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Lion City
A man learns that all the animals in the Zoo are robots. A secret terminal in Changi Airport caters to the gods. A prince falls in love with a crocodile. A concubine is lost in time. The island of Singapore disappears.
These are the exquisitely strange tales of Lion City, the first collection of short fiction by award-winning poet and playwright Ng Yi-Sheng. Infused with myth, magical realism and contemporary sci-fi, each of these tales invites the reader to see this city-state in a new and darkly fabulous light.
These are the exquisitely strange tales of Lion City, the first collection of short fiction by award-winning poet and playwright Ng Yi-Sheng. Infused with myth, magical realism and contemporary sci-fi, each of these tales invites the reader to see this city-state in a new and darkly fabulous light.
230 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2018
23 people are currently reading
1646 people want to read
About the author
Ng Yi-Sheng
60 books43 followersNg Yi-Sheng is a poet, fictionist, playwright, journalist and activist. He was awarded the Singapore Literature Prize for his debut poetry collection, last boy (2006). His other publications include a spiritual sequel to that work, called A Book of Hims (2017); a compilation of his best spoken-word pieces, Loud Poems for a Very Obliging Audience (2016); the bestselling non-fiction book, SQ21: Singapore Queers in the 21st Century (2006); and a novelisation of the Singapore gangster movie, Eating Air (2008). He also co-edited GASPP: A Gay Anthology of Singapore Poetry and Prose (2010) and Eastern Heathens: An Anthology of Subverted Asian Folklore (2013). He recently completed his MA in creative writing at the University of East Anglia and is currently pursuing his PhD at Nanyang Technological University. Lion City is his first fiction collection, published in 2018 by Epigram Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 5, 2020
I am absolutely charmed by this book! Lion City is a collection of 16 creative scifi and fantasy short stories by poet Ng Yi-Sheng, cleverly weaving our local experiences into imaginative stories.
Many have tried that and some fall short, especially when certain local elements are forced in for the sake of it, however, Ng has managed to capture our inner lives, our love for food, politics, the queer scene, climate change, the state's 'innovative' future, and the Singapore history very realistically.
If you are wondering whether to read detailed reviews before going in or go in blind, I'd recommend the latter. Every turn of the page was a delight and like opening a present.
Otherwise, if you have read it, I've reviewed some of the short stories below (no spoilers).
Lion City - The title piece and a great choice to start the book with. It starts off with a man who is enamored with a mysterious, motorcycle-riding woman who works at the Zoo. Before you roll your eyes, like I did, keep on reading. Whenever the Zoo is mentioned in literature it's always in a cringey manner but this re-imaging was great.
A Day at Terminal Aleph - A little over the top but I love it. I'd like to think it's a subtle snark at our glorification and worship of our Great Changi Airport, the Singapore Dream, our Metropolitan City, that brings Wealth and Very Important People to our Garden City... okay I'll stop now. Anyway it's hilarious.
Suburbia - interesting storytelling technique and fantasy story that showcases our unchecked eagerness for development and our ruling party's aversion to transparency.
Little Emperor - a really sweet gay love story between a Singaporean and his partner, who claims to be the next Emperor of China.
Port - this was wild and bizarre and it leaves me with more questions than answers. A speculative piece that I enjoyed.
Garden - this is, without a doubt, my favourite piece from the book. I spent a good 30 minutes reading this even though it's a short story, because it was so captivating. I won't comment on the structure of the story because it should be a pleasant surprise.
No Other City - struck me in the feels unexpectedly. What happens if you wake up one day to find out Singapore never existed? When I was younger, I used to think I'll be happy to be rid of the rigidness, the unreasonable academic expectations. As I grew older, it was about state authoritarianism, the lack of creativity, and the overworking. This story showed me a different perspective.
Many have tried that and some fall short, especially when certain local elements are forced in for the sake of it, however, Ng has managed to capture our inner lives, our love for food, politics, the queer scene, climate change, the state's 'innovative' future, and the Singapore history very realistically.
If you are wondering whether to read detailed reviews before going in or go in blind, I'd recommend the latter. Every turn of the page was a delight and like opening a present.
Otherwise, if you have read it, I've reviewed some of the short stories below (no spoilers).
Lion City - The title piece and a great choice to start the book with. It starts off with a man who is enamored with a mysterious, motorcycle-riding woman who works at the Zoo. Before you roll your eyes, like I did, keep on reading. Whenever the Zoo is mentioned in literature it's always in a cringey manner but this re-imaging was great.
A Day at Terminal Aleph - A little over the top but I love it. I'd like to think it's a subtle snark at our glorification and worship of our Great Changi Airport, the Singapore Dream, our Metropolitan City, that brings Wealth and Very Important People to our Garden City... okay I'll stop now. Anyway it's hilarious.
Suburbia - interesting storytelling technique and fantasy story that showcases our unchecked eagerness for development and our ruling party's aversion to transparency.
Little Emperor - a really sweet gay love story between a Singaporean and his partner, who claims to be the next Emperor of China.
Port - this was wild and bizarre and it leaves me with more questions than answers. A speculative piece that I enjoyed.
Garden - this is, without a doubt, my favourite piece from the book. I spent a good 30 minutes reading this even though it's a short story, because it was so captivating. I won't comment on the structure of the story because it should be a pleasant surprise.
No Other City - struck me in the feels unexpectedly. What happens if you wake up one day to find out Singapore never existed? When I was younger, I used to think I'll be happy to be rid of the rigidness, the unreasonable academic expectations. As I grew older, it was about state authoritarianism, the lack of creativity, and the overworking. This story showed me a different perspective.
September 28, 2020
(3.5)
Rep: Singaporean characters & setting, gay characters, lesbian character
Rep: Singaporean characters & setting, gay characters, lesbian character
February 16, 2021
It’s been some time since I’ve read some local fiction so when I saw this collection of short stories at the library, I was intrigued. I had a good experience with Train Tracks and Other Faults so the idea of more Singaporean short stories that play on the fantastical sounded good.
Lion City is a short story collection by Ng Yi-Sheng, experimenting with different forms and topics. There are sixteen stories in this book so instead of going through them one by one, I thought I’d just talk about the ones I liked the most and least.
Under my favourites, there is:
Lion City: The titular story, this explores a story where all the animals in the zoo are robots. It’s short but there’s an interesting twist that makes an impact.
A Day at Terminal Aleph: Changi Airport, being a world-class airport, is now a hub for gods as they make their way. This story was surprisingly brutal but believable.
The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island: This story uses the famous tale of the swordfish/origins of Bukit Merah and launches it into an AU-history tale. Pretty entertaining and I liked the way it was written as a pseudo-nonfiction account.
