Size / / /

Content warning:


The rambutan man’s ghost
Stands under the boa.
Stick knees and dhoti,
And his blistered fruit cape,
Hedgehog eggs dipped in blood,
Smoldering white hearts creeping out,
Still redolent of
      Char.

The tiger woman’s ghost
Stands across the street.
Strands of tape and
Curls of copper wire exude
From the hole in her belly
And below her hips,
      Nothing.

The soldier man’s ghost
Stands amidst scorched earth.
Nothing more than one leg,
An arm, and an ear,
Tied together by stubbornness.
Exhumed from politics,
And delineations of
      Skin.

The ghost of the bomb
Is nowhere to be found.
Only a memory amongst wraiths.
If it were there, it would say
      Nothing of the tiger woman
                 Hip-less, leg-less.
      Nothing of the soldier man
                 Heart-less, head-less.
      Nothing of the rambutan man,
                 Unmourned by camphor
                 And incense.
It would speak only of
      Burnt rambutan,
      And within,
                 Honey-sweet pearls,
                 Now ash.




Naru Sundar (@naru_sundar) writes speculative fiction of all kinds. He has previously been a DJ, a composer, and a potter. When he isn’t devouring books or writing, he enjoys music and art and deep moments in the redwoods of northern California.
Current Issue
18 Nov 2024

Your distress signals are understood
Somehow we’re now Harold Lloyd/Jackie Chan, letting go of the minute hand
It was always a beautiful day on April 22, 1952.
By: Susannah Rand
Podcast read by: Claire McNerney
In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, Michael Ireland presents Little Lila by Susannah Rand, read by Claire McNerney. Subscribe to the Strange Horizons podcast: Spotify
Issue 11 Nov 2024
Issue 4 Nov 2024
Issue 28 Oct 2024
Issue 21 Oct 2024
By: KT Bryski
Podcast read by: Devin Martin
Issue 14 Oct 2024
Issue 7 Oct 2024
By: Christopher Blake
Podcast read by: Emmie Christie
Issue 30 Sep 2024
Issue 23 Sep 2024
By: LeeAnn Perry
Art by: nino
Issue 16 Sep 2024
Issue 9 Sep 2024
Load More