noir at its finest in the first of a long-running series of mystery novels to be translated into English.

A few years ago I toured Japan with Intrepid Travel (plug, plug). While in Tokyo, managed to cajole my wife into Kinokuniya, the Japanese equivalent of Chapters/Indigo or Barnes and Noble. This mega-bookstore in Shinjuku was five stories tall with one floor dedicated to manga. When you bought a book, no matter how small, the cashiers took the time to wrap the book in a Kinokuniya book jacket and then wrap it again in tissue paper before handing it to you in a bag. It’s all about the aesthetics I suppose. I still have the book jackets.

As I was staring in awe, I found a small shelf of English language books. On it was a collection of the most popular English language best sellers by the likes Stephen King and JK Rowling and Tom Clancy. There was nothing by such literary luminaries as Margaret Atwood. And it got me to thinking – is this how the Japanese perceive English language books? Are the likes of the most popular writers in the English language world the only window into English literature?

The same could be asked of Japanese literature. What do we get as a window into Japanese society? The most popular books out there are manga. I would dare say that this is not entirely the best way to see what Japan is really like on the literary front. Well, then along comes Vertigo books which publishes translations of Japan ’s most popular novels that were not written by Haruki Murakami. Koji Suzuki (author of Ringu and its sequals), Natsuo Kirino (Out and Real World) and other popular Japanese authors are now gracing American bookstore shelves. They provide at least a peak into what the Japanese literary world is like.

One hopes that Arimasa Osawa is a name that will also stay on North American books shelves (I got my copy on Amazon though).

Shinjuku Shark is Arimasa Osawa’s first book in a series of noir detective novels. Published in English by Vertical Books, this series of best-selling crime fiction has won numerous awards including Japan’s Naoki Prize and has been made into films – all Japanese of course. After a decade and a half of acclaim in Japan , this series has finally made it to North American shelves. I had to get it on Amazon, but at least I got it and now that I know the second one (Poison Ape) is coming in October, I will look out for it.

Samejima is the quintessential noir detective – tough as nails with a strict, uncompromising moral code and living in a corrupt system that wants him dead, or at least silenced, for what he knows. Samejima (whose name loosely translates into ‘shark’) must find out who is killing cops and his investigation will lead him through the seedy streets of Shinjuku home to criminals, corrupt cops, streetwalkers and Yakuza. Samejima grabs you by the throat from the first page and doesn’t let go until the last. His character and his relationship with the young pop singer Sho will keep you turning pages.

And that was enough for me to recommend this book. However, there were parts of the novel that did not engage me. Some parts might work for a Japanese audience, but did not work for me and may not work for a North American audience. For instance, there are several short chapters seen from the point of view of the unnamed killer. The reader gets insight into what is going on in the killer’s mind. But for me, it wasn’t engaging enough. There was little or no interplay between Samejima and the killer nor was there enough information to get insight into the killer’s motivation (at least not until the last couple of chapters) so as a study in the criminal mind, I found it lacking.

Also, there was a lot of backstory regarding Samejima and the secrets he knows near the beginning of the book. This extended infodump slowed the pace of the book considerably and may turn some readers off. Much of the information imparted to the reader did not have any bearing on the current mystery. It did reveal a lot about the character of Samejima and where he comes from, but did not add to the air of mystery surrounding the cop killings. I imagine a lot of this is set up for the inevitable translations of the sequals, the first (Poison Ape) which is due this December.

So my recommendation is to jump the shark and discover Japanese noir at its finest in this, the first of a long-running series of mystery novels to be translated into English.

Culture Shock: ***** Arimasa describes Shinjuku and Tokyo in very sparse terms. This is probably because it was written for a Japanese audience who would be familiar with the locations mentioned in this book. Intimate knowledge of these places and terms is not necessary but trying to figure them all out might cause vertigo.