No Other City: What if Singapore disappeared and no one else but the Singaporeans who were left remembered the country? Sort of like the rapture but just for Singapore. It’s a pretty interesting what-if story that explores the idea of identity and belonging.
Stories that I wasn’t enthusiastic/ambivalent about:
Fishing Village: Interesting concept but too short for it to make an impact on me. By the time I grasped what was going on, the story ended.
Hub: I liked the concept and the narrative style (basically a guy either monologuing or having a conversation but without any quotation marks) but again, I feel like the length let the story down. It was basically set up + denouement with nothing in between, which I think made the story lose the poignancy it could have had.
Suburbia: Again, I liked the concept of a story being told through redacted military documents but towards the end the form felt pointless because you didn’t need to read between the lines, you just needed to omit all the negatives. The obvious story + the dry style made it feel like I was reading a synopsis of a story rather than figuring out a puzzle or reading a story. I would have enjoyed it more if the reader had to work a bit harder to tease out what was going on (perhaps it’s because this is one document instead of several?) rather than just turning everything on its head (i.e. if it’s a denial then it happened). It’s a pity because the “fiction as nonfiction” concept worked well as a historical narrative in The Boy, The Swordfish, the Bleeding Island.
Little Red Dot: Descriptions of aliens but to be honest I did not understand this story. I feel like it’s making fun of certain Singaporean traits but it also felt rather scattershot in its approach.
Garden: I loved the Choose Your Adventure concept, and if I’m not wrong, the disruptive time jumps are intentional, but many of the times there was only one option which means you end up flipping pages back and forth rather than choosing your adventure. Is that a commentary on the lack of choice? Maybe but I just ended up reading through the pages after a while because there will be time skips even if you followed the whole thing.
Overall, this was a mixed bag of short stories for me. I’m glad I read it, because I really enjoyed the four stories I mentioned plus I liked how inventive the stories were overall. That said, while reading the book, I also had this strong sense that a lot of the stories would be stronger if they were given a bit more space (such as Hub, Fishing Village, and maybe Garden as well).
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
Lion City is a short story collection by Ng Yi-Sheng, experimenting with different forms and topics. There are sixteen stories in this book so instead of going through them one by one, I thought I’d just talk about the ones I liked the most and least.
Under my favourites, there is:
Lion City: The titular story, this explores a story where all the animals in the zoo are robots. It’s short but there’s an interesting twist that makes an impact.
A Day at Terminal Aleph: Changi Airport, being a world-class airport, is now a hub for gods as they make their way. This story was surprisingly brutal but believable.
The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island: This story uses the famous tale of the swordfish/origins of Bukit Merah and launches it into an AU-history tale. Pretty entertaining and I liked the way it was written as a pseudo-nonfiction account.
No Other City: What if Singapore disappeared and no one else but the Singaporeans who were left remembered the country? Sort of like the rapture but just for Singapore. It’s a pretty interesting what-if story that explores the idea of identity and belonging.
Stories that I wasn’t enthusiastic/ambivalent about:
Fishing Village: Interesting concept but too short for it to make an impact on me. By the time I grasped what was going on, the story ended.
Hub: I liked the concept and the narrative style (basically a guy either monologuing or having a conversation but without any quotation marks) but again, I feel like the length let the story down. It was basically set up + denouement with nothing in between, which I think made the story lose the poignancy it could have had.
Suburbia: Again, I liked the concept of a story being told through redacted military documents but towards the end the form felt pointless because you didn’t need to read between the lines, you just needed to omit all the negatives. The obvious story + the dry style made it feel like I was reading a synopsis of a story rather than figuring out a puzzle or reading a story. I would have enjoyed it more if the reader had to work a bit harder to tease out what was going on (perhaps it’s because this is one document instead of several?) rather than just turning everything on its head (i.e. if it’s a denial then it happened). It’s a pity because the “fiction as nonfiction” concept worked well as a historical narrative in The Boy, The Swordfish, the Bleeding Island.
Little Red Dot: Descriptions of aliens but to be honest I did not understand this story. I feel like it’s making fun of certain Singaporean traits but it also felt rather scattershot in its approach.
Garden: I loved the Choose Your Adventure concept, and if I’m not wrong, the disruptive time jumps are intentional, but many of the times there was only one option which means you end up flipping pages back and forth rather than choosing your adventure. Is that a commentary on the lack of choice? Maybe but I just ended up reading through the pages after a while because there will be time skips even if you followed the whole thing.
Overall, this was a mixed bag of short stories for me. I’m glad I read it, because I really enjoyed the four stories I mentioned plus I liked how inventive the stories were overall. That said, while reading the book, I also had this strong sense that a lot of the stories would be stronger if they were given a bit more space (such as Hub, Fishing Village, and maybe Garden as well).
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
February 13, 2022
epic. my favourite stories were “Lion City” (multiple Bruh Moments), “Fishing Village” (“We can afford to be magnanimous, anyhow. We are wealthy sons and daughters of industry. If something was taken, we are sure it will not be missed.”), “A Day At Terminal Aleph” (read this in “How You Walk On The Moon” but it’s the kind of story that you can’t grow tired of), “Suburbia” (“There was no city in the first place” *Descartes nods approvingly* *Ministry of Truth nods approvingly*), “SIN” (JUST REALISED THAT IT’S A PUN ON THE AIRPORT CODE), “The Crocodile Prince” (mPreg??? Ng Yi-Sheng has balls of steel), “Garden” (this was FASCINATING. Turn to page 1823.) and “No Other City” (never had to contend with the possibility of Singapore becoming some sort of neo-Atlantis, but that’s not even so speculative anymore for coastal, low-rise communities… like us 😰). This speculative fiction thing is really funky and I would like more.
February 3, 2022
genuinely dont understand why this book is rated lower than ministry of moral panic "it's weird and doesn't make sense i don't get it what's the point blah blah" sorry im just Built Different. some of the stories had me literally mouth open screaming at the end! most of the stories leave u with a "wtf did i just read" kind of feel which I really appreciate .... singaporean writers really need to get more experimental with their works. I can't believe this is like an Actual Published Book some of these stories are really Out There but in such a good way i think we need more singlit that pushes the boundaries of what singlit can be. minus one star because some of the history ones got really boring around the middle like Little Emperor, the swordfish one and Garden. (I was delighted to find a choose-your-own-adventure type story thrown in towards the very end but honestly it just got really draggy after a while). my favourites are Hub, Port, and No Other City. the weird blend of horror and scifi in Port is just *chef's kiss*. Hub is such a surreal funny-yet-touching piece of satire it's one of the aforementioned stories that left me screaming at the end. No Other City got me in the feels somehow..... I will not comment on Food Paradise.
