Dawn's Cozy Horror Corner: A Queer Chinese Horror Short Stories Anthology collects five horror short stories by Dawn Chen. The stories feature protagonists who are a part of the Chinese diaspora, and they all face supernatural elements and situations that force them to confront the realities of their lives and the society they live in. 

 

The first story follows a girl with an ability that forces people to deal with their shame, while the second story features a girl who loses her facial features as she grapples with racism and bullying. The third story has a protagonist who meets a version of her future self and sees that other futures are possible, while the fourth story follows a girl who visits the Chinese Underworld in her dreams and meets her ancestor who rules over it. The final story is about a girl who happily makes a deal with a demon who wants to posses her. 

 

Each story is different but they all discuss mental health and feelings of being an outsider.  Depression is a constant presence throughout the book, and I appreciate the way the characters and their struggles are portrayed. They’re allowed to be depressed and the author makes space for difficult conversations and examines the daily injustices and microaggressions that can contribute to poor mental health. The first two stories in particular discuss shame around SA, and the effects of racism, respectively, and the toll they take on a person’s mental health. These stories are smart and have clear messages, and I think they’re the strongest stories in this book.  

 

With sharp commentary, compassion, and sometimes humour, the author examines the themes of shame, loneliness, justice and depression. I love the way these stories use horror (and sometimes sci-fi) to address difficult topics. I enjoyed most of these stories and love how each one is unique from the rest in the collection while still being connected by the way these characters feel like they don’t belong. The stories complement each other well and together they create a great collection. 

 

Congrats Dawn on releasing your book! 🎉 Thank you for sending me a review copy. This book is out now, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. 🍉