Cambodian Space Project

In the aftermath of our various Southeast Asian civil wars, how do we continue to expand our speculative arts traditions in literature, music and art, to challenge our imaginations?

One group that's doing some very interesting work is the musical group Cambodian Space Project who are working to revive the pre-Khmer Rouge rock music tradition with modern sensibilities while also exploring which elements of their cultural roots might well speak to the next generations. While they have a website, their Facebook page tends to be more actively updated.

They're not always as outre as one might hope in terms of science fiction and fantasy themes they could address but they have a number of very catchy numbers and fun videos. But check them out for yourself and see what you think. 

Non-Western views of the future: N. Korea and Soviet Union

The US and Europe aren't the only countries to project a vision of the future in their art.

In 2014, Wired Magazine took a look at the work of "Commissions for Utopia" commissioned by Koryo Tours who one day imagines North Korea will become a tourist destination. There's certainly some imaginative designs presented for consideration.

IO9.Com took a look at "How Soviet Artists Imagined Communist Life in Space" also in 2014, and it makes me wonder what the Lao in Laos might imagine. The question is particularly interesting to me given that both the Soviet Union and North Korea over the years have enjoyed a very friendly relationship with Laos.

Phaya Nak Goes to the West, Uncanny Magazine reviewed at Quick Sip Reviews

A big thank you to Quick Sip Reviews who just did a review of Uncanny Magazine #11 including my recent poem, "Phaya Nak Goes to the West". I appreciate their thoughtful engagement with my poem and the accuracy of their interpretation.

Be sure to check out the other entries at Quick Sip Reviews.

I've certainly added a lot more to my reading list from their recommendations!

Poet Kenji C. Liu on Code Switchers, Multiliguals, Vampires at Entropy

Poet Kenji C. Liu recently shared some initial notes towards a decolonized imagination of poetry over at Entropy Magazine, framing the issue of American poetics through the metaphor of zombies and vampires, and wherein multilingual verse comes in, particularly examining Japanese American poetry.

Kenji C. Liu is the author of the recent book Map of an Onion, national winner of the 2015 Hillary Gravendyk Poetry Prize. His poetry is in American Poetry Review, Action Yes!, Split This Rock’s poem of the week series, several anthologies, and a chapbook, You Left Without Your Shoes. He has received fellowships from Kundiman, VONA/Voices, Djerassi, and the Community of Writers.

Entropy is a "website featuring literary and related non-literary content. A website that loves and builds off models such as HTMLGIANT, Kotaku, The Lit Pub, Gawker, and The Rumpus. A website that seeks to engage with the literary community, that becomes its own community, and creates a space for literary and non-literary ideas. A website that seeks to cover topics such as video games, graphic novels, interactive literature, science fiction, fantasy, music, film, art, and other topics in addition to literary reviews, interviews, conversations, and articles on experimental literature, translation, small press practices, and performance."