I have had the privilege of interviewing several science fiction and fantasy authors of Asian descent. Before I say anything else, let me admit that this is a hugely broad stroke. To say that an author of Vietnamese descent is the same as one of Filipino heritage because they write the same broad genre is the same as saying that someone from the Iberian Peninsula is similar to a writer from Scandinavia just because they also write the same genre. Even in broadly Caucasian population groups there are sometimes vast differences in culture. No one should be pigeonholed, and I apologize if I come off that way. It is not my intent and I hope to prove it in this post. 

 

Because I’ve traveled the world, I’ve been privileged to taste little aspects of multiple cultures. And in many ways, there are similarities from one culture to the next in broad terms. Let me give an example. Many countries in Asia incorporate words from English into their lexicon, especially as they speak to westerners. Zen Cho calls it Malaynglish in her book Black Water Sister. You’ve probably heard the term Spanglish (from a movie by Adam Sandler). This is no different than how American English incorporates words from various cultures. It’s the one thing about a melting pot that’s actually true. 

 

Just like there are things, broadly speaking, that are the same, there are also things that are so completely different from one culture to the next that it’s offensive to even mention them. This goes for people groups as well. In many Asian cultures, the wounds from WWII are still very present (for an example closer to home: many in America would say that our own pains go back to the Civil War and before). To call a Japanese person Chinese, and vice versa, is just flat wrong. For me, it’s like saying Kansas is the south. I want to punch the person. Saying that making this mistake is insensitive is being way too nice.

 

All that background aside, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing some of these cultures via the authors I’ve interviewed for the podcast and my own travels in the US Navy.  In each instance, I’ve enjoyed reliving some of the things that have endeared the broader Asian context to me. In other ways, I’ve gotten to see some of the pinpoint nuances that remind me of how special each context is.

 

I think you’ll enjoy these interviews as well. Give the following episodes a listen and see what you think. And there will be more coming, so check back often!