"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 stories 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.