Spring, summer, asteroid, bird : the art of eastern storytelling Cover Image

Book

Spring, summer, asteroid, bird : the art of eastern storytelling / Henry Lien.

ISBN: 9781324079101
ISBN: 132407910X
Physical Description: 171 pages ; 21 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: New York : W. W. Norton &amp; Company, [2025]

Lien, Henry, 1970- (author.).

Summary:

"Discussions in the West around diversity in the arts often focus on the identities of characters and creators. Speculative fiction author and writing instructor Henry Lien makes the pathbreaking argument that diversity is about more than just plopping different faces into stories that are 100 percent Western in spirit; it can--and should--encompass diverse structures, themes, and values. Using examples ranging from Parasite to The Thousand and One Nights to the Mario video game franchise, Lien shows how storytelling staples in the West, such as the three-act structure and themes of empowerment and change, are far from universal. He introduces the East Asian four-act structure (kishotenketsu), as well as circular and nested structures, and explains how Eastern value systems such as collectivism can dictate form. Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird is essential reading for any writer or reader who wants to broaden their understanding of how to tell a satisfying story."-- back cover.