2021 was the darkest year I’ve lived through yet. The pandemic. Government responses to the pandemic. Ever-changing policies and advisories. Supply chain crisis. Inflation of the US dollar. Growing societal divisions. We’re going to see the effects spill over into the coming year. 2022 will demand the most and the best of us. Courage. Motivation. […]
The Way of Wuxia
The romance of the jianghu crosses borders and cultures. It is freedom from cultural strictures, skill with martial arts, an iron code of honor. In China, its greatest appeal comes from its sharp contrast with Confucian norms, with its emphasis on rigid social hierarchies and complex etiquettes. The West sees parallels with the knights-errant of […]
Metaphysics and Worldbuilding
Previously, I discussed how I plan to write the gap between East and West in my latest series, Saga of the Swordbreaker. One of the topics I touched upon was the difference in metaphysical paradigms between China and the West. Let’s go into greater detail in metaphysics and worldbuilding. This post isn’t about religion and […]
No Jab, No Job Comes To Singapore
No jab, no job has come to Singapore. The government won’t call it that, of course. They are simply barring the unvaccinated from returning to the workplace, even with a negative pre-event test, starting 15 January. Partially vaccinated workers have until 31 January to complete their vaccination regimen. Employees who cannot work from home risk […]
Writing the Gap Between East and West
Xianxia is a Chinese genre. Cultivation is Western. How do you bridge the gap between East and West?
Kit Sun Cheah on The Writers Room!
I’ll be appearing on The Writers Room to discuss cyberpunk and related matters with J. Ishiro Finney! You can watch the interview below or on YouTube. To learn more about my current project, SAGA OF THE SWORDBREAKER, click on the link here!
Writing Gongfu and Cultivation
You can’t have a cultivation story without a cultivation system. Most cultivation fiction use easy systems. Drink a potion, take a pill, practice techniques from a manual, breathe a certain way, then do it enough times and suddenly you become more powerful. But what if your goal isn’t power? The primary purpose of cultivation is […]
Walking Alone in the Age of Covid
All my life, I have walked alone. In all things I have forged my own path. As a child, I favoured solitary pursuits over group activities. My tendencies drew me away from the crowds, and towards the meditations of the ancient philosophers, the craft of art, the way of sword and pen in accord. In […]
Writing A Different Approach to Martial Arts
Most English-speaking readers would be familiar with Western portrayals of martial arts. In movies, television, games and prose, fight scenes are the cornerstone of Western fiction. One commonality I’ve noticed in most Western fight scenes I’ve seen is that they are portrayed as exchanges of force. Every fight scene is presented as a contest of […]
The Covid State
History remembers pandemics as periods of great human suffering. The Black Death. The Spanish flu. Smallpox. The Covid era will be remembered not merely for the severity of the disease, but the rise of the global Covid state. Big Government wants supreme power over the lives of the people. Big Pharma seeks a captive market. […]