My recent focus on reading horror meant that I quickly came across these two short little gems from Cassandra Khaw. The fact they are really Novella’s each in the 120 pages range means the are more accessible for some people that are time poor or struggle of commit to longer books, in my case they were perfect for a short plan ride to New Zealand.
Khaw a Malaysian non-binary writer works in the game industry demonstrates a clear skill for creating engaging stories that often integrate different elements of culture and myth to create horror. It means that both these works are accessible to western audience and relatable to traditional narratives but with a fairly unique spin which enhances the plot and otherworldly feel. Couple with with a real skill for creating atmosphere and describing gore I’m definitely going to be reading reading more.
Nothing but blackened Teeth
Their first novella published in 2021 is a modern reimaging of the classic haunted house mixed with Japanese folk lore. As a result, the set up with a group of tourists / wealthy thrill seekers staying in an abandoned Heian-era mansion is a well used troupe that makes the story accessible. It therefore follows a fairly predictable story arch with the group exploring the house, having a party and everything going terribly wrong. However, the complexities of the relationships and animosities between this group of friends makes it more interesting as we are left wondering how much of what happens is the result of the influence of the ohaguro-bettari (a Japanese faceless spirit with blackened teeth that looks like a woman in a kimono). This complexity along with Khaw’s descriptions make this an engaging read and sets it apart from lesser haunted house style reads. My only real criticism was that I felt like the whole situation resolves a little too quickly and feel like the build up could have been bit longer to enhance the extent of the characters fear and confusion. Additionally, I am a fan of ambiguous and open ending so I also felt the epilogue detracted a little from this although it admittedly doesn’t tie things up completely. Overall, it was a great little read and included a little queer representation as a bonus.
The Salt Grows Heavy
This dark retelling of a little mermaid has a lot more depth than Khaw’s first novella and deals with some pretty big themes. The story follows a mute mermaid after she escapes her tyrannical husband the cut out her togue and finds herself wondering the land with a Plague Doctor. The pair stumble upon a commune where children are worshiping a group of power hungry surgeons as saints due to their experiments and the promise of immortality. Through the confrontations with the surgeons we learn more about the Plague Doctor and the relationship between the unlikely pair develops. Compared to “Nothing but Blackened Teeth” a lot really happens in this short little novella but it still manages to feel well paced. Primarily, ‘The Salt Grows Heavy’ is body horror with a graphic and troubling representation of surgical experiments and elements of zombification as the surgeons attempt to create perfection and immortality. Despite this their is still a heavy emphasis on the supernatural through the main protagonist whom both represents the immortality converted by the surgeons but whose pragmatic and cold approach to things often emphasizes the grotesque characters of the humans in the novella.
This was definitely my favourite out of the two firstly as I felt like ‘The Salt Grows Heavy’ just offered so much more and really broke away from more formulaic horror but it also demonstrates more of Khaw’s skill as a writer. Their lyrical style and skill with description is really allowed a bit more scope through this narrative and truly