December 23, 2018
this one didn't bonk quite as hard as ministry of moral panic but i did like the choose-your-own-adventure one and the alligator one, some of the sci-fi ones were too much tho tbh and the thought of contemporary sci-fi-tinged short stories usually really gets me going
July 7, 2020
A short-story collection by Singaporean writer Ng Yi-Sheng. Like any good collection, although most of the stories are set in or conspicuously absent from the Singapore region, he plays with form, identities, style, time periods.
For me, the most gifted stories are the historic fantasies ("Harbour", "Little Emperor", "The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island", "The Crocodile Prince"). The genre is well-suited to short stories since whimsy can sustain you and maintain its delightfulness for short bursts. "The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island" constructs an imaginary writer of imperial Singaporean fiction, with secondary literature on her writing and even fake references thrown in for verisimiliude! Meanwhile, the presence of same-sex themes ( in "Harbour", "Little Emperor", "The Crocodile Prince") work really well, and create moving tales, even if almost consistently through queer sorrow and separation. (Interestingly these are all interracial, even inter-species). All great.
Two stories near the end ("Little Red Dot", "Garden") are more experimental in style, but unfortunately I'm not a fan of most experimental work so I wasn't too much of a fan. "Little Red Dot" was about the description of various "alien" "communities" like pores and punctuation, while "Garden" is a choose-your-adventure tale that runs through famous episodes of Singapore's past and present.
"Food Paradise" and "No Other City" are meditations on identity. In the first, the narrator convinced he's a reincarnated bowl of laksa and in the second, the City of Singapore simply is wiped off Earth, leaving its citizens outside its borders adrift, forced to assimilate and yet unable to let go. The first is weird, but the second works brilliantly.
The other stories are about modern times, and it's interesting to trace where creativity is allowed and where it isn't. Through stories of embracing true selves ("Lion City"), coping ("Hub", "Port"), and escape ("No Man Is", "A Day at Terminal Aleph", "Port"), there's a lot of reimagining of individuals, but what's taken for granted is that the city itself — bureaucratic, technological, soulless, and soul-crushing — cannot be changed. Even if every year merpeople rise to make eyes emptier, smiles more false, and chests more hollow ("Fishing Village"). Even if it becomes abundantly clear that the Governmet is clumsy and untrustworthy ("Suburbia"). It's even possible to think of the city destroyed by climate change ("Garden") or disappearing entirely ("No Other City"), but impossible to think of the nature of Singapore itself actually changing anytime soon. If personal transformation occurs, as in "Lion City" and "A Day at Terminal Aleph", the story ends abruptly before it can in any way change the city itself.
At the end of "SIN", possible immigrants from hell are turned away, despite their widely acknowledged value, since the small island of Singapore cannot take in any more people. Before leaving, the visitors make a reference to Sodom and how inhospitality used to deserved destruction, but that since they were now outcasts, no such fate would befall Singapore. They leave peacefully, and a black smog descends on the city as usual. Perhaps this is simply sensitivity to how immigrants don't actually have power, but it's also a signaling of the city's ways as set in stone, come what may. Gentle complaining is possible, and so are wildly imaginative tales of individual idiosyncracies, but the city's nature itself is an iron cage that cannot be escaped, not even in fiction.
For me, the most gifted stories are the historic fantasies ("Harbour", "Little Emperor", "The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island", "The Crocodile Prince"). The genre is well-suited to short stories since whimsy can sustain you and maintain its delightfulness for short bursts. "The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island" constructs an imaginary writer of imperial Singaporean fiction, with secondary literature on her writing and even fake references thrown in for verisimiliude! Meanwhile, the presence of same-sex themes ( in "Harbour", "Little Emperor", "The Crocodile Prince") work really well, and create moving tales, even if almost consistently through queer sorrow and separation. (Interestingly these are all interracial, even inter-species). All great.
Two stories near the end ("Little Red Dot", "Garden") are more experimental in style, but unfortunately I'm not a fan of most experimental work so I wasn't too much of a fan. "Little Red Dot" was about the description of various "alien" "communities" like pores and punctuation, while "Garden" is a choose-your-adventure tale that runs through famous episodes of Singapore's past and present.
"Food Paradise" and "No Other City" are meditations on identity. In the first, the narrator convinced he's a reincarnated bowl of laksa and in the second, the City of Singapore simply is wiped off Earth, leaving its citizens outside its borders adrift, forced to assimilate and yet unable to let go. The first is weird, but the second works brilliantly.
The other stories are about modern times, and it's interesting to trace where creativity is allowed and where it isn't. Through stories of embracing true selves ("Lion City"), coping ("Hub", "Port"), and escape ("No Man Is", "A Day at Terminal Aleph", "Port"), there's a lot of reimagining of individuals, but what's taken for granted is that the city itself — bureaucratic, technological, soulless, and soul-crushing — cannot be changed. Even if every year merpeople rise to make eyes emptier, smiles more false, and chests more hollow ("Fishing Village"). Even if it becomes abundantly clear that the Governmet is clumsy and untrustworthy ("Suburbia"). It's even possible to think of the city destroyed by climate change ("Garden") or disappearing entirely ("No Other City"), but impossible to think of the nature of Singapore itself actually changing anytime soon. If personal transformation occurs, as in "Lion City" and "A Day at Terminal Aleph", the story ends abruptly before it can in any way change the city itself.
At the end of "SIN", possible immigrants from hell are turned away, despite their widely acknowledged value, since the small island of Singapore cannot take in any more people. Before leaving, the visitors make a reference to Sodom and how inhospitality used to deserved destruction, but that since they were now outcasts, no such fate would befall Singapore. They leave peacefully, and a black smog descends on the city as usual. Perhaps this is simply sensitivity to how immigrants don't actually have power, but it's also a signaling of the city's ways as set in stone, come what may. Gentle complaining is possible, and so are wildly imaginative tales of individual idiosyncracies, but the city's nature itself is an iron cage that cannot be escaped, not even in fiction.
September 1, 2020
What a spectacular collection of fiction that kept me pleasantly surprised at every turn - so, so inventive & absolutely brilliant. Bizarre plots, experimental form, and a wild ride through it all.
I devoured the otherworldly realms in this book with wide-eyed wonder; loved how it interacted with existing works (I freaking love intertextuality); lapped up the way familiar folklores were weaved into it; and it all feels right among queer characters & sex positive elements✨
The only thing I'm curious about is how many commentary/references made to Singapore's landscape may have flown over my head 👀
This was a fantastic read, I highly recommend it!