Write Dharma 1

These are comments and updates on projects I am currently working on:

Snow on Red Leaves: my latest try at a samurai short story was not accepted into the final five of the Robyn Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest this year. I made it into the contest for the past two years and won last year with Happy Valley. But my “no hat trick” rule still seems to be in effect (I can’t seem to three-peat anything. Two in a row is my upper limit it seems. Such is my karma). To be fair, there were over 30 entries this year and I was very close according to the pre-judges. However, there were still issues regarding character motivation which I have yet to work out. I received similar crits shortly before Christmas and I thought I added just enough to it, but obviously not enough. A few more tweaks and I’ll start sending it out to markets.

Current Short Projects include Jiang Shi, a story with Chinese vampires. Yes, Hopping Vampires. I plan to have this finished up this week and start editing this month. I want to send it in to Tesseracts 13 for the October 31st deadline. I need at least a crit or two before doing so, so I have a tight deadline. I am also working on Sorcerazzi, another modern day fantasy.

This Week’s Reason to Read: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami was released in hard cover last week. It is a memoir about writing and running by Japan ’s award winning author. Murakami’s other books include The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, After Dark and Kafka on the Shore.

An Asian in America

American Born Chinese

by Gene Luen Yang

Rating: ****

Culture Shock: *** There are references to the Monkey King and Journey to the West.

Summary: A masterfully written tale told with humour about what it was like growing up Chinese in America.

In an early scene in Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel, young Jin Wang waits patiently for his mother while watching his aunt do accounting on an abacus. They strike up a conversation and she asks what he would like to be when he grows up. Jin answers “a Transformer” and holds up his toy robot as illustration. His aunt ominously tells him that he could become anything he wanted as long as he sold his soul.

Unbeknownst to young Jin, this innocent conversation would be pivotal to his understanding of himself and his place in Middle America. It also reminded me a lot of my own childhood which is why this simple and well-crafted graphic novel affected me so much. When I was a lot younger, I often wished to be like Jin’s toy robot – able to change myself at a moment’s notice and become someone else, anyone else, but who I was. And I was a skinny Asian kid most often the target of bullies. Being me was not a lot of fun most of the time. But this book isn't just about Asians. It is about any person who feels different or alienated. That experience crosses many bounderies of race and culture.

American Born Chinese tells three interlocking tales which initially look like they don't belong together. There is the folk tale of the legendary Monkey King and his battle to be accepted as an equal among gods. Then, there is the tale of Jin Wang, an ordinary Chinese kid in junior high school who is alienated for being Asian. Finally, there is the tale of Danny and his cousin Chin-Kee, the over the top Chinese stereotype who comes complete with his own sitcom laugh track. These tales eventually converge in ways you would never expect. The artwork is colourful but sparse and reminded me a bit of of Dilbert or Bone.

It is a masterfully written tale which, through lots of good natured humour (although much of the humour in Chin-Kee’s tale is cringe-worthy), comments on what it was like to grow up as a Chinese kid in white, suburban America (and Canada for that matter). For me, it almost felt like my inner-most thoughts come to life in comic-book imagery.

You can find out more about this and other of the author's graphic novels at Gene Yang's Blog.

Crouching Keeper, Hidden Dragon

Dragonkeeper Series
By Carole Wilkinson

Dragonkeeper *** (YA ****)

Garden of the Purple Dragon ** (YA ***)

Dragon Moon *** (YA ****)

Culture Shock ***½

Summary: As a YA series, these books are quick and breezy reads that will entertain the young reader. For adults, the bits of Chinese culture and history should keep interest just long enough to get through the improbable storylines.

Not often do I find books by western authors whose protagonists are Chinese or Japanese. And more often, if they touch on Asia at all, the characters are Japanese. Perhaps this is because it is the easiest of all Asian countries for a westerner to identify with since it is the most western of all the Asian countries. So these books captured my attention immediately because they are set in ancient China. What also surprised me was that it is a Young Adult (YA) series.

The Dragonkeeper series by Australian writer Carole Wilkinson follows the adventures of Ping, a young slave girl who helps an ancient dragon escape from the clutches of an abusive Imperial Dragonkeeper. In the first book, Ping helps Danzi the dragon travel to the land beyond while being pursued by a ruthless dragon hunter. The second and third books relate Ping’s journeys with another dragon, Kai, and their troubles trying to find their place in China.

