There were some pretty good stories in this book, and then there were some wonderful and breathtaking fully-realized stories in this book, and then there were some that were just alright -- I split the difference for my rating. But even those had the merit of strong concepts. You must give this collection a try if short SF/fantasy fiction interests you and you are tired of seeing the same influences trotted out again and again.

This was a wonderful collection of short stories ranging in genre from sci fi, dystopia, fantasy, to horror and paranormal. Each story is set in an Asia-Pacific country as the title of the book suggests and the country the story is set in is shown at the beginning of the story right under the title. Short comments and info about the author and where you can find them online follow each story.There were a lot of standout pieces in this anthology and I am so happy I picked it up to read. It remind...

Some of the stories could use a skosh more craft-related polish, but that in no way stood in the way of my enjoyment (which I don't often say; usually I'm pretty hung-up on craft). The diversity of place and culture present in these stories is really remarkable. I want more stories like these in the world.

It was okayIt was okay. I was expecting legends but felt mores like short stories that were meant to be traditional books. Was wanting more mythology like.

No messing around here. You MUST read this book as soon as it comes out. Anyone who likes anything even slightly science fiction will ADORE these stories. I am privileged enough to have been granted an advanced review copy of this anthology which gives me ample time over the next few weeks to now rave about it to everyone I know.Amok is collection of short stories in the genre of speculative fiction, so covering sci-fi elements, dystopia, fantasy and paranormal, but these stories are set within

To be honest I really really wanted to like all the stories in this book but some felt a little rushed in their execution or their worldbuilding was not too convincing.The fantasy / supernatural stories (such as Terence Toh's BRIGHT STUDENT, KZ Morano's KITSUNE and THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT by Barry Rosenberg) worked better than the science fiction ones, which were more or less futuristic projections. The exception is Eeleen Lee's YAMADA'S ARMADA, which convincingly depicts a futuristic Southeast As...

Sometime it’s hard to finish a book especially one that grabs you picking a new one to read has its worries. What if that new one sucks? What if it’s so bad… argh – it drives me crazy.I have book piles aligning my stairs, they’re stacked by genres. Whenever it times to choose a new one, I sit on the landing and perform a debate arguing for each book – perhaps its something about the cover, or a few words I happen to read, and often it’s about the books placement grabbing the one at the bottom of...

This is a rich collection of twenty-four stories; rich in diversity of setting, of speculative ideas, and of character.There are a lot of stories here that I loved and only a couple that didn’t appeal to me. There were also a few I felt could have been shortened – but this might just be a reflection of my dislike of description.The editor defines speculative fiction as “real world settings in the past, present, or future, with science-fiction or fantasy elements.” and the stories chosen reflect

I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of the upcoming anthology, Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction, and I must say that I am impressed. Amok presented with a great lineup of strange stories, all of which push the limits of the imagination (as all good speculative fiction should.) Also, many of the tales incorporated native folkloric and mythological elements into them—a detail I particularly enjoyed.Amok consists of 24 short stories, all set in Asia and the Pacific I...

Not exactly what I hoped forWhen I first came across Amok, I was excited, as it bills itself an an anthology of speculative fiction from the Asia-Pacific region. To my surprise, not all of the stories were written by actual Asians. The location of these stories seems to be the key factor (and Asia-Pacific apparently includes Australia). The stories themselves were, for the most part, well-written and entertaining. I simply wish I had known in advance that there would be a mix of authors.

I'm still looking forward to reading the short stories contained in this anthology...but was disappointed when I got hold of a physical copy of the book. initially the contents list confused me - the stories are listed along with author and country... but a couple just stated pacific ocean /an area of it... and i started to understand that the location referred to the location of the story, not the location/background of the author. when I started reading the introduction, it confirmed that it's...

When I received the review copy of this book, I did not anticipate the exhilarating ride that I had signed up for. Diving into these WORLDS, from the warm fairy tales of childhood, to the alternate present which seems familiar, to the distant terrifying future, was simply, AWESOME!I have to say that Amok is the most satisfying anthology I have read in years, and it will stay with me for a long time. I can see that much care has gone into these pages, from stories to techniques to prose.This is a...

Wonderful, unusual stories from fresh voices. Read full review here: http://paganmeghan.wordpress.com/2014...

I received a copy of this book in exchanged for a honest review. In no way did the author or publishing company influence my review.This collection of short stories is absolutely wonderful. I liked some stories better than others, but for the most part I enjoyed them all to some level.The author of The Moon Rabbit, Jo Wu, is the one who contacted me and her’s turned out to be my favorite (I promise I didn’t plan that!) I loved it because it reminded me so much of Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chroni...

As others have noted, it is very difficult to rate anthologies due to the range and quality of the stories included. However, I enjoyed the majority of these stories as quick reads. A couple missed their mark with me and have largely faded from memory already. On the other hand, two of three hit home and have etched their stories in my brain. Particularly enjoyed:Target: Heart by Recle Etino Vibal - a wonderful re-telling of the cupid myth in a capitalist society. Kitsune by KZ Morano - a dark,

I am thrilled that an anthology that focuses on Asian and Pacific culture exists, showcasing a unique blend of nationalities that range from East Asia to the Southeast and to the Pacific Islands. As one of the contributors to this book with my short story “Moon Rabbit,” it is an absolute honor to be among so many talented wordsmiths who are obviously engaged in the cultures and subjects they choose to explore and build worlds around. "Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction" is a

If you're interested in getting a copy of this book prior to its official release date, please consider supporting Solarwyrm Press's crowdfunding campaign at http://igg.me/at/solarwyrm-anthologie...

This is an extremely broad collection of speculative fiction from all over the Asia-Pacific region. The locations are diverse, and that's the focus of the collection, but the types of stories collected here are extremely diverse as well. As always, with anthologies, some pieces were more to my taste than others. (For instance, I am more of a sci-fi than fantasy reader.)Some notable pieces were: "The Donor" by Brett Adams - love seeing disability represented in fiction."In Memoriam" by Fadzlishah...