I devoured the otherworldly realms in this book with wide-eyed wonder; loved how it interacted with existing works (I freaking love intertextuality); lapped up the way familiar folklores were weaved into it; and it all feels right among queer characters & sex positive elements✨
The only thing I'm curious about is how many commentary/references made to Singapore's landscape may have flown over my head 👀
This was a fantastic read, I highly recommend it!
December 24, 2020
Twisted and tantalising. The best passages are the ones that reinvent the past. A Singlit must-read!
January 26, 2024
There was a popular request to analyze the plausibility of its scifi elements, but I didn't really find much science there in the first place. A lot of it is fantasy/myth which is just as well.
How much I enjoyed the stories varied a fair bit. It started off with a very intense, almost vulgar focus on sex (which at first felt tacky, then later meaningfully subversive), transitioned to idk how to describe it - transcripts of the author's lectures?, then ended off with fantastical re-imaginings of Singapore with very overt sociopolitical commentary (which was sometimes far too on the nose to be enjoyable, but landed satirical home runs that were the works' saving grace).
Especially earlier on, the stories' endings feel very abrupt and the language gives PSLE model compo vibes. Honestly, only the last story had a satisfying ending. Some of the pieces' formats were supposed to be "artsy"/experimental which I didn't really get (likely my skill issue) - though the deviation from a plain short story format culminated in my favorite pick your own adventure one.
At the end of the day, I think the retelling of SG lore is very much needed. It kinda reminds me of my y1 hist tchr starting off by telling us about his favorite part of hist being sg hist + the new things they're (still) discovering about our ancient history/pre-history. I will also confess to having a maps and SS phase in P5 when it very much struck me with a sense of Place to learn about SG's significance before stamford raffles held the torch that cast promethean flame through cartography or archaeology. Also reminded of claims from certain quarters that much of our post-1965 history borders on the lionized (haha lion city pun) mythology concerning the powers that be. I do not know enough about folkloristics to give a meaningful comment but yes, I think most myths are inspired by some level of truth (which is interesting to consider) and SG's myths are a good basis for building a sense of SG identity in the absence of centuries-long shared histories, at least for many modern inhabitants of the island. Also in challenging easy truths colonialism cooked and which still get dished up particularly wrt pre-colonial ways of life and peoples and their descendants. At the risk of egocentrism it's also just very homely to read stuff you can square with (at least a facet) of your own unique lived experiences. 5* for doing that.
Things I would infer about the author:
- Has an unusually (in a good way) intense interest in government goings-on and lore
- Has doctor friends?
- May have lived in and dated in the US
Things I would infer about the works:
- A number of very oddly specific experiences may have been adapted/inspired from irl of the author and the author's friends / friends of friends
- Is supposed to pay homage not just to SG lore but also the local lit/arts scene at points
- Some are either extended from shorter pieces or edited to fit the page count
Story Thoughts:
* Lion City - Hmm. Quite Westworld S3-coded which coincidentally also filmed in SG
* Fishing Village - TFPG satire falls a bit flat
* Hub - This would probably read better in an altered mental state. But Say NO to Drugs! #DrugFreeSG
* Harbour - Realized it was Amelia Earhart a few years in when I saw the year, plane and character details. Not sure if it's speculative but wtv. bonus pts for accurate av references. Tacky ending
* No Man Is - Strong allegorical energy but not sure what exactly. Pirate and ending remind me of MOMP merlion
* A Day At Terminal Aleph - Sufficiently deranged to be beautiful but ending was irritatingly abrupt
* Food Paradise - "shell-shocked at the WTF-ness of it all" killed the vibe IMMEDIATELY. But it was restored by the meaningful discussion of authenticity towards the end wrt the consideration of prepared-from-stock vs ingredients laksa. The ending had daddy issues-vibes for a bit when it got paraphrased in my mind as "daddy ate me" but ok
* Suburbia - Reminds me of a guy ik who used to fwd family trees his grandmother sent him via whatsapp of sg's elites
* Little Emperor - Feels like a condensed screenplay with cuts btwn vividly described scenes but I liked it
* Port - A bit mid unfortunately, plus an ending I really hated
* The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island - The lit remake of Feynman's lectures I never asked for. It was tolerable for the first few paragraphs but I quickly grew exasperated with what seemed like a transcript of a workshop sharing/lecture
* SIN - Wunderbar! Allegory 100
* The Crocodile Prince - Fascinated at how many social issues were weaved into 1 narrative. Plus the fact that it's about NS makes it an automatic 11/10
* Little Red Dot - Passable Rick and Morty fanfic
* Garden - Favorite story of them all. The jump thing is probably my nolan brain speaking. The characters inside this alternative history provided great reading value. Reminds me of the best parts of history (ie. the idea of considering common themes across times and places).
* No Other City - Close second. Has strong it never rains on national day energy.
How much I enjoyed the stories varied a fair bit. It started off with a very intense, almost vulgar focus on sex (which at first felt tacky, then later meaningfully subversive), transitioned to idk how to describe it - transcripts of the author's lectures?, then ended off with fantastical re-imaginings of Singapore with very overt sociopolitical commentary (which was sometimes far too on the nose to be enjoyable, but landed satirical home runs that were the works' saving grace).
Especially earlier on, the stories' endings feel very abrupt and the language gives PSLE model compo vibes. Honestly, only the last story had a satisfying ending. Some of the pieces' formats were supposed to be "artsy"/experimental which I didn't really get (likely my skill issue) - though the deviation from a plain short story format culminated in my favorite pick your own adventure one.
At the end of the day, I think the retelling of SG lore is very much needed. It kinda reminds me of my y1 hist tchr starting off by telling us about his favorite part of hist being sg hist + the new things they're (still) discovering about our ancient history/pre-history. I will also confess to having a maps and SS phase in P5 when it very much struck me with a sense of Place to learn about SG's significance before stamford raffles held the torch that cast promethean flame through cartography or archaeology. Also reminded of claims from certain quarters that much of our post-1965 history borders on the lionized (haha lion city pun) mythology concerning the powers that be. I do not know enough about folkloristics to give a meaningful comment but yes, I think most myths are inspired by some level of truth (which is interesting to consider) and SG's myths are a good basis for building a sense of SG identity in the absence of centuries-long shared histories, at least for many modern inhabitants of the island. Also in challenging easy truths colonialism cooked and which still get dished up particularly wrt pre-colonial ways of life and peoples and their descendants. At the risk of egocentrism it's also just very homely to read stuff you can square with (at least a facet) of your own unique lived experiences. 5* for doing that.
Things I would infer about the author:
- Has an unusually (in a good way) intense interest in government goings-on and lore
- Has doctor friends?
