Reviews

Kaiki: Uncanny Tales From Japan, Vol. 1 Tales Of Old Edo by Robert E. Weinberg, Kōtarō Tanaka, Rohan Kōda, Kidō Okamoto, Ueda Akinari, Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Miyuki Miyabe, Hinako Sugiura, Masao Higashi, Taruho Inagaki, Lafcadio Hearn, Shūgorō Yamamoto

lillanaa's review against another edition

5.0

This is a very well done compilation, and I'm actually very pleased with the quality for it technically being print on demand. Horror of a different variety, this hits more of the "creepy" than the shock value that we're reliant on in western horror. Undertones are there, and it shows the complexity of Japanese horror tropes. "If you saw something, no you didn't" rings through most of these, and there's something here that feels so... Deeply sinister in some. A very well done volume, and I can't wait to check out more.

david_agranoff's review against another edition

3.0

This is a collection of weird tales, only a few of which I would consider horror that take place in ancient Tokyo that span the tradition of weird literature in Japan from 1776 to 2005. I am not sure this book is for everyone but those who are serious at knowing and understanding the roots of supernatural storytelling will learn a lot from this collection. I thought it was personally important not only as a fan of J-horror, and samurai movies but as a author who dabbles in stories that take place in this very era and region of the world.


Many of my favorite stories were about samurai, personal favorites included the 1928 story the face in the hearth by Tanaka Kotaro. I thought the best part of the book were the opening essays, “The origins of Japanese weird Fiction” and “the Value of the Supernatural in Fiction.” Don't get me wrong the stories were great, but the depth of knowledge and understanding I drew from these essays were the best value of the books.