I Was Alive Here Once

"As surprising as it is unsettling—I Was Alive Here Once overflows with eerie pleasures."—Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House

Ghost stoies from Korea, Yemen, Poland, Japan, Uzbekistan, Iceland, Tanzania, and Thailand

A water ghost and a forest ghost fall in love as developers destroy the only world they know. A midwife helps a jinn give birth. When an ancient tree is cut down, it unleashes a family’s dark secret along with a vengeful spirit. Through eight contemporary stories exploring a range of genres, from fantasy and horror to eco-fiction and romance, this collection breathes new life into the ghost story, foregoing familiar tropes to speak to today’s unique political and ecological horrors. Both lighthearted and menacing, I Was Alive Here Once will lead you into the haze where the living and the dead meet.