Kindle Price: $4.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the authors

Michael A. Arnzen
Follow
Eric J. Guignard
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Exploring Dark Short Fiction #5: A Primer to Han Song Kindle Edition

by Eric J. Guignard (Author), Han Song (Author), Michael Arnzen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
See all formats and editions

Considered one of the three most important voices in contemporary Chinese science fiction (along with Liu Cixin and Wang Jinkang), Han Song is a multiple recipient of the Chinese Galaxy Award (China's highest profile sci-fi prize), as well as the Chinese Nebula Award and Asian-Pacific Sci-fi Gravity Award. Song bridges new developments in science and subjects of cultural and social dynamics with stories of dystopia, governmental conspiracy, and subversive horror, earning praise for his work as "absurdly dark," while also reigniting a science fiction renaissance.

Including original English translations by Nathaniel Isaacson, PhD, Dark Moon Books and editor Eric J. Guignard bring you this introduction to Han Song's work, the fifth in a series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction. Herein is a chance to discover-or learn more of-the enigmatic voice of Han Song, as beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich.

Included within these pages are:

•   Six short stories, three translated exclusively for this book

•   Author interview

•   Complete bibliography

•   Academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD (former humanities chair and professor of the year, Seton Hill University)

•   ... and more!

Enter this doorway to the vast and fantastic: Get to know Han Song.

###

"A fascinating study for fans seeking new reads and for librarians developing wide-ranging collections." -Library Journal

"Refreshing and much-needed... Addresses significant themes and figures within the horror field." -Locus Magazine

Previous page
  1. Book 5 of 5
    Exploring Dark Short Fiction
  2. Print length
    222 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Dark Moon Books
  6. Publication date
    September 28, 2020
  7. File size
    14225 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
Next page
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
All 5 for you in this series See full series
See included books
Total Price: $24.95
By clicking on above button, you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fascinating study for fans seeking new reads and for librarians developing wide-ranging collections." --Library Journal

"Refreshing and much-needed... Addresses significant themes and figures within the horror field." --Locus Magazine

"An insightful look at the working methods and underlying concerns of some of the foremost exponents of the short story form, appealing to both intellect and the emotions." --Black Static Magazine

About the Author

ERIC J. GUIGNARD is a writer and editor of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press, Dark Moon Books. He's twice won the Bram Stoker Award, won the Shirley Jackson Award, and been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and International Thriller Writers Award. He has over one hundred stories and non-fiction author credits appearing in publications around the world. As editor, Eric's published multiple fiction anthologies, including his most recent, PROFESSOR CHARLATAN BARDOT'S TRAVEL ANTHOLOGY TO THE MOST (FICTIONAL) HAUNTED BUILDINGS IN THE WEIRD, WILD WORLD and A WORLD OF HORROR, each a showcase of international horror short fiction. His latest books are LAST CASE AT A BAGGAGE AUCTION and the short story collection THAT WHICH GROWS WILD: 16 TALES OF DARK FICTION (Cemetery Dance). Outside the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric's a technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a wife, children, dogs, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08GL411PW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dark Moon Books; 1st edition (September 28, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 28, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 14225 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 222 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Michael A. Arnzen

    Michael A. Arnzen

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Michael Arnzen (http://gorelets.com) is an award-winning author of horror and dark suspense fiction, a poet, and an English professor. His trophy case includes four Bram Stoker Awards and an International Horror Guild Award for his often funny, always disturbing stories. The best of these appear in the Bram Stoker Award-winning career-length retrospective, Proverbs for Monsters, which Dread Central called "a guided tour of insanity and the macabre, with a few moments of touching grace combined with repulsive terror...[which] serves to document the evolution of a great writer."

    Arnzen holds a PhD in English from the University of Oregon (where he researched his non-fiction book, The Popular Uncanny) and he is presently a Professor at Seton Hill University, where he teaches horror and suspense fiction in the country's only graduate program in Writing Popular Fiction (http://fiction.setonhill.edu).

    Arnzen resides near Pittsburgh, PA.

    +++

    "In a little over a decade, Michael A. Arnzen has achieved what few writers manage in a lifetime. He has become the master of a brand of literature that is uniquely his own, and I do not doubt that his approach to horror will soon (if it has not already) be referred to as 'Arnzenian.' When you begin an Arnzen story, you embark on a journey where the old maps do not apply. Soon you find yourself deep in new territory, barreling through landscapes more fascinating and twisted than any previously encountered. Be assured, you will be amazed, startled, amused, and creeped out along the way, but whatever the road has in store, you will not be able to stop reading until the story ends. Horrifying, captivating, ironic -- Arnzenian! -- the works of Michael A. Arnzen are in a class all their own. Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride!" -- Lawrence C. Connolly, author of Veins

    +++

    See more on the author's page
  2. Eric J. Guignard

    Eric J. Guignard

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Eric J. Guignard has twice won the Bram Stoker Award (the highest literary award of horror fiction), won the Shirley Jackson Award, and been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and International Thriller Writers Award for his works of dark and speculative fiction. He has over 100 stories and non-fiction author credits appearing in publications around the world; has edited multiple anthologies (including the current series, The Horror Writers Association’s HAUNTED LIBRARY OF HORROR CLASSICS, through SourceBooks, with co-editor Leslie S. Klinger); and has created an ongoing series of author primers championing modern masters of the dark and macabre, EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION through his press, Dark Moon Books. He is also publisher and acquisitions editor for the renowned +HORROR LIBRARY+ anthology series. His latest books are LAST CASE AT A BAGGAGE AUCTION; DOORWAYS TO THE DEADEYE; and short story collection THAT WHICH GROWS WILD: 16 TALES OF DARK FICTION (Cemetery Dance). Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
10 global ratings
What a collection!
4 Stars
What a collection!
The exploring dark short fiction is a series that Eric has put together in order to celebrate modern masters of literary short fiction and give readers a glimpse into the authors work.This was a great introduction to a new-to-me author! I LOVE the idea behind this series and I had a great time reading them!I highly recommend checking this out if you're into sci-fi, magical realism, and when both of those things are mixed with horror!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Sarah Duck-Mayr (DedDuckie)
5.0 out of 5 stars Ingenious and well thought out.
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2020
I received a paperback copy of Exploring Dark Short Fiction #5: A Primer To Han Song, edited by Eric J. Guignard and translated by Nathaniel Isaacson, PhD ( except for Two Small Birds, which was translated by John Chu ), commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD, and illustrated by Michelle Prebich, from the editor in return for my honest review. This follows below, I thank him for this opportunity.

