the five golden seeds

The miracle of watermelons: what is it? A new story by Vũ Trọng Hiếu.

FictionJee KohNovember 15, 2024Vũ Trọng HiếuComment

Violin-Wallah

Why does he carry a violin with him everywhere but is so reluctant to play it? An atmospheric new story by Niranjan Kumar Rai.

FictionJee KohOctober 4, 2024Niranjan Kumar RaiComment

Moonlit Lake

In the new story “Moonlit Lake,” by Neo Xin Yuan, the ethnically Chinese narrator joins a special Singaporean school for the advanced study of Chinese language and culture and discovers a realm of differences.

FictionJee KohSeptember 20, 2024Neo Xin YuanComment

He Who Knows Himself

What does one do with one’s loneliness? Ratu Yousei finds an answer in this tender story.

FictionJee KohAugust 23, 2024Ratu Yousei Comment

Chiak Kantang [1]

He is so sure, and she is full of doubts, in this new story, “Chiak Kantang,” by Emilia Ong.

FictionJee KohAugust 2, 2024Emilia OngComment

Gai-gai

In this story by Casper Ho, a young boy is excited to fill in his new journal, but with what?

FictionJee KohJune 7, 2024Casper Ho Comment

Pigeons and Doves

In London, a broken Lim Chin Siong, with the help of his therapist Eileen Tay, tries to step away from the precipice. Philip Holden’s story probes deeply and gently into what it means to “accompany others, and not to oversee them.”

FictionJee KohMay 24, 2024Philip Holden, A Malayan VisionComment

Setia Dan Bakti, or Loyalty and Service

The representative of law and order comes to life in Salil Tripathi’s story. “Was Chin Siong trying to create solidarity between the people and the police to rise up against the government?” Senior Inspector Tan Kim Wah has to decide what to write in his report to his superiors.

FictionJee KohMay 17, 2024Salil Tripathi, A Malayan VisionComment

Truth Be Told

A. K. Kulshreshth homes in on the wheeling and dealing to stay on the right side of history in his sharp depiction of an unlikeable protagonist. The man is fictional, but how can one tell amidst the “lies, half-lies, truths, and half-truths”?

FictionJee KohMay 10, 2024A. K. Kulshreshth, A Malayan VisionComment

Hope of a Better Age

In this moving story, Faith Ho imagines the tumultuous events of the 50s from the perspective of Wong Chui Wan. Much more than Lim Chin Siong’s wife, Wong was an activist and a trade unionist at a time when “they [were] writing themselves into being.”

FictionJee KohMay 3, 2024Faith Ho, A Malayan VisionComment

Bunga

What are these ghost orchids in Ismim Putera’s new story “Bunga”? Are they even orchids or not?

FictionJee KohApril 26, 2024Ismim PuteraComment

Glass Animals

In this new story by Devanshi Khetarpal, an unsettling neighbor gets under the skin.

FictionJee KohApril 12, 2024Devanshi Khetarpal Comments

The Intransigent Aura of Cities

Do objects give off an aura? What about texts about objects? This playful new story by Glenn Diaz, featuring a weary encyclopedist, questions the credentials of literature.

FictionJee KohApril 5, 2024Glenn DiazComment

The Miscarriage

What else can a miscarriage bring but pain to a woman in a traditional marriage in Bangladesh? Find out in this new story by Sohana Manzoor.

FictionJee KohMarch 22, 2024Sohana ManzoorComment

Remembering an atom time

What does letting go mean in the future? Shalini Ajay Singh attempts an answer in this new work of speculative fiction.

FictionJee KohMarch 8, 2024Shalini Singh Comments

Doctor Pollux Lacoste

What is this story “Doctor Pollux Lacoste,” by Atty Nicias J Alameda? Is it a parable, a satire, or a prophecy?

FictionJee KohMarch 1, 2024Atty Nicias J AlamedaComment

Spoilers on Page Thirteen

In this new story by A.J. Payler, Jamie Okuda finds himself at an unusual job interview.

FictionJee KohDecember 22, 2023A. J. PaylerComment

Recommendation Letter for Iqra Islam

“Without understanding her, you will glance briefly over her CV, over her proposal, over her application letter and reject her.” A new story by Niaz Zaman.

FictionJee KohOctober 20, 2023Niaz ZamanComment