- May have lived in and dated in the US
Things I would infer about the works:
- A number of very oddly specific experiences may have been adapted/inspired from irl of the author and the author's friends / friends of friends
- Is supposed to pay homage not just to SG lore but also the local lit/arts scene at points
- Some are either extended from shorter pieces or edited to fit the page count
Story Thoughts:
* Lion City - Hmm. Quite Westworld S3-coded which coincidentally also filmed in SG
* Fishing Village - TFPG satire falls a bit flat
* Hub - This would probably read better in an altered mental state. But Say NO to Drugs! #DrugFreeSG
* Harbour - Realized it was Amelia Earhart a few years in when I saw the year, plane and character details. Not sure if it's speculative but wtv. bonus pts for accurate av references. Tacky ending
* No Man Is - Strong allegorical energy but not sure what exactly. Pirate and ending remind me of MOMP merlion
* A Day At Terminal Aleph - Sufficiently deranged to be beautiful but ending was irritatingly abrupt
* Food Paradise - "shell-shocked at the WTF-ness of it all" killed the vibe IMMEDIATELY. But it was restored by the meaningful discussion of authenticity towards the end wrt the consideration of prepared-from-stock vs ingredients laksa. The ending had daddy issues-vibes for a bit when it got paraphrased in my mind as "daddy ate me" but ok
* Suburbia - Reminds me of a guy ik who used to fwd family trees his grandmother sent him via whatsapp of sg's elites
* Little Emperor - Feels like a condensed screenplay with cuts btwn vividly described scenes but I liked it
* Port - A bit mid unfortunately, plus an ending I really hated
* The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island - The lit remake of Feynman's lectures I never asked for. It was tolerable for the first few paragraphs but I quickly grew exasperated with what seemed like a transcript of a workshop sharing/lecture
* SIN - Wunderbar! Allegory 100
* The Crocodile Prince - Fascinated at how many social issues were weaved into 1 narrative. Plus the fact that it's about NS makes it an automatic 11/10
* Little Red Dot - Passable Rick and Morty fanfic
* Garden - Favorite story of them all. The jump thing is probably my nolan brain speaking. The characters inside this alternative history provided great reading value. Reminds me of the best parts of history (ie. the idea of considering common themes across times and places).
* No Other City - Close second. Has strong it never rains on national day energy.
July 11, 2020
Rating: 3.5 stars
Lion City is undoubtedly one of the strangest books I've ever read.
A collection of short stories that vastly range in mode of storytelling and genre, it's a book that surprises the reader at every turn, and is one that can easily be overwhelming for those who prefer straightforwardness both in plot and writing.
Some may disagree (& it's completely understandable why), but Lion City's strength lies in its uniqueness of the way each story is presented, and the 'wonky-ness' that every one of them exhibits. Ng freely and boldly experiments with run-on prose, nonfiction accounts, a choose-your-own-adventure format, press statements and so on, all while maintaining interesting plots for readers to follow. A few can be a little too out there, but all of them make for an extremely distinctive reading experience.
The only minor fault I find in some of the stories is that they are either far too abstract or simple, and it makes the storytelling lose a little bit of its magic. Still, this was overall an enjoyable collection of short stories. Below are some of my favourites:
Hub - One of the noticeably shorter ones about a boss worrying that a new no-name competitor would take over the market. I really loved the dynamic between Boss and his employee (as well as the hokkien phrases sprinkled in the conversation). I kind of wanted this to be a bit longer, but I think keeping it short also gives it a certain sort of charm.
Sin - Also another shorter one. This one is about strange entities that appear in Singapore after the haze clears. Just something I really enjoyed reading.
A Day at Terminal Aleph - A story about an airport terminal that serves the gods. A little eclectic and brutal at some parts, but the underlying commentary was really interesting.
Lion City is undoubtedly one of the strangest books I've ever read.
A collection of short stories that vastly range in mode of storytelling and genre, it's a book that surprises the reader at every turn, and is one that can easily be overwhelming for those who prefer straightforwardness both in plot and writing.
Some may disagree (& it's completely understandable why), but Lion City's strength lies in its uniqueness of the way each story is presented, and the 'wonky-ness' that every one of them exhibits. Ng freely and boldly experiments with run-on prose, nonfiction accounts, a choose-your-own-adventure format, press statements and so on, all while maintaining interesting plots for readers to follow. A few can be a little too out there, but all of them make for an extremely distinctive reading experience.
The only minor fault I find in some of the stories is that they are either far too abstract or simple, and it makes the storytelling lose a little bit of its magic. Still, this was overall an enjoyable collection of short stories. Below are some of my favourites:
Hub - One of the noticeably shorter ones about a boss worrying that a new no-name competitor would take over the market. I really loved the dynamic between Boss and his employee (as well as the hokkien phrases sprinkled in the conversation). I kind of wanted this to be a bit longer, but I think keeping it short also gives it a certain sort of charm.
Sin - Also another shorter one. This one is about strange entities that appear in Singapore after the haze clears. Just something I really enjoyed reading.
A Day at Terminal Aleph - A story about an airport terminal that serves the gods. A little eclectic and brutal at some parts, but the underlying commentary was really interesting.
January 5, 2026
When the singlit is so good it made me open a Goodreads account just so I can talk about it. Some of my favourite stories were 'A Day at Terminal Aleph' and 'Crocodile Prince', but the standout for me was definitely 'Garden', which explores a question I've often asked myself: What if we gave Halimah a gun?
March 27, 2021
I really, really liked this collection of stories, save for a couple which I found a bit odd. And I liked how Ng blended elements mythology, sci-fi/spec fiction, and historical fiction together in each story.
October 6, 2021
4.5. Not perfect, some of the stories were not for me. But it was wonderfully weird and it was interesting enough to make me order another one of author's books immediately.
July 7, 2023
Short stories that capture the essence of the country in intriguing ways , though some were a miss
September 5, 2025
worthy landmark collection of singaporean SFF; a lot in this that's fun, smart and inventive, and threads together other sources of myths and stories across singapore's history.
December 1, 2024
There were definitely some weird stories that didn't land, but the vast vast majority of stories were delightful, strange, and engrossing, shedding new light on the Singapore I know and the parts of Singapore that I don't. I particularly loved the story that invents an entirely fictional fantasy series about Singapore (that I didn't realize was fictional until I tried to google the author), and the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style story about a concubine traveling through time.
March 23, 2019
One of my favorite Singlit books so far. I've known Ng Yi-Sheng mostly for his poetry, but this collection of short stories is replete with imaginative plays on format, conceptions of a future Singapore distinctly futuristic in practice and form but recognizably Singaporean (although Ng does sardonically emphasize practices of bureaucracy and historical white-washing). Semi-autobiographical stories- my favourite involving the blurring of one's personal identity with the dish laksa) are also present in this collection, and are a welcome change of tone.
