Dehiscent by Ashley Deng
Dehiscent is an eco-horror novelette by Ashley Deng. Published by Tenebrous Press, it will be released on August 1, 2023 and weighs in at 90 pages.
The story is told from Yi Zhu’s point of view, a 12-year-old girl navigating a new environment full of ecological horrors that have changed everyone’s lives - except for the Zhu family. Summers last nearly a year. Winters are shorter but more intense. Cities are vacated, and the world is a dusty, humid wasteland.
The Zhu family is an anomaly, though. They live outside of the city and don’t interact with anyone unless necessary, for fear of having to share too much information about their home and the secrets that lie within. Yi struggles with the isolation and having to keep her family’s legacy contained. She attends school when weather permits, walking to the village and sitting amongst the other children like an outsider. She makes a discovery on the way to class one day that will change her view of the world and of her family forever.
This was a very enjoyable story to read. I liked hearing it told from Yi’s perspective. It brought about a naivety and a sense of wonder and fear that an adult couldn’t. It was insightful to flash to the CRT showing old shows and what life used to be like, a constant reminder that their world was now in such disarray and breakdown.
The descriptions made me feel like I was actually there. Life in the Zhu house feels so alive, yet life in the ruined village and its surroundings feels desolate and depressing. Still, I enjoyed the underlying feeling of hope, especially having the children continue to attend school despite the dystopian state of their environment and the dangers that seem to be waiting around every corner.
Some themes I noticed in this book are:
Home is safety and an unchanging haven in an ever-changing world
Being singled out for being different
Wanting to fit in
Keeping secrets for the sake of the family
Generations doing the same thing over and over without questioning the reasons why
This story also explores family relationships and respect. Yi is finding her way with her parents and grandparents, looking at how and where she fits in the daily equation - even her relationship with the house iteself. Things happen that will cause her to doubt her role in the family as well as the role she needs to play in society to maintain her homelife. It’s complicated, and Deng allows us to feel Yi’s uncertainty.
In the end, we’re left with Yi realizing her role but continuing to see herself as an individual in her family. She also shows us that she’s learning to be a part of the community. It is exciting to see her attempt to balance both.
This story shows us how families and generations do the same thing over and over with traditions, blindly following the motions without fully understanding why. I feel like Yi will be the one who will challenge the Zhu legacy and lead the family into their new world.
Who is Ashley Deng?
Ashley Deng is a Canadian born Chinese Jamaican writer with a love of fantasy and all things Gothic. She studied biochemistry with a particular interest in making accessible the often-cryptic world of science and medicine. When not writing, she spends her spare time overthinking society & culture, and genre fiction.
***Taken from Deng’s website
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Who is Tenebrous Press?
TENEBROUS PRESS WAS CONCEIVED IN THE PLAGUE YEAR 2020 AND UNLEASHED, HOWLING AND FERAL, IN SPRING 2021 TO DELIVER THE FINEST IN NEW WEIRD HORROR FROM DIVERSE AND UNSUNG VOICES AROUND THE WORLD.
TENEBROUS PRESS is:
MATT BLAIRSTONE
Publisher, Bane, Fabulator of Folderol
ALEX WOODROE
Submissions Editor, Red Right Hand, Wrangler of Fools, Cracker of Whips
