Crime and suspense, as well as myth and folk ballads–these are the images that make up Charlson Ong’s 2016 collection of short fiction, Of That Other Country We Now Speak and Other Stories. After publishing three collections of short fiction, this latest volume tops the others with its unmistakable literary sheen.

Eleven stories make up this volume of short fiction, each one a jab into the labyrinthine byways of exemplary storytelling. His genius at crafting mythos and make it feel and sound too real is a skill rarely found in fantasy fiction writing. To some, fabulist stories remain as fantasy. For Charlson Ong, fantasy is reality, what with the scents, colors, and textures one feels that are found in each page.

As the back cover blurb says, “Here is fiction sensual and sophisticated, rich and robust. Here is fiction worthy of its calling.”