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Scream to the Shadows
Unconfined to a single theme, this new collection of twenty short stories by Halim offers five distinct worlds - the paranormal mysteries from 'The occult words', with its dark settings reveal supernatural existences in the characteristic Halim style. 'Fragmented Minds' open doors to the tales of the horrors of some twisted human minds driven by madness. Without the theme of supernatural, these instances of the human rationality falling apart evoke fear of a different nature. The third set of horrors is a reflection of our veulnerability, with its tales of how the technology can be destructive at times.
In five different sets, 'Scream to the Shadows' touches upon the different forms of terrors that bring fears of their distinct natures.
Tunku Halim is a Malaysian novelist, short story, non-fiction writer and lawyer. His novel Vermillion Eye was a study text at the National University of Singapore. By delving into Malay myth, legends and folklore, his writing is regarded as 'World Gothic'. His novel, Last Breath, is seen as taking a step away from the genre into 'a mixture of character drama, satire, alternate history, and magic realism'.
In five different sets, 'Scream to the Shadows' touches upon the different forms of terrors that bring fears of their distinct natures.
Tunku Halim is a Malaysian novelist, short story, non-fiction writer and lawyer. His novel Vermillion Eye was a study text at the National University of Singapore. By delving into Malay myth, legends and folklore, his writing is regarded as 'World Gothic'. His novel, Last Breath, is seen as taking a step away from the genre into 'a mixture of character drama, satire, alternate history, and magic realism'.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
194 people want to read
About the author
Tunku Halim
37 books57 followersTunku Halim has lived in the UK, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. He worked as Legal Counsel for a global IT company before turning to writing.
Twenty books later, he is dubbed Asia’s Steven King. By delving into Malay myth, legends and folklore, his writing is regarded as ‘World Gothic’.
His novel, Dark Demon Rising, was nominated for the 1999 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award whilst his second novel, Vermillion Eye, is used as a study text in The National University of Singapore’s Language and Literature course.
His short story has also won first prize in a 1998 Fellowship of Australian Writers competition. In Malaysia, he has had three consecutive wins in Malaysia's Star-Popular Readers’ Choice Awards between 2015 and 2017.
Twenty books later, he is dubbed Asia’s Steven King. By delving into Malay myth, legends and folklore, his writing is regarded as ‘World Gothic’.
His novel, Dark Demon Rising, was nominated for the 1999 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award whilst his second novel, Vermillion Eye, is used as a study text in The National University of Singapore’s Language and Literature course.
His short story has also won first prize in a 1998 Fellowship of Australian Writers competition. In Malaysia, he has had three consecutive wins in Malaysia's Star-Popular Readers’ Choice Awards between 2015 and 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 22, 2021
I don't know how to feel about this collection. It's... odd. If you have trigger warnings, all you've got to do is read the table of contents and you'll know this book isn't for you. It's also more-than-arguably sexist. With that out of the way, some of the stories are... okay. Others are instantly forgettable. Others made me sigh and roll my eyes.
The biggest problem is the interchangeability of the characters. There isn't much effort made to make them distinct or to make the reader feel empathy for them. Tunku doesn't usually spend much time laying the groundwork, he just gets right into things. This can work alright sometimes, but you need variety. For instance, a fair few tales out of the twenty take the form of some rando, maybe walking around at night, who gets attacked and dies, or is consumed, what have you, and that's that. Everything you learn about them is meaningless. They're just fodder.
Some of the monster descriptions are well done, but many of the creatures themselves aren't original creations, they're ripped straight out of folklore. Malaysian folklore is on a whole other level when compared to what America has, but if you're at all familiar with it, then the monsters won't seem as fresh as they might have otherwise.
Anyways, here's a quick ranking.
Martha Teoh - ? stars - Super effed up. Disturbing. I guess it accomplishes what it set out to do, so... I don't know what to rate it.
Malay Magic - 3 or 4 stars - Stands out for just how absolutely bizarre it is.
Black Death - 2 stars - Barely remember.
Man on the 22nd Floor - 2 stars - Also barely remember.
Emil and the Lurking Shadow - 1 1/2 stars - Engh. Traditional parking garage story.
Ladiah - 2 1/2 stars - I remember this one!
Kyoto Kitchen, The Black Bridge, Hawker Man and I - 2 stars apiece - Vaguely remember.
Yaknow what, let's just say around two stars for the next eight tales after that, which leaves:
In the Village of Setang - 4 stars - Subtly creepy. Kind of interesting. Might be the only story that takes place far into the past.
Midnight Rain - 4 stars - My favourite of the bunch. This is the kind of story I was expecting to get when I picked up Tunku. I'm sure a lot of Westerners would find the concept... problematic (because it is), but I dunno, Tunku presents an interesting dynamic. This is one of the few stories (along with Setang) that feels distinctly Malaysian. It plays on politics, sexism, religion. I feel like there was just so much more to explore. It also spends a little bit of time setting up the central characters before delving into the horror scenario, so there's that.
