Bad Asian Fiction and What To Do About Them

About 20% of the books I read are fiction written by Asian American authors. At first, I read them hungrily, as quality Asian stories were not readily accessible during my childhood. It was captivating to read works that felt tailor-made for me, penned by young women who resembled me. To support these authors, I purchased their books brand new instead of used copies. In the same spirit of support, I reviewed most of these books with five stars regardless of my true opinion.

The recent Cambrian explosion of Asian American fiction meant that some books fell short. The growing diversity of Asian stories helped me become comfortable admitting that not all of them are good. I appreciate the fact that I am not obligated to adore every Asian fiction book. I relish the ability to evaluate them honestly, without the burden of feeling like I'm hindering a rare ethnic minority author with a negative review.

The broad swath of the term ‘Asian’ stories cannot even contain the nuances between Korean and Viet fics, Chinese historical fiction, and more. These books need not be flawless bestsellers either. Emerging Asian authors can now have dynamic, multifaceted careers, including lackluster debut novels. It is truly exciting to see growth and evolution in their craft.