Tales of the Supernatural

Catherine Lim’s free-wheeling imagination cheerfully dispenses with all constraints to tell stories of that other world. Written with an exaggerated sense of earnestness and caution, the eighteen tales in this collection elicit in the reader the very goosebumps of terror she had herself experienced as a child listening to such tales. As an adult, these goosebumps persist for her. However, they no longer arise from fear, but from a sense of awe and mystery that she feels when she considers this large existential question: Despite our extensive scientific knowledge today, what do we know of the supernatural? What can we know of the supernatural? Catherine’s deep and abiding sense of mystery is reflected in the pronouncement by one of her characters in the last story in this collection: “I don't know, I don't know. I wish I did.”

Catherine Lim is internationally recognised as one of the leading figures in the world of Asian fiction and non-fiction. The prolific writer and political commentator has penned more than 25 books across various genres – short stories, novels, reflective prose, poems and satirical pieces. Many of her works are studied in local and foreign schools and universities and have been published in various languages in several countries.