"This remarkable anthology of Chinese speculative fiction offers seven
tales of societal responsibility and individual freedom. . . . By turns
cryptic and revealing, phantasmagorical and straightforward, these tales
balance reality and fantasy on the edge of a knife."--Publishers
Weekly, starred review
A woman impulsively decides to visit her grandmother in a scene
reminiscent of "Little Red Riding Hood," only to find herself in a town
of women obsessed with a mysterious fermented beverage. An aging and
well-respected female newscaster at a provincial TV station finds
herself caught up in an illicit affair with her boss, who insists that
she recite the news while they have sex. An anonymous city prone to
vanishing storefronts begins to plant giant mushrooms for its citizens
to live in, with disastrous consequences.
In this first book in the brand-new Calico Series, we bring you work by
some of today's most exciting writers from China and Hong Kong,
including Dorothy Tse (tr. Natascha Bruce), Zhu Hui (tr. Michael Day),
and Enoch Tam (tr. Jeremy Tiang). Lightly touching on issues of
urbanization, sexuality, and propaganda, the collection builds a world
both utterly disorienting and disturbing familiar, prompting the
question: Where does reality end and absurdity begin in a world pushed
to its very limits?
The Calico series, published biannually by Two Lines Press, captures
vanguard works of translated literature in stylish, collectible
editions. Each Calico is a vibrant snapshot that explores one aspect of
our present moment, offering the voices of previously inaccessible,
highly innovative writers from around the world today. That We May
Live is the first book in the series.