The first and third books are the strongest of the series. The first provides the reader with vivid details about life in Han Dynasty China and also gives us a great set of characters in Ping and Danzi. The third book is also strong because the story centers on the relationship between the dragons and their keepers. We finally discover more about the complex relationship between dragon and man and the events that lead to catastrophe. Dragon Moon is a good story about man’s stewardship (or lack thereof) of the creatures on earth and the environmental message will resonate well with some readers.

However, the second book, Garden of the Purple Dragon, is the weakest of the three. It has Ping and Kai navigating the maze of the Imperial Bureaucracy. Ping makes friends with the young Emperor of China Liu Che who appoints her as Imperial Dragonkeeper. This relationship feels contrived and did not ring true to this reader. Ping is a peasant girl. Despite this fact, she is befriended by the Emperor and given an Imperial title. I know Ping is the protagonist, but the events surrounding her ascendance in the Imperial Court seemed highly improbable to me and will likely feel off even for YA readers.

Finally, since this is a YA series, the modern sounding dialogue and writing style were clearly chosen to engage its target audience. If you are searching for high prose reminiscent of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori, you will not find it here. The language is simple, straightforward and clean making the reading light and breezy.

Overall, if you want a quick and easy read that takes place in ancient China, you could do worse than take these books to the beach this summer. Just remember that the target audience is Young Adults (which is why I gave each book two ratings)

Culture Shock: Yes, I gave it ***½ and not *** or ****. Why? It deserves a **** because of all the Asian content. There are a lot of Chinese words and the author includes a glossary. The author also gives the reader a lot of cultural information and history to go along with the language. The reason for the half is because as a YA series, the author manages to simplify things for the younger reader. Although I would not recommend using this book as a history text, it does impart quite a bit between its covers.

Nit Pick: the number eight is frowned upon in Dragon Moon since it is “double 4” and 4 sounds like the word “death”. It is the number nine that is revered. The number eight in modern Chinese culture is definitely a good luck number but so is the number 9. I do not know if this is a modern sensibility was the same in Han Dynasty China. I would be curious to find out.

For more information, go to Carole Wilkinson's website.

News, Reviews and Intrepid Travellers

As Calgary breathes a collective sigh and returns to work with a post-Stampede hangover, I note that it has been a while since I’ve posted anything here. This is something I am changing right now. Even blogging is writing, right? It’s what I am going to blog about that should hopefully be of interest.

Asian Echoes has always been about bringing the Asian experience* in literature to the average Western reader. There are many Western and Non-Western novels about Asia and Asians or written from an Asian perspective and I want to introduce many of them to you – one book at a time.

So, what I intend on doing is introducing them to you through book reviews. But aside from the ubiquitous star ratings (which are still only my opinion), I also plan on taking a cue from Intrepid Travel and using a Culture Shock rating. This is not a rating about how good it presents the culture or how accurate it is. Instead, the Culture Shock rating will let you know just how much Asian culture is present between the pages. Does it gloss over the facts and history or does it present a detailed look at Asian life and use many foreign words and phrases? Does it have Japanese characters with Japanese names and no other mention about culture, or do the concepts in the novel require more than a passing familiarity of Japanese customs and mores?

Each short review, aside from a description and recommendation, will include some mention of the cultural aspects present in the novel.

All the novels and books to be reviewed were originally written in English or translated to English and all should be easily accessible at your local book store or at online book sellers.

Here is the Culture Shock Rating:

1 star: The author uses Asian characters and names and not much else. Very easy and very familiar.

2 stars: The author uses Asian characters, names and simple foreign words and phrases most Westerners would find familiar.

3 stars: The author uses Asian characters, names and settings. Some foreign words and phrases are sprinkled throughout the book, but their meanings are apparent or easy to understand from context.

4 stars: The author uses Asian characters and settings. The author liberally uses foreign words and phrases throughout the book, the meanings of which are either understandable in their context or may require a glossary. Basic understanding of culture and history would go a long way to appreciating some of the concepts addressed in the book.

