Tunku Halim is aMalaysian-born writer of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. He’s seen twonovels published, four collections of short stories, and runs a popularblog at tunkuhalim.wordpress.com.
You mentioned in an interview that you don’t like theterm horror. How would you describe your own writing?
I don’t particularly like the term horror for my own writingbecause it creates an expectation on the readers’ part that the writing will scare them.If you’re a horror writer, then you necessarily have to writescary stories. It puts a box around you. I prefer the term “dark fantasy”, for then theexpectation of having to induce fear in the reader is removed. My writing isdark and often involves the supernatural element. Often, as in my twonovels Dark Demon Rising and Vermillion Eye, it is aimed to be scarybut sometimes, as in my novella Juriah’s Song, it is not. So the term “horror” is restrictive,whereas “dark fantasy”, which I’m glad to say lacks a precisedefinition, is expansive and allows a particular story and itscharacters to lead the author down whatever dark path they choose.
What was the road to publication like? What was the mostdifficult hurdle you had to overcome before you could become a professional author?
I was fortunate that I already had a non-fiction book published andtherefore had already built a good relationship with my publisher. Buteven then they were reluctant, as they specialised innon-fiction. The greatest hurdle is self-belief. You ask yourself if you’re really good enough to make writing a full-time occupation. Do you evendare call yourself a writer? The other hurdle is the change of mental state, forwhat was once a hobby now becomes work. As a full-time writer, it’s importantto have interests outside of writing.
If I’m not mistaken, you currently live and work in Australia,in addition to having travelled elsewhere. How has this experience shaped yourwriting? How does it feel to live elsewhere, yet still be rooted in Malaysia?
I feel that living outside Malaysiais vital to my role as a writer. Being away from home gives me the mentaldistance to write about it. All the small things we take for granted inMalaysia become magnified when you’re in a different environment. One analogy isthat it’s easy to write a letter home to your mother if you’re overseas but verydifficult if she’s in the room next door. Working in Australia also gives me the isolation I need to write. Malaysiais a very social place, and I’ve lots of friends and familythere, so it’s a difficult place to isolate yourself.
In your opinion, what makes Malaysian fiction unique, atleast compared to other Western countries?
It really is Malaysia’s multiethnic diversity that makes it unique. It is not only theintermingling of the different races, but its fusion, the creation of a distinctive culture thatmakes it so interesting. For example, the phrase “Eh boss, pass me your handphone, lah!” although it is in the English language, contains words derived from Indian, Chinese and Malaycultures. This is something that Western fiction cannot offer.
Your fiction will be appearing in international publicationslike The Apex Book of World SF and Exotic Gothic 3. How did you end up writing for these publications?
I was actually approached by the editors to write for each publication. Inboth cases, they were looking for stories outside North America and Europe. This is a great thing and is a naturaldevelopment, for the world has become a smaller place. I’m glad to be able to share our Malaysian “gothic” experience with a wider readership.
How would you describe the speculative fiction field in Malaysia?
I’ll have to admit that it’s a bit poor. Even with the huge number ofMalaysian and Singaporean horror books available, many of these are aimed atthe teenage market and take the form of reportage rather than creatinggreat stories. They seem to be written for profit rather than for the sake of thecraft of writing. Not much has been written in the realms of fantasy andscience fiction. Perhaps this is because of our Malaysian obsession withhorror. There is much material to mine in the fantasy genre, for theMalay Annals, written in the 15th century, contains many fantasy-like tales.
You mentioned that horror is popular in Malaysiabut science fiction and fantasy not so much. That’s similarly the case here in the Philippines.Do you have any theories as to why that’s the case?
I think it’s because scary stories are rooted deep in ourpast. Fear is a primeval thing, sitting deep in our brains. And when you combine that with themyths and legends of our Asian culture, which are full of ghosts, demons,witches, and vampires, then the result is quite potent. Our parentshave always told children horror stories, usually to stop them from doing somethingor going somewhere dangerous. For Asians, fantasy and science fiction arerelatively modern genres. Horror stories, though, are as old as ourancient jungles.
In your opinion, what makes Malaysia unique and a richsource of inspiration for fiction?
Malaysia has a truly interesting history where so many cultures have met andcontinue to meet. Its cultural richness and vibrancy make it a wonderful source of fiction. For a writer of speculative fiction, Malaysia provides a lot ofmaterial, for it is a country which is full of superstition, with each culture having its own ghosts, spirits, and demons.
What made you decide to write in English?
That’s an easy one. I’ve spent many of my school yearsstudying in the UK. My written Malay is therefore not particularly good. I hope to one day have some of my books translated into Malay.
In your opinion, why is the international scene not very aware offiction of third-world countries such as Malaysia? Who are the writers we should be reading?
I think a lot of the problem is marketing and availability. Theother issue is language. Luckily Malaysia, because of our colonial past, has many writers who write in English. Many, likeTash Aw and Tan Twan Eng, are also educated overseas and are able to compete with Western writers andwrite for that particular market. The same can’t be said for Thailand or Indonesia. Even the famousIndonesian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer had to have his works translated into English before his writing was recognisedinternationally. Whilst we should be delighted that Malaysian writers are making it on the worldstage, we should not neglect our older writers like K.S. Maniam, Lee Kok Liang, and A. Samad Ismail, for these are the writers who will give us a sense of time and place.
You’ve also managed to leverage the Internet for yourown promotion, whether it’s blogs or podcasts. How is the Internet changing the publishing scene?
The effect of the Internet is dramatic. It means that anyone canbecome a publisher. Anyone can have a web page, a blog, an e-book, or even twitter a novel. Of course, there is nothing like having a physical book in yourhands. But even the effect on traditional publishers has been enormous. Fromproduction to marketing to distribution, every aspect of publishing hasbeen affected.
You’ve written short stories, novels, non-fiction, andeven a children’s book. How adaptable are you when transitioning from one format to another?
Writing fiction and non-fiction does require use of different partsof the brain. I find it refreshing moving from one to the other, and so changing formats is quite an easy thing to do. The difficulty isfocusing on one book at a time!
You’ve also used self-publishing to publish your ownbooks. How is self-publishing a viable platform for authors?
I self-published History of Malaysia—AChildren’s Encyclopedia only because I wanted to retain complete controlof how the book would ultimately look. Self-publishing is not something I wouldnormally recommend to authors. That’s because when you self-publish, you become a businessperson. You’ll need to have or build business skillsand spend time on your publication. This takes you away from writing. Also, self-publishing isexpensive.
Lastly, for international readers, could you tell us more about yourown fiction and where we can find/obtain it?
I would try MPH online (https://www.mph.com.my), Amazon, and otheronline shops. My books may also be available at some specialist bookshops and perhaps the local library network.