A highly self-conscious, reflexive work. Recommended for readers of all levels.
A highly self-conscious, reflexive work. Recommended for readers of all levels.
December 17, 2019
Good points: I liked the Singaporean flavour of the novel.
Standouts:
1. SIN, a short story about immigration where the populace decides to kick the new migrants out.
2. A Day at Terminal Aleph, a fun short story about gods visiting Singapore - neatly disguising the casual gore and brutality.
3. Hub, for the format of the storytelling: a business owner realises that he is being undercut. The business owner's speaking style is an excellent portrayal of the "typical" Chinese bosses. It's great.
The rest felt kind of meh.
Standouts:
1. SIN, a short story about immigration where the populace decides to kick the new migrants out.
2. A Day at Terminal Aleph, a fun short story about gods visiting Singapore - neatly disguising the casual gore and brutality.
3. Hub, for the format of the storytelling: a business owner realises that he is being undercut. The business owner's speaking style is an excellent portrayal of the "typical" Chinese bosses. It's great.
The rest felt kind of meh.
August 6, 2024
I was traveling in/through Singapore this summer and figured it would be a fun experience to read this while there. The book consists of several vignettes that were hit or miss, but on the whole, I enjoyed the book. I think the book get's extra points because I was learning about Singaporean folk stories as I was reading this and was able to draw parallels. That was really special. Excited to read more from this author.
August 14, 2020
Singapore Literature is an interesting beast. As an author myself and proud citizen of the Lion City, I try to seek out interesting stories by local writers.
This one was getting all the buzz a while ago, so I picked it up, but only really got to it now.
With the praise that's been heaped upon this little book of strange, magic realism shorts, it seemed like we had a local Neil Gaiman on our hands.
Unfortunately, that is not the case.
In fact, I found myself wondering what everyone was smoking when they gave this amateurish effort such good reviews.
Let's start with the good. A few of the story ideas have a glimmer of hope to them. Such as the zoo populated by robots.
Unfortunately, the good ends there. Because while some of these stories have the kernel of a good idea lurking within, the writer has neither the skill nor the talent to pull them off.
Take the robot one for instance. It takes some frankly bizarre twists and turns that make no sense within the context of the story. There is no grounding of any sort, resulting in a world where anything the author decides can just happen.
But by far the biggest problem with this work, the most distracting, and most baffling to me considering this author has written multiple published works, is the atrocious writing on display.
It is bad. Distractingly, awfully bad.
The author writes as if he is attempting a hardboiled style in the vein of Raymond Chandler, interesting metaphors included, but it comes off as cheap imitation at best. At worst, it's as if the writer knows nothing about the world at all.
I will give him credit for trying to localise his metaphors, but he falls flat every time.
Take the author's use of the phrase "jetty black" for instance. I assume he's referring to the jetties so prevalent in Singapore, which are kind of like piers to anyone who isn't familiar with the term.
So the author has essentially used the phrase "pier black", which makes about as much sense as "concrete blue".
Or how about the sentence that goes:
"How could she, when she naps, peaceful as a skeleton in a morgue?"
Leaving aside the awful structure of it for a moment, who has told our author here that morgues are home to skeletons?
And how are skeletons peaceful?
To go on would be an affront to sanity, both yours and mine. Suffice to say the author seems to have no idea what a metaphor is.
And it just gets worse from there.
Sentences are a mess. A jumbled collection of commas in the wrong places and run-on sentences that never end.
(Perhaps the author was trying to emulate Hemingway?)
There is nothing positive I can say about this author's writing style. It's pretentious twaddle of the sort used by so many "Sing Lit" authors. If you can actually get through a reading of this work without needing a break, you're a better human being than I.
The fact that this has a solid 4.0 on Goodreads and good reviews from Singaporean press either shows incredible bias or the reviewers themselves have never read a decent work of fiction in their lives.
Lion City Stories is my new poster child for everything that is wrong with Singaporean Literature.
Pretentious, badly written, ineptly plotted, and somehow praised by the nation.
The fact that this author is a prize winner and a respected writer is an affront to most great writers the world over.
I wish him all the success in the world, but if he wants to write another book, I advise that he spend some time learning how to write before he does so.
This one was getting all the buzz a while ago, so I picked it up, but only really got to it now.
With the praise that's been heaped upon this little book of strange, magic realism shorts, it seemed like we had a local Neil Gaiman on our hands.
Unfortunately, that is not the case.
In fact, I found myself wondering what everyone was smoking when they gave this amateurish effort such good reviews.
Let's start with the good. A few of the story ideas have a glimmer of hope to them. Such as the zoo populated by robots.
Unfortunately, the good ends there. Because while some of these stories have the kernel of a good idea lurking within, the writer has neither the skill nor the talent to pull them off.
Take the robot one for instance. It takes some frankly bizarre twists and turns that make no sense within the context of the story. There is no grounding of any sort, resulting in a world where anything the author decides can just happen.
But by far the biggest problem with this work, the most distracting, and most baffling to me considering this author has written multiple published works, is the atrocious writing on display.
It is bad. Distractingly, awfully bad.
The author writes as if he is attempting a hardboiled style in the vein of Raymond Chandler, interesting metaphors included, but it comes off as cheap imitation at best. At worst, it's as if the writer knows nothing about the world at all.
I will give him credit for trying to localise his metaphors, but he falls flat every time.
Take the author's use of the phrase "jetty black" for instance. I assume he's referring to the jetties so prevalent in Singapore, which are kind of like piers to anyone who isn't familiar with the term.
So the author has essentially used the phrase "pier black", which makes about as much sense as "concrete blue".
Or how about the sentence that goes:
"How could she, when she naps, peaceful as a skeleton in a morgue?"
Leaving aside the awful structure of it for a moment, who has told our author here that morgues are home to skeletons?
And how are skeletons peaceful?
To go on would be an affront to sanity, both yours and mine. Suffice to say the author seems to have no idea what a metaphor is.
And it just gets worse from there.
Sentences are a mess. A jumbled collection of commas in the wrong places and run-on sentences that never end.
(Perhaps the author was trying to emulate Hemingway?)
There is nothing positive I can say about this author's writing style. It's pretentious twaddle of the sort used by so many "Sing Lit" authors. If you can actually get through a reading of this work without needing a break, you're a better human being than I.
The fact that this has a solid 4.0 on Goodreads and good reviews from Singaporean press either shows incredible bias or the reviewers themselves have never read a decent work of fiction in their lives.
Lion City Stories is my new poster child for everything that is wrong with Singaporean Literature.
Pretentious, badly written, ineptly plotted, and somehow praised by the nation.
The fact that this author is a prize winner and a respected writer is an affront to most great writers the world over.