5 stars: The author uses Asian characters, settings and language. Complex cultural and historical information is imparted to the reader (sometimes in the form of info dumps). A good understanding of mythology, culture and history may be necessary to appreciate the nuances in this book.

Watch right here for the first review later this week.

* “Asian” in this case means Chinese and Japanese as these are the cultures I was raised in and am most familiar with. I know there are other cultures such as India which also fit under this classification, but I know very little about them. Since they say “write what you know”, I defer to those who know better.

Protagonize Me

Check out this site: Protagonize.com.

Try your hand at interactive fiction by visiting Protagonize.com, a new web site by Nick Bouton, a 29 year old software developer from Burnaby B.C.

You can choose from 18 different story categories and start writing a living, breathing narrative that may never end. Or, you can simply log on and contribute directly to the already growing number of stories started by amateurs, pros and semi-pros alike. And don’t be afraid of breaking continuity or taking the story in directions the original author intended, many of the stories are absurd or nonsensical.

Just don’t slay the main character. Bouton says it is the quickest way to kill a ripping yarn.

Six Word Stories then Get OUT

Check this WIRED article out - stories by science fiction and fantasy authors that are only 6 words long. Only Arthur C. Clarke refused to pare his work to six words. Go figure.

I challenge all writers reading this Blog (and anyone else who wishes to give this a try) to attempt writing their own six word story.

Plus: I've added a link to Natsuo Kirino. Her first English novel is entitled "Out" - a gritty noir-like novel about murder and mayhem in Tokyo. Her second English translated novel, Grotesque, is already out in Hardcover.

Her website has only basic information on her. You can find an English language interview with her here.

Sorry about the long wait between posts. Life just caught up with me. But I'm back.

My Treat Isn't Really "My Treat"

Happy Holidays everyone. I know its been a while, but things have been very interesting for me. New job, new child, you know ... life.

Being Asian, red envelopes full of money (lai see) are a welcome gift in a stocking or under the tree. Being married and having kids I don't see them much anymore. Instead, gift cards have become the ubiquitous gift in a lot of envelopes.

And, I got a VISA "MyTreat" card this year. I thanked the friend who gave it to me and really do appreciate him remembering me at this time of year, but I hope to never receive another of these ever again ... not unless VISA changes things.

Most gift cards come in a cardboard wrap and have a few rules attached to them ... usually an expiry date or "participating stores only" stipulations. The VISA card has a few more charges and rules, however.

First, there is a Purchase Fee of $3.95. That's right ... $3.95 is skimmed right off the top and given to VISA. This may not be much on a $100 Gift Card, but for the $25 one it comes to a whopping 15.7%. So the recipient of the gift does not even get the full value of the Gift Card. What a rip-off.

There are other rules too - maintenance fees, fees for inquiring how much of a balance you have left etc. Most of this is on the back of the card (see the first diagram). But, on the inside, there are (surprise, surprise), more rules (see the second diagram). For instance, you MUST have a bill of over 20% more than the value of the card when using this card at a restaurant, hotel car rental agency or cruise line (on the MyTreat Website, this is listed as 15%. So, which is it?). And don't bother trying to return any merchandise bought with this card. It is too much of a headache. These rules are not written where the purchaser can clearly read them before deciding to purchase this nonsense of a gift card.

Finally, a long two page contract is included with the card. Luckily, it does not have any more hidden fees, but anyone who thought using this card would be simple was dead wrong.

So be warned. You can purchase a gift card for a particular shop or restaurant or you can get these VISA gift cards that do not provide full value for the recipient and come with a myriad of rules and fees. Your choice. Happy holidays.

The Wheel of Time Has Stopped Rolling

The author Robert Jordon, best known for his Wheel of time series, passed away on September 16, 2007. You can read the full story on his blog.

Although I had not read the entirety of his series (which from my understanding remains unfinished), he will be missed by all writers of genre fiction.

I am Canadian. Really.

The CBC radio show, “The Current”, is running an in-depth report on “Mixed-race identity”. For those who know me, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. As a budding writer, it influences a large part of what I write about and how I face that subject. I sent in a series of posts in their forum on this subject. You can read what I said below.

