by Pu Songling
First published 2017
In the Qing Dynasty, a scholar named Pu Songling collects a series of strange and unsettling tales from his neighbors. From a fox spirit who ensnares a young man, to a malevolent tree that possesses a family, these stories unveil a world where the natural and supernatural collide. Pu's meticulous observations capture the eerie beauty and human drama of the extraordinary events that unfold, offering a window into a China teeming with myth and magic. At the heart of these strange tales lies a timeless exploration of the human condition, as characters wrestle with desire, morality, and their own fragile place in an uncertain cosmos.
Genres: short-stories, historical-fiction, fantasy, magical-realism, 19th-century, chinese-literature
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, eerie, lyrical
Tropes: folklore, supernatural
Setting: China, Liaozhai
Period: Qing Dynasty
426 pages · Paperback · Jain Pub Co