Asian Horror Encyclopedia: Asian Horror Culture in Literature, Manga, and Folklore [Paperback]

Laurence Bush (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 2001

The Asian Horror Encyclopedia is the first reference work of its kind in English. It covers Asian horror culture in literature, art, film and comics. From its roots in ancient Chinese folklore to the best-selling Japanese horror novelists of today, this book is a handy alphabetic reference, collecting scarce information from obscure sources.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laurence Bush is a small press horror critic and otaku who lives in California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (October 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595201814
• ISBN-13: 978-0595201815
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,257,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Horror, November 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Asian Horror Encyclopedia: Asian Horror Culture in Literature, Manga, and Folklore (Paperback)

The author admits that "a large part of this book is the product of internet research." He continues by noting that the book "is by no means complete or entirely accurate, as the internet web pages and my skills as a translator are of questionable reliability" (XV). This indeed is an accurate statement, and should serve as a warning not to trust the contents. Not only are there two to three typos per page, but there are also substantial errors in many of the entries (too many to mention here). The author claims that his book is "intended to be a guide for further research," but one wonders about the usefulness of a research guide which is not only inaccurate and badly (if at all) edited, but fails to provide references (even to questionable websites).

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique Look at Asian Horror Literature, November 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Asian Horror Encyclopedia: Asian Horror Culture in Literature, Manga, and Folklore (Paperback)

The Asian Horror Encyclopedia contains a lot of unique material available for the first time in English. It collects literary and folkloric information to give a complete look at the roots and directions of Asian horror. From Tang Dynasty ghost stories to modern Japanese horror bestsellers, it covers the broad range of this little known subject. It has an article on H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos in Japan as well as coverage of many Asian mythos writers. It mentions horror films only if they have a literary or comic-book connection. It is of interest to manga and anime fans as well as those interested in folklore, vampires, werewolves, yokaigaku, Chinese metaphysics or international horror culture in general.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A useful resource in an unexplored area, February 15, 2005

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asian Horror Encyclopedia: Asian Horror Culture in Literature, Manga, and Folklore (Paperback)

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And so it is with the "Asian Horror Encyclopedia." Flawed? Absolutely. But as the only book of its kind in English, it stands as a useful and interesting reference guide for those interested in Asian horror. The range of creatures, authors, films, manga, folklore and other is truly startling, covering such sub-genres as the Japanese Cthulhu mythos authors, and Chinese skeptic societies.

None of the entries are particularly long, and there are no pictures to accompany the text. It is very much a case of "wide but not deep." The book started as an encyclopedia of Japanese horror only, but the author found he could not separate the roots of Asian horror from only one culture. Due to this, author Laurence Bush exceeded his language abilities, and had to rely solely on the available translations of others, including unreliable resources such as internet websites and film reviews.

However, as stated in the introduction, Bush only intends to introduce the reader to the wide and varied flavors of horror in Asian countries. I have found my interests piqued by more than one of his shallow notations, enough to do my own research and have a wider area opened up for me. On this level the book works very well, and is recommended.