I wish him all the success in the world, but if he wants to write another book, I advise that he spend some time learning how to write before he does so.
May 26, 2022
i don’t have the brain cells to review this book as a whole, so have my incoherent, half-baked thoughts about each of the short stories. 4 stars.
1. lion city
the titular story!! i personally saw it as a critique of capitalism so that’s very sexy. 3.5 stars.
2. fishing village
less messed up than lion city but it’s also a critique of capitalism i believe? so it’s likewise unmemorable. 2 stars.
3. hub
my brain processed none of this but it was funny. 3 stars.
4. harbour
sapphic relationship + discussions of what a home is = 4 stars.
5. no man is
POR POR 😭😭😭 it’s a story of familial love and coming home!! what more could i want! 5 stars!
6. a day at terminal aleph
i don’t know how i feel about this but i think? this was meant to be about the glorification of changi airport? 2.5 stars.
7. food paradise
what was the ending. what the fuck did i read. it made me hungry though so, 3.5 stars.
8. suburbia
gaslighting in the form of a governmental notice, which is essentially what pofma is. 4 stars.
9. little emperor
this story was so horny and queer. 4 stars.
10. port
too technological for my pea-sized brain to understand. 2 stars.
11. the boy, the swordfish, the bleeding island
alternate history!! the redhill legend!! yesssssssssssss. 5 stars.
12. sin
a hyperbolical criticism of our treatment of migrant workers. this one was excellently brutal. 5 stars.
13. the crocodile prince
very queer. 4 stars.
14. little red dot
finding beauty in the smallest of things 🤪 3.5 stars
15. garden
choose-your-own-adventure but boring. 1 star.
16. no other city
this was fantastic. i don’t know what it is, but singapore disappearing from public consciousness and then those left-behind facing the aftermath of that loss is an amazing concept to me. my only issue is that i wanted more of the aftermath and the ending felt a little bit like a cop-out. 3.5 stars.
1. lion city
the titular story!! i personally saw it as a critique of capitalism so that’s very sexy. 3.5 stars.
2. fishing village
less messed up than lion city but it’s also a critique of capitalism i believe? so it’s likewise unmemorable. 2 stars.
3. hub
my brain processed none of this but it was funny. 3 stars.
4. harbour
sapphic relationship + discussions of what a home is = 4 stars.
5. no man is
POR POR 😭😭😭 it’s a story of familial love and coming home!! what more could i want! 5 stars!
6. a day at terminal aleph
i don’t know how i feel about this but i think? this was meant to be about the glorification of changi airport? 2.5 stars.
7. food paradise
what was the ending. what the fuck did i read. it made me hungry though so, 3.5 stars.
8. suburbia
gaslighting in the form of a governmental notice, which is essentially what pofma is. 4 stars.
9. little emperor
this story was so horny and queer. 4 stars.
10. port
too technological for my pea-sized brain to understand. 2 stars.
11. the boy, the swordfish, the bleeding island
alternate history!! the redhill legend!! yesssssssssssss. 5 stars.
12. sin
a hyperbolical criticism of our treatment of migrant workers. this one was excellently brutal. 5 stars.
13. the crocodile prince
very queer. 4 stars.
14. little red dot
finding beauty in the smallest of things 🤪 3.5 stars
15. garden
choose-your-own-adventure but boring. 1 star.
16. no other city
this was fantastic. i don’t know what it is, but singapore disappearing from public consciousness and then those left-behind facing the aftermath of that loss is an amazing concept to me. my only issue is that i wanted more of the aftermath and the ending felt a little bit like a cop-out. 3.5 stars.
November 22, 2024
What seems to be a neat amalgamation of Black Mirror (Lion City) and Singapore's cultures (Food Paradise), histories (Garden), and (geo-)politics (No Man Is) spirals into a wild ride of decolonial imaginings and queer/fanfic narrative constructs and tropes like royal-commoner romance (Little Emperor), bestiality and mpreg (The Crocodile Prince). I'm floored by how it could be awarded the Singapore Literature Prize. Perhaps it says a lot about my ignorance about the local literature scene.
Many stories hold quaintly local details that make it clear that Yi-Sheng writes chiefly for local readers. The rational management of religions and supersititions in 'A Day at Terminal Aleph'. The haze and Singapore's stance on asylum in 'Sin'. I was quite confused by ending of 'Harbour'. The karayuki-san is described to visit her sisters at a cemetery in Kranji; isn't it for the Allied soldiers, not Japanese, and the cemetery for the Japanese at the time is now in Hougang? Is this an alternative history, or does Yi-Sheng mean something else entirely?
'The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island' cites a lot of its sources in-text, and it is the first time I see something like this in a work of fiction. I was bemused by the many narratives from other Singaporean scifi works that Yi-Sheng injects into 'Garden'; one totally needs not invent everything from nothing.
Many stories hold quaintly local details that make it clear that Yi-Sheng writes chiefly for local readers. The rational management of religions and supersititions in 'A Day at Terminal Aleph'. The haze and Singapore's stance on asylum in 'Sin'. I was quite confused by ending of 'Harbour'. The karayuki-san is described to visit her sisters at a cemetery in Kranji; isn't it for the Allied soldiers, not Japanese, and the cemetery for the Japanese at the time is now in Hougang? Is this an alternative history, or does Yi-Sheng mean something else entirely?
'The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island' cites a lot of its sources in-text, and it is the first time I see something like this in a work of fiction. I was bemused by the many narratives from other Singaporean scifi works that Yi-Sheng injects into 'Garden'; one totally needs not invent everything from nothing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2018
I've always been a fan of Yi-Sheng's writing, ever since I read 'last boy'. Even then, this – his first collection of short stories – surpassed all my expectations.
The stories are fantastical, and yet grounded. Sang Nila Utama meets Harry Lee – I'm being facetious, but you get the idea. Yi-Sheng has taken the fables of the region, of our island, and made them his own, elevating them with his brand of story-telling.
One story, 'The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island' is written complete with footnotes, a treatise on the 'writer' Iris Fonseka, whom I now wish I could read!
'Garden' is a choose-your-own-adventure (I read it two ways, choosing the adventures and then as a straight read too) borrows from other writers and creates an imagined Singapore from the 14th century to the 23rd.
'Food Paradise' encapsulates our loss of our food heritage – everything is pre-made now; nothing is made with love.
'A Day at Terminal Aleph' is the Changi airport for the gods, and Yi-Sheng brings them all in.
My favourite, if I can say I have a favourite as I enjoyed them all, was 'The Crocodile Prince', a fairy tale of sorts.
A must-read and a good almost end to my year of reading.
