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Asian Heritage in Horror: Interview with Catherine Yu

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Photo by Romke Hoogwaerts.

Catherine Yu writes dark speculative fiction. She was born in Nanjing and is now based in New York. She is a graduate of Odyssey Writing Workshop. Direwood is her debut novel from Page Street Publishing. Helga, a YA Frankenstein reimagining, is coming out in 2024. She can be found at catherineyuwrites.com.

What inspired you to start writing?

An early love of reading definitely helped. (And honestly, Scooby Doo fanfiction was where I started.)

What was it about the horror genre that drew you to it?

Horror is a great way to delve into and investigate scary stuff. Monsters are horrifying but fascinating and can take on so many different forms. Sometimes the monster is a guy in a monster mask. Sometimes the monster is someone you least suspected. Maybe you even relate to or sympathize with the monster. Maybe we’re all part monster. It’s so interesting.

Do you make a conscious effort to include Asian and/or Pacific Islander characters and themes in your writing and if so, what do you want to portray?

Yes. I want to write in a way that resonates with my own experiences, so there’s some emotional complexity around how characters and themes are depicted. 

What has writing horror taught you about the world and yourself?

Something comforting about horror is that there’s pretty much always somebody left at the end of the story who made it out alive. Survival is a big component of the genre. I honestly think writing horror has made me a more resilient person. 

How have you seen the horror genre change over the years? And how do you think it will continue to evolve?

I think fear shifts based on a changing culture, so I think that’s reflected in horror as a genre, too. Climate change, tech, and automation, systematic inequalities…those kinds of horror stories only feel more relevant than ever, unfortunately. I do hope that the kind of stories that get told—and the people who get a chance to tell those stories—continue to broaden over time. 

How do you feel the Asian and/or Pacific Islander communities have been represented thus far in the genre and what hopes do you have for representation in the genre going forward?

Growing up, I didn’t really see a lot of AAPI characters in media overall, let alone in horror. My wish list is vast, but at the top of the list is probably more messy characters!

Who are some of your favorite Asian and/or Pacific Islander characters in horror?

I love Yamasaki Asami from Ryu Murakami’s novel AUDITION. More recently, Hong Chau’s character Elsa in The Menu (2022) was fun (although I wish she had a bigger role)!

Who are some Asian and/or Pacific Islander horror authors you recommend our audience check out?

Alex Brown (her upcoming YA horror comedy DAMNED IF YOU DO is great). I’m also a fan of Kelsea Yu’s short stories and looking forward to her upcoming works, too. Honestly, everyone included on this interview list are authors I’d recommend readers check out.

What is one piece of advice you would give horror authors today?

Is there a fear you can’t seem to get rid of? Write it down.

And to the Asian and/or Pacific Islander writers out there who are just getting started, what advice would you give them?

Find your community, have fun, and don’t hold back on writing what speaks most to you. 

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