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Where do I come from? As a Canadian of Chinese and Japanese ancestry I get that question a lot. I do not think it a rude or ignorant question. People are usually genuinely curious. They are usually shocked to find out that I was born in Montreal, Quebec (and was fluently bi-lingual until the age of six).

I am a third generation Chinese - Japanese Canadian. My parents (who were both born in Canada) married at a time when it was very "bad form" for Chinese and Japanese to date, let alone marry. Even now, their union raises eyebrows in the Asian community.

I have grown up in Canada and throughout my school years was (usually) the only non-white in my class. Others pegged me as "different" and I stood out no matter where I went. I felt very alienated and often wished that I was white. How could someone feel that they were wholly Canadian, when they were made to feel that they didn't truly belong? Claims that not only was I born here, but my parents were born here fell on deaf ears. I looked different, so I must be different and come from somewhere else. Not here. Not Canada.

This sense of alienation followed me even into High School. At an early age I had shown promise in the fine arts such as acting, but was told by well meaning teachers that even though I could be an accomplished actor, it was unfortunate that I was Asian and there would be little or no place for me in Canada. They were not racist or trying to be mean, they were only telling me the current reality - that there was no place for me. Needless to say, I gave up on that dream.

Slowly things changed and far from being resentful about my heritage, I began to embrace it. I found strength in my cultural heritage and a sense of belonging and identity that I did not experience in my earlier life. I began actively seeking out books and literature about my heritage and found very little. I began watching movies and interacting with others in my own cultural community. This process of discovery allowed me to grow, change and mature.

But even here, I did not feel that I completely belonged. I did not understand the language. I only had a minimal understanding of the culture and customs. I had never been to China or Japan. I had no shared history. And since I was both of Chinese and Japanese heritage, I looked "off" to many of them. They would smile and reassure me, but behind the smile was the knowledge that I would never truly understand or be a part of that heritage.

So I felt like a person in-between. Not really part of one world because of the way I looked, and not really part of another world because I had grown up westernized. My entire adult life has been spent reconciling these feelings of alienation that I have experienced on both sides of the cultural wall. My response has been to embrace all those things that made me unique (including those parts of me that have nothing to do with my culture). I continue to embrace my ancestry and to be proud of it. To do anything less would be to deny what I see in the mirror every day. At the same time, I realize that I do not live in Asia, that I was born and raised in Canada. I do not simply "feel" that I am Canadian, I am Canadian. And being Canadian is to celebrate all those cultural identities and take strength in them.

Today, I am happily married to a woman of Chinese ancestry (she was born in Asia but raised in Canada) and we have a two-year-old son. I will raise him to be a proud Canadian with all the rights and privileges that entails. I will also raise him to know where his great-grandparents came from and why it is important to retain that part of his background - to be proud, not arrogant about that background. And all my hopes go with him that he will find a place in his life long before I found a place in mine.

Updated: Now with links

What is a Good Reader?

Having a story critiqued is a nerve-wracking experience. You put your heart and soul on paper and then willingly hand that paper to other people. You hope that your writing is clear and concise and that the critquer understood all the nuances and metaphors.

So, when I was listening to the critiques of all the stories in the latest short story contest, if a judge didn't seem to understand a certain passage, he or she might qualify their opinion by saying "maybe I am not a good reader."

So that got me thinking. What makes a good reader? Is it a person who is well-read? Does a good reader necessarily have to be a voracious reader of the classics? Or should a good reader be one that reads widely on a certain subject? Or maybe a good reader just understands a subject without having widely read in it?

As for myself, I have widely read a lot of Asian-style fiction be it fantasy, mystery or general literature. I have read non-fiction, historical books, books about Chinese society and Japanese society, books about geisha, books about Chinese mysticism - quite a bit in fact (just look at my library for an idea of what I have read).