The stories are fantastical, and yet grounded. Sang Nila Utama meets Harry Lee – I'm being facetious, but you get the idea. Yi-Sheng has taken the fables of the region, of our island, and made them his own, elevating them with his brand of story-telling.
One story, 'The Boy, the Swordfish, the Bleeding Island' is written complete with footnotes, a treatise on the 'writer' Iris Fonseka, whom I now wish I could read!
'Garden' is a choose-your-own-adventure (I read it two ways, choosing the adventures and then as a straight read too) borrows from other writers and creates an imagined Singapore from the 14th century to the 23rd.
'Food Paradise' encapsulates our loss of our food heritage – everything is pre-made now; nothing is made with love.
'A Day at Terminal Aleph' is the Changi airport for the gods, and Yi-Sheng brings them all in.
My favourite, if I can say I have a favourite as I enjoyed them all, was 'The Crocodile Prince', a fairy tale of sorts.
A must-read and a good almost end to my year of reading.
November 30, 2020
This was a bit of a mixed bag for me (aren't most short story collections though?). The collection started strongly enough and some of the highlights of the collection for me were the title story, Lion City (where a man learns that all the animals at the zoo are robots), Fishing Village (where denizens of the deep come to the surface once a year for their annual catch), A Day at Terminal Aleph (where Changi Airport has a secret terminal catering to the gods), Food Paradise (on the soul or loss of soul in local food), and SIN (on visitors from Hell who descend on Singapore during the haze and their reception from Singaporeans). They interrogate and skewer Singapore's ambitions and self-image as an exceptional first world country. They shine a light on the parts of the country we don't want seen. They are witty, funny, sometimes uncomfortable.
There were 16 stories in total. I loved 5 of them, really did not enjoy The Little Red Dot and Suburbia - did not appreciate the point of them - found the rest alright. Some more bizarre than others but still readable. One third of the book is a decent hit rate and Lion City is a quick read that I finished in a day.
There were 16 stories in total. I loved 5 of them, really did not enjoy The Little Red Dot and Suburbia - did not appreciate the point of them - found the rest alright. Some more bizarre than others but still readable. One third of the book is a decent hit rate and Lion City is a quick read that I finished in a day.
January 12, 2024
Though a series of short stories expertly woven into a larger tale in itself, Lion City (the book) captures multiple facets of Singapore - from our favourite food to our forgotten lores, our collective fears to our common quirks.
The first story "Lion City" ensured my suspension of disbelief, allowing subsequent stories to flourish in their own rights. At the end, "No Other City" drilled into me a sense of pride and belonging, as well as an initial despair over the loss of home. In reading this book, I'd started the year on a good note.
And also because many reviews touch upon some of their favourite short stories, my favourite 5 short stories include, in no order of preference,
Food Paradise -- Oooh, who doesn't love any talk of food?)
Garden -- I realise this is one of the most popular stories too - And I really love the storytelling format
SIN -- A good reminder that nation-building is a collective choice, against the backdrop of Us-vs-Them
No Other City -- What would happen if there was no more "home"?
Hub -- A light-hearted take on the corporate world, sprinkled with a touch of local lexicons
Sidenote: I realise these names allude to different aspects of our country :)
#SingLit
The first story "Lion City" ensured my suspension of disbelief, allowing subsequent stories to flourish in their own rights. At the end, "No Other City" drilled into me a sense of pride and belonging, as well as an initial despair over the loss of home. In reading this book, I'd started the year on a good note.
And also because many reviews touch upon some of their favourite short stories, my favourite 5 short stories include, in no order of preference,
Food Paradise -- Oooh, who doesn't love any talk of food?)
Garden -- I realise this is one of the most popular stories too - And I really love the storytelling format
SIN -- A good reminder that nation-building is a collective choice, against the backdrop of Us-vs-Them
No Other City -- What would happen if there was no more "home"?
Hub -- A light-hearted take on the corporate world, sprinkled with a touch of local lexicons
Sidenote: I realise these names allude to different aspects of our country :)
#SingLit
December 15, 2019
Honestly, if we’re going to compare this to Ministry of Moral Panic, I’d vouch for this. Yi-Sheng’s collection just reads as more polished to me — the stories are hinged on creative premises and well executed. I have a few favourites but a stand out was “Food Paradise”, where Yi-Sheng takes on the voice of the narrator to regale us with a hilarious account of how he finds out he was a bowl of laksa in his past life, and what happens when he meets his maker. I also enjoyed “Port”, which lets us peep into world of a quotidian middle-aged couple, whose marriage unravels following the discovery of (a literal) gaping hole. The stories are inventive, touching, and many read to me as love letters to this island in some way.
September 11, 2021
Ng Yi Sheng is a very versatile author. I read the first few pieces thinking it's a multi-author anthology, only then realised it's from one guy.
The writing felt fresh and different each story! There are more hits than misses in the story, and the choose your own adventure piece at the end was quite a lovely icing on the cake.
The thread that ties the whole book together is this theme of being loss, either loss in time, space, reality or culture. Some pieces hit me harder than I expected because of how the theme culminated (the prince and the crocodile)
The piece of Singapore going missing was haunting and confusing but I wish it had a better ending.
On the whole, a very enjoyable read!
The writing felt fresh and different each story! There are more hits than misses in the story, and the choose your own adventure piece at the end was quite a lovely icing on the cake.
The thread that ties the whole book together is this theme of being loss, either loss in time, space, reality or culture. Some pieces hit me harder than I expected because of how the theme culminated (the prince and the crocodile)
The piece of Singapore going missing was haunting and confusing but I wish it had a better ending.
On the whole, a very enjoyable read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2022
As with short stories, I liked some more than others; I think it's a genre preference, where I lean more towards fantasy than sci-fi, as well as a tonal preference, where I enjoy the more romantic tones over the more cynical stories. Ng is a confident, accomplished, certain writer who is very capable of delivering an emotional punch, able to develop conceptual seeds into stories that are fleshy and organic with reality and possibility. My favourite stories were the final one titled "No Other City", a wild-running choose-your-own-adventure spin through Singapore past and present and future; "Harbour", about Singapore imagined as an airport for deities and gods; and "Port", about a middle-aged old Chinese uncle who discovers that there are holes appearing all over his body.
May 12, 2020
As an outsider to Singapore, I thoroughly enjoyed the many facets of the country reflected through these short stories in the forms of robotic zoo animals all the way to a time traveling concubine. The theme of Singapore as a newbie to the world, a cultural hotpot (and hotspot), and hellbent on using technology for progress are clearly illustrated in the stories. I suspect that Yi-Sheng writes for his fellow Singaporeans. The stories contain intricate and sometimes too high a density of details for literary expats to appreciate. I think that this page-turner of a collection would be perfectly at home in the discussion of book clubs.
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