Susan L. Lin is a Taiwanese American storyteller who hails from southeast Texas and holds an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. Her novella Goodbye to the Ocean won the 2022 Etchings Press novella prize, and her literary/visual art has appeared in nearly a hundred publications. She loves to dance. Find more at susanllin.com.
Her BNW-winning story, “Gravitational Pull,” originally appeared on taiwaneseamerican.org.
BRAVE NEW WEIRD: The Best New Weird Horror + More, Vol. 3, is out June 24th.
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Give us the elevator pitch of your BNW-winning story.
Inspired by a Taiwanese legend, an astronaut’s single-minded obsession with the moon, along with her desire to disprove her mother’s inexplicable superstitions, ultimately leads her down a harrowing path with tragic consequences.
This world is friggin' Weird in a lot of ways right now, and many of those ways are not the fun kind. What secret tips can you share to help others navigate this mess on a daily basis?
I read an interview the BBC conducted with Tim Burton last year where he admitted that he avoids the internet because it makes him depressed. (Same!) To feel better, he instead spends time looking at clouds and hanging with the ten giant dinosaur models in his backyard. I, sadly, do not have a collection of giant dinosaur models in my backyard, but I do now try to spend a lot more time examining and photographing clouds in the sky. Other phenomena that fascinate and delight me daily: weird dreams, weird trees, weird rocks, weird architecture, weird fashion, weird furniture, weird timepieces, weird toys, weird napkins...the list goes on.
Taking notes…BUY…GIANT…DINOSAURS. Okay, so that might cut into the Tenebrous publishing budget for the next 15 years, but my mental health is important.
Do you take naps?
I was an insomniac for about 30 years, and I took frequent naps because I was always exhausted in the afternoons and evenings. After getting really sick a couple years ago, I was forced to start following a more regimented sleep/work/play/meal/exercise schedule. I thought I would hate it, but it's improved nearly every facet of my life, and I haven't needed or wanted a nap since.
On the Tenebrous Discord board, we ask everyone to introduce themselves as a Film-meets-Music Artist (Citizen Kane x Metallica, f’rinstance). It doesn’t have to be your favorite, and don’t spend too much time overthinking it; now GO.
The Prestige x Depeche Mode
What's the capital-W Weirdest thing that's ever happened to you (that you're comfortable sharing)?
On my last day of second grade, someone at school gave us these giant plastic syringes as graduation gifts. No commentary, no explanation, nothing. I was completely mystified. I decided it must be some kind of novelty water gun, so I tested it out in my bathroom sink after going back home. Not only could the device not hold water, but it couldn't propel that water very far either. Frustrated with what I assumed was my own incompetence, I eventually gave up and tossed it under the sink. Decades later, my gaze randomly landed on a pet store ad in the newspaper, and recognition slowly dawned. Apparently that perplexing gadget was an animal feeding syringe for sick and/or malnourished pets who couldn't consume solid food! Okay, sure. Makes sense. Mystery solved! Except...what on earth possessed an adult to give these to a bunch of seven-year-olds as gifts? And without any context? To this day, I haven't the faintest idea. I still wonder about that a lot.
Okay but, this story took me on quite a journey; I’m just glad we wound up in confounding territory instead of scrub-my-brain-with-bleach territory.
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BRAVE NEW WEIRD: The Best New Weird Horror + More, Vol. 3, is out June 24th.
