Like many fans of dark fiction, I’ve had a long-standing fascination and love affair with twisted tales of cannibalism. The horror genre is the perfect playground for exploring visceral emotions, and hunger is one of the most primal and readily relatable. That ravenous, monstrous appetite that can possess characters both human and otherwise to do unspeakable things in order to satiate the deep gaping void of want within.
Growing up in Taiwan where the supernatural is heavily ingrained in everyday life, many of the most memorable folktales and legends of my childhood contained themes centered around consuming of the flesh. From the various demons plotting to devour the Longevity Monk Tang Sanzang in Journey to the West in order to gain immortality, to the Grimm’s fairytale-like figure of Hu Gu Po, a tiger who disguises herself as a kindly old aunt in order to feast on children.
Themes of familial bonds are also prevalent in the East Asian horror I was raised on, as the family ties that bind us are so profound, they transcend even death into the next life. Setting out food offerings for spirits to consume is a common practice, as is the belief that during ‘Ghost Month’, the gates of the underworld open so that ghosts may freely roam among the living. My debut novel Gorgeous Gruesome Faces, in addition to being a sapphic horror, also features a tense relationship between three generations of Taiwanese-Americans along with the supernatural elements.
When the themes of family and identity are paired with food (and when that food is human meat), it can make for some of the most disturbing and surprisingly heartrending stories. Below is a list of my favorite bite sized tales of terror that serve up this unique combination that always hits the spot for me. And whether the characters within hunger for flesh, for retribution, for acceptance, for connection, for love, they all demonstrate how that hunger can drive us towards the most depraved acts or to perform the ultimate selfless sacrifice.
Alyssa Wong, Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers
Alyssa Wong’s Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers is a fascinating dive into the darkest corners of the human psyche while also featuring a wide range of Asian American women and queer experiences. The protagonist Jen satiates her particular brand of hunger by feasting on the ugliest thoughts and fantasies of others, giving her the ability to take over their physical form. The more abhorrent the thoughts, the better the meal. Jen devours her way through a slew of heinous men before meeting her match in a fellow devourer, one who eats for pleasure, not merely for survival. In between victims, her relationship with the important women in her life are explored in quiet, intimate moments with aching realism amidst all the fantastical horror.
Jade Song, Bloody Angle
In Jade Song’s Bloody Angle, the narrator gleefully describes killing and preparing her victims in vivid and gory detail, with as much attention spent describing the texture and flavor of her traditionally Chinese ‘meals’ as a seasoned Food Network host. A love letter to Chinese cuisine, the story will actively make the reader hungry even as each ‘dish’ is more gruesome than the last. And at the core of this deliciously dark tale is a story of self-discovery as the queer Chinese American protagonist cleaves her own path through a hostile world.
Nick Antosca, The Quiet Boy
Nick Antosca’s The Quiet Boy is a harrowing tale about the things we are willing to do for family, and those we have chosen to become family with. Armed with determination and compassion, elementary school teacher Julia dives deeper and deeper into an inescapable nightmare as she takes on the role of protector of a troubled young boy in her class who is harboring a ghastly family secret.
Eugenia Triantafyllou, Bonesoup
Eugenia Triantafyllou’s Bonesoup is a lovely horror tale that shows the act of cooking and consuming human body parts not as a revolting act, but an expression of deep familial love. Dina’s grandmother prepares meals for her from her secret cookbook, claiming Dina needs to be “eating the body part you want to grow stronger”. Though Dina has suspicions where this ‘meat’ is sourced from, as Dina’s grandmother falls ill and grows weaker, Dina herself steps into the role of chief and her story comes full circle as she embraces her heritage and her grandmother’s legacy in a bloody ouroboros.
Nathan Ballingrud, “Three Mothers Mountain”
(Included in the anthology Screams from the Dark)
Nathan Ballingrud’s Three Mothers Mountain is a heartbreaking story of two young brothers who seek the aid of a trio of mysterious witches in order to perform an impossible miracle that will make their shattered family whole again. But the price to pay for this dark gift is far greater than anything the boys could imagine. The eerie fairytale elements are seamlessly baked in with genuine shocking scares and the tenderest of emotions. A haunting meditation on what it means to truly be ‘one’ with those we love, and a portrait of loss innocence that is both horrifying and beautiful in its tragedy.
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