Anyways, maybe I'm being unfair, but I dunno, I don't think this'll sit well with most Western horror enthusiasts, which is a shame.
The biggest problem is the interchangeability of the characters. There isn't much effort made to make them distinct or to make the reader feel empathy for them. Tunku doesn't usually spend much time laying the groundwork, he just gets right into things. This can work alright sometimes, but you need variety. For instance, a fair few tales out of the twenty take the form of some rando, maybe walking around at night, who gets attacked and dies, or is consumed, what have you, and that's that. Everything you learn about them is meaningless. They're just fodder.
Some of the monster descriptions are well done, but many of the creatures themselves aren't original creations, they're ripped straight out of folklore. Malaysian folklore is on a whole other level when compared to what America has, but if you're at all familiar with it, then the monsters won't seem as fresh as they might have otherwise.
Anyways, here's a quick ranking.
Martha Teoh - ? stars - Super effed up. Disturbing. I guess it accomplishes what it set out to do, so... I don't know what to rate it.
Malay Magic - 3 or 4 stars - Stands out for just how absolutely bizarre it is.
Black Death - 2 stars - Barely remember.
Man on the 22nd Floor - 2 stars - Also barely remember.
Emil and the Lurking Shadow - 1 1/2 stars - Engh. Traditional parking garage story.
Ladiah - 2 1/2 stars - I remember this one!
Kyoto Kitchen, The Black Bridge, Hawker Man and I - 2 stars apiece - Vaguely remember.
Yaknow what, let's just say around two stars for the next eight tales after that, which leaves:
In the Village of Setang - 4 stars - Subtly creepy. Kind of interesting. Might be the only story that takes place far into the past.
Midnight Rain - 4 stars - My favourite of the bunch. This is the kind of story I was expecting to get when I picked up Tunku. I'm sure a lot of Westerners would find the concept... problematic (because it is), but I dunno, Tunku presents an interesting dynamic. This is one of the few stories (along with Setang) that feels distinctly Malaysian. It plays on politics, sexism, religion. I feel like there was just so much more to explore. It also spends a little bit of time setting up the central characters before delving into the horror scenario, so there's that.
Anyways, maybe I'm being unfair, but I dunno, I don't think this'll sit well with most Western horror enthusiasts, which is a shame.
September 25, 2019
You can find my full review here: https://jessicabooksblog.wordpress.co...
April 19, 2023
There’s no doubt that Tunku Halim can write, but this collection of short stories was a very difficult task to complete. I rarely give up on authors but enough was enough and I set the book aside at the 90% mark.
So many of the stories start well and have enormous potential but then fall flat at the end or become ridiculous.
That became incredibly frustrating and frankly I almost gave up on reading this much earlier.
On the back of the book there’s a marketing grab line which says; “20 shadowy tales from Asia’s Stephen King”.
Give me a break … I don’t mean to offend, but he does not come close.
The 1 Star is for the one brilliant story (Emil and the Lurking Shadow) and the other Star is for several extremely promising starts.
I had been excited by the prospect of reading this but unfortunately I cannot recommend the collection.
So many of the stories start well and have enormous potential but then fall flat at the end or become ridiculous.
That became incredibly frustrating and frankly I almost gave up on reading this much earlier.
On the back of the book there’s a marketing grab line which says; “20 shadowy tales from Asia’s Stephen King”.
Give me a break … I don’t mean to offend, but he does not come close.
The 1 Star is for the one brilliant story (Emil and the Lurking Shadow) and the other Star is for several extremely promising starts.
I had been excited by the prospect of reading this but unfortunately I cannot recommend the collection.
June 30, 2022
I love creative stories and imaginations regarding technology and malay traditions.
So, of course these two parts excites me the most.
Part 3: Dark Technology, (10) The App and (12) Mr Skull are among my favourite stories in this book. The writer created the situations that makes me questioned myself, "Wooahh... Why I never think about that?".
For Part 5: Malay Shadows, I like (17) Biggest Baddest Bomoh and (19) In the Village of Sepetang. The plotwist at the end of these two stories (though quite shock) but still can be relate to our real life situation.
SCREAM TO THE SHADOWS; yes, I found it extremely sexist but still interesting to be read.
So, of course these two parts excites me the most.
Part 3: Dark Technology, (10) The App and (12) Mr Skull are among my favourite stories in this book. The writer created the situations that makes me questioned myself, "Wooahh... Why I never think about that?".
For Part 5: Malay Shadows, I like (17) Biggest Baddest Bomoh and (19) In the Village of Sepetang. The plotwist at the end of these two stories (though quite shock) but still can be relate to our real life situation.
SCREAM TO THE SHADOWS; yes, I found it extremely sexist but still interesting to be read.