I rated this primer 5 stars.

This is my first exposure to the Exploring Dark Short Fiction Modern Masters series but it will not be my last. I started on #5, the next will be Ramsey Campbell in 2021, a favourite of mine, and there are 4 previous I need to collect now that I’ve seen how ingenious and well put together these are in person.

We are given an introduction by the editor, Eric J. Guignard, a little backstory to how this all came to be for this particular volume. Next is a biography of the highlighted author, in this case Han Song, which I found interesting since I had zero knowledge going in; perfect amount in my opinion, helpful without feeling like a wiki entry, on and on. Then the stories, translated of course, and after each is commentary from someone who knows more about the multifaceted stories than I ever could, helping to give a little more information to the mindset of the author and the intention of the work. We are also treated to the script of Eric’s interview with Han Song! I thought this was especially magical, we have stories translated for the first time into English for this primer, but then we get to hear straight from the author’s own mouth about his career, awesome sauce. There is an essay by Han Song, and then a complete bibliography of both Chinese and English fiction for him. Finally you will see other works by Dark Moon Books at the very back, as well as information pages for everyone that helped make this primer come together. I think it made sense, was orderly, and I loved the artwork.

Below are the stories and my thought on them, spoiler free, hopefully.

EARTH IS FLAT:
I found this story bubbling to the surface of my mind again and again, for a story described as ironic in the commentary, this got under my skin for some inexplicable reason.

TRANSFORMATION SUBWAY:
I could think of few things worse than being stuck on a moving tube, squished against other people, until the author found a way to make that situation even more panic inducing. Too easily did I find myself creating imagery to follow along with his words, claustrophobia and enochlophobia cranked up to 11.

THE WHEEL OF SAMSARA:
An example of one I enjoyed reading but felt most of the cleverness went over my head.

TWO SMALL BIRDS:
A beautiful story to read, it kept me in a feeling of free fall, jarring but perfect.

FEAR OF SEEING:
As a parent I of course compared myself to the parents in this story, trying to see how I would measure up, an impossible and laughable task for things like this; imagine asking your husband if he would still love you if in the morning you had dog ears? Other aspects in the story were heavier, a strange balance.

MY COUNTRY DOES NOT DREAM:
When I saw this listed in the TOC, I knew this one had to have made some people angry on the home front. I respect having the bravery to write what is important to you, knowing you will be censored. I also hope this story can never become a reality.

I think this primer gave me a good introduction to Han Song’s work, I am interested in reading more by him, which I can handily look up in the bibliography. It’s a great, hands on guide to an author I didn’t know, yet.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Erica Robyn
4.0 out of 5 stars What a collection!
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2020
The exploring dark short fiction is a series that Eric has put together in order to celebrate modern masters of literary short fiction and give readers a glimpse into the authors work.

This was a great introduction to a new-to-me author! I LOVE the idea behind this series and I had a great time reading them!

I highly recommend checking this out if you're into sci-fi, magical realism, and when both of those things are mixed with horror!
Customer image
Erica Robyn
4.0 out of 5 stars What a collection!
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2020
The exploring dark short fiction is a series that Eric has put together in order to celebrate modern masters of literary short fiction and give readers a glimpse into the authors work.

This was a great introduction to a new-to-me author! I LOVE the idea behind this series and I had a great time reading them!

I highly recommend checking this out if you're into sci-fi, magical realism, and when both of those things are mixed with horror!
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
Helpful
 Report
Zraitor
5.0 out of 5 stars ABSURD
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
–>I received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.<–

Later in the book when asked what's the greatest compliment you can receive, the author answers absurd, which is exactly what I found these stories to be...

Every story was interesting because they are from a Chinese person's point of view and seeing their culture dealing with sci-fi/horror themes was enjoyable. Every story is also full of social commentary but as each tale goes to about an eleven on the crazy scale I doubt that's what you'll come away remembering most from each one.

A different version of the Christopher Columbus legend, a man gets trapped on a subway car that never stops, a baby born with many eyes, all of China forced to work at night and never dream... A lot is going on in these stories and it's not easy to summarize them really. For the most part, I didn't know where each story was going and found them very original. 'My Country Does Not Dream' was by far the highlight of the collection to me, what an amazing story.

After each story, you get a short commentary that talks about and explains it which I found helpful, except in the case of 'Two Small Birds' where no amount of explanation will ever help me understand what the heck was going on there.

Han Song's stories were great to read, and the collection is just otherwise well put together and worth the time.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars This book and this series is something special
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2021
This was my first exposure to science fiction author HAN SONG, and wow, was I knocked out! The author is from China, and his work was translated into English for this book, so definite kudos to the work of translation. This book and this series is something special, with fiction short stories, and commentary, artwork, essay, interview, and other sections. Excellent introduction to Han Song’s work! “The Wheel of Samsara” was a gorgeous story of destruction and beginning. “My Country Does Not Dream” was a bleak view of government conspiracy. Really, all the stories and work in this book was top quality.
Helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report