But outside of this preferred area of obsession, I am not so widely read. I don't read hard science fiction. I haven't read all of Shakespeare's plays and don't understand Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Dickens is a mystery to me and Jane Austin has held no interest. I fly through certain books (ie Harry Potter) and slog through others (anything by George RR Martin and China Mieville) but I still enjoy them even though they are difficult. And I don't necessarily understand all the underlying metaphors inherent in those stories even if I do read them.

Does that make me a bad reader? I don't know. What is a "Good Reader?" Opinions, anyone?

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Edit: After some discussion, it was suggested that being a "good reader" was short hand for apologizing for not necessarily understanding what a writer meant. Could be, could be.

A Happy Happy Place

Well, Conversion 23 has come and gone and with it, the Short Story Contest.

As I wrote in an earlier post, my story Happy Valley had made waves, well it made the top 5 of the Short Story Contest (and I promised not to mention it to anyone) and this past weekend, it took 1st place!!!

I was really shocked. I'm going to have a lot to live up to for World Fantasy Con next year (which is good because I won't be able to attend Conversion next year - got a wedding to go to).

And to top it all off, my own mother read the story and enjoyed it. But she said she couldn't figure out if the protagonist committed murder or suicide at the end of the story (you just have to read it to understand that). Honestly, it bugged her so much it kept up at night and she called me first thing in the morning to find out what I intended. Go figure.

Next story: SNOW

Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel

My short story Happy Valley has made a few waves around here (more on that later), and now I am working on my next story, Snow. This will be the first story I plan on submitting to a publisher since they are asking for submissions on an Asian theme. You can view the submission guidelines for Fantasist Enterprises here and maybe submit something of your own. Wish me luck.

The deadline is December 15th 2007, so I hope to write a few more stories before sending in the best two. And I hope they get Stephanie Pui-Mun Law to do the artwork again. She did it for one of the publishers other anthologies and her artwork is amazing. Check it out.

In the meantime, IFWA and the rest of the crew are preparing for Con-Version 23 and we have a Star Trek Filk to rehearse (the fools - I told them I can't sing, but would they listen? Muwah hah hah ;-) )

The World of Saramyr Appears on Bookshelves

I just picked up this omnibus of the Braided Path trilogy by Chris Wooding. He is a British author that is making waves with his world of Saramyr, an Asian-inspired world written for adults (there are now a few kids books including Jeff Stone's "The Five Ancestors" Series and the Dragonkeeper series by Carole Wilkinson [see series link to the left]).

Between this and works by such authors as Lian Hearn, looks like Asian-inspired worlds are slowly rising in popularity.

Check out Chris Wooding's site. This link is connected to a description of the first book in the series, The Weavers of Saramyr. Book Two is the Skein of Lament and the last book in the series is entitled The Ascendancy Veil.

That's Me in the Fuzzy Red Suit...

... and Darth represents the stranglehold that writing has had on my life this past month. Normally, I would be jumping for joy. I've done so much this past month that I've had no time for blogging. The truth is quite a bit farther afileld.

It's not that I have had a lack of writing work to do. I've had critiques, assignments for a small splitter group within my writing group, and a writing contest to prepare for. So, why haven't I accomplished anything? Why has my writing life been holding an anvil over my head?

And it's not as if I have not done anything. I have done the crits. I have started a story for the splitter group. The problem is, the story is not done. It was also going to be my writing contest entry. Well, with the deadline this weekend, I doubt anything will be done for that. The only consolation I have is I have not seen anything from the splitter group either.

Last week, with deadlines looming, I found myself complaining aloud about how little time I had to actually write. I looked at the promises I made to myself and then I added up the amount of time I spent writing. I felt depressed and disappointed with myself. Then I wondered if I was actually cut out for the writing life or whether I would end up just being another wanna-be writer.

Then I picked up Page After Page by Heather Sellers and my writing life began to transform. This was the book I needed. It doesn't discuss writing theory. It doesn't tell you the intricacies of plot, character and theme. It's about the writing life and how to get to it.

Ever since, writing has stopped having a strangehold on me. It is not torturing me or calling me nasty names. Now, it is co-operating. I am writing a little bit each day and even keeping a journal. It's baby steps, I know, but as life has shown me recently, babies quickly learn to run very fast.