September 2, 2025
So the stories were pretty ok. Some better than others obviously but honestly the amount of sex was a little much, like there was sex or rape in every story. Sometimes it was the main focus of the story. I don't know, I'm not a prude, sex in horror definitely has it's place, but yeah it was just a bit much. On top of that most of the stories didn't feel scary or creepy, bar one or two. I guess I just wanted more focus on the scares. Still though good writing from a technical perspective, nicely descriptive and engaging, I always wanted to know how the stories ended. All in all an ok read 3/5 ⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2021
Honestly, this book is great! If you ever watched "American Horror Stories" you know how all the seasons are completely different yet kinda correlate to each other. That's how the chapters are the only thing that connects them is like lurking shadows. Anyways you'll love this book it's very detailed with describing words. Many chapters have something to do with rape not all like two but just a heads up. it's just a bunch of short stories.
July 6, 2020
Easy to read, raunchy short stories of Malayan horror. Pontianaks and Orang Minyaks come alive with a modern twist to send shivers down your spine. This is embellished with dark humour and drama, so typical of this region, making the tales entertaining.
December 14, 2020
It was easy to read the book. Some of the stories have some interesting twists. Some seem to creep up on you. However there were some that were quite predictable.
Overall I enjoyed the book.
Overall I enjoyed the book.
February 28, 2021
It was a good read but, this book included short stories from his previous publications somehow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2021
Underwhelming.
DNF halfway. It gets two stars as a couple of the stories were okayish. I might try to read the rest if I’m desperate for something to read.
DNF halfway. It gets two stars as a couple of the stories were okayish. I might try to read the rest if I’m desperate for something to read.
February 17, 2024
I suppose this was meant to be an unsettling book but I could barely make it past the pages without internally cringing.
September 29, 2019
Full review can be found here: https://awondrousescape.wordpress.com... where I delve deeper into my gripe with the author & talk about misleading quotes, recycled materials and undeserved acclaim.
Tunku Halim’s graphic writing is meant to induce unease and discomfort among readers, and he has definitely succeeded in that aspect. I’ll give credit where credit is due. In other aspects, not so much.
For a horror compilation, there seems to be a substantial lack of suspense, thrill, fear, and mystery – elements that make a good horror story. Tunku Halim’s overly-descriptive writing tends to take away from the suspense building in a scene. I’d end up focusing on painting and re-painting the picture in my head to fit his description that by the end of it all, I’ve lost track of the character’s impending doom and the situation they’re in.
Some stories seem to develop without a clear direction or purpose, not dissimilar to the game where you try to form a story by having everyone in line make up a sentence to continue the story. I often found myself questioning the point of a story when I reached the end.
All in all, I cannot say that ‘Scream to the Shadows’ is a good horror short story collection. Yes, it’s unpleasant, but that’s about it. It is especially disappointing when I was promised stories “that will keep you turning pages, until you scream to the shadows!”, as quoted from the blurb. All it did was make me scream into my pillow.
One thing readers should take note of is that 19 out of the 20 stories in this book have previously been published in other collections. 11 out of the 19 were included in ‘Horror Stories’ and ‘Horror Stories 2’, 2 of his more famous collections, so do keep that in mind. If you’re new to Tunku Halim, though, it wouldn’t affect you, so go ahead and pick it up.
Special thanks to Times Reads for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review! (My rating is based solely on this collection of short stories.)
Tunku Halim’s graphic writing is meant to induce unease and discomfort among readers, and he has definitely succeeded in that aspect. I’ll give credit where credit is due. In other aspects, not so much.
For a horror compilation, there seems to be a substantial lack of suspense, thrill, fear, and mystery – elements that make a good horror story. Tunku Halim’s overly-descriptive writing tends to take away from the suspense building in a scene. I’d end up focusing on painting and re-painting the picture in my head to fit his description that by the end of it all, I’ve lost track of the character’s impending doom and the situation they’re in.
Some stories seem to develop without a clear direction or purpose, not dissimilar to the game where you try to form a story by having everyone in line make up a sentence to continue the story. I often found myself questioning the point of a story when I reached the end.
All in all, I cannot say that ‘Scream to the Shadows’ is a good horror short story collection. Yes, it’s unpleasant, but that’s about it. It is especially disappointing when I was promised stories “that will keep you turning pages, until you scream to the shadows!”, as quoted from the blurb. All it did was make me scream into my pillow.
One thing readers should take note of is that 19 out of the 20 stories in this book have previously been published in other collections. 11 out of the 19 were included in ‘Horror Stories’ and ‘Horror Stories 2’, 2 of his more famous collections, so do keep that in mind. If you’re new to Tunku Halim, though, it wouldn’t affect you, so go ahead and pick it up.
Special thanks to Times Reads for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review! (My rating is based solely on this collection of short stories.)
January 11, 2020
Disappointing
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews