Photo: Lee Ching Kai: The award-winning Malaysian author redefining storytelling with his unique blend of imagination, culture, and mythology.
Exploring The Mind Of A Multi-Award-Winning Author
Lee Ching Kai reflects on crafting award-winning novels, blending Malaysian culture with global mythology, exploring sci-fi and horror, and the disciplined habits that propelled his career across continents.
The name Lee Ching Kai has become synonymous with imagination, mastery, and innovation in the literary world. As one of Malaysia’s literary luminaries, Lee Ching Kai is not only a multi-award-winning author but also a master craftsman of intricate narratives that transport readers into vibrant new worlds. With an impressive repertoire of seven published books to his name, Lee’s works traverse genres ranging from sci-fi, horror, and fantasy, to flash fiction, captivating audiences across the globe with each spellbinding release.
From the spine-chilling depth of The Red Eyes to the mythologically rich tapestry of Era of New Solstice, Lee artfully blends local settings with universal themes, appealing to both Malaysian readers and an international audience. His love for storytelling, coupled with an insatiable curiosity, enables him to conjure tales imbued with cultural richness, thrilling imagination, and heartfelt authenticity. A master of his craft, Lee’s accomplishments are numerous, including the prestigious Honoree Award in the Cultural and Artistic Category of the UTAR Outstanding Alumni Award 2022 and accolades at the FAPA President’s Book Awards, solidifying his place as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary literature.
In this exclusive interview, Lee Ching Kai takes us behind the scenes of his creative process, sharing fascinating insights into the stories that have both haunted and inspired him. From his groundbreaking ability to seamlessly integrate global mythologies with Malaysian settings to his disciplined approach to writing, Lee opens up about the passion and resilience that fuel his journey as a writer. Whether exploring horror so vivid it sends shivers down your spine in The Board Game of Death or crafting fantastical worlds where aliens shrink to cellular size to battle within the human brain, his imagination knows no bounds. Prepare to be inspired by his ingenuity, dedication, and the philosophy that drives his work as we delve into the mind of this extraordinary storyteller.
Lee Ching Kai exemplifies brilliance, blending imagination and cultural depth, creating globally cherished, award-winning novels spanning multiple captivating genres.
Which of your seven books still keeps you awake at night, and why?
The book that still keeps me awake at night is “The Red Eyes”, which is my seventh published novel. The book is utterly meaningful to me because it has earned scores of awards and recognitions at an international level. Beyond that, it captures the very essence of horror and thrills in a manner that could resonate with the curious mind of readers. The chills and thrills within the story have fascinated audiences and helped me achieve those accolades, making me discern the book as one of my true masterpieces.
How did winning the FAPA President’s Book Award reshape your approach to writing?
Winning the FAPA President’s Book Award has greatly reshaped my approach to writing as it was one of the earliest awards I have earned. Winning the award has strengthened my passion for writing and further sharpened my literary skills. Besides deepening my enthusiasm for participating in more awards competitions, it has expanded my perspective on the world of writing and story creation. I still recalled that nail-biting moment when I awaited the awards announcement, and I felt grateful to have won the Bronze Medal.
“The chills and thrills within The Red Eyes helped me discern it as one of my true masterpieces.” – Lee Ching Kai
In the Board Game of Death, the horror feels almost tactile—what personal memories did you mine to make dread so palpable?
In the “Board Game of Death”, I crafted that sense of dread solely based on my own imagination. I intended to utilize my creative vision and imaginary capability to build stories which leave a tingling sensation that lingers in the mind of readers. Apart from that, I strive to create stories through my own words to engage readers in experiences that they will remember at length. Also, I played around with vocabularies and sentences to render my writing so vivid that it feels both tactile and tangible.
You blend Malaysian settings with global mythologies; how do you keep local flavour intact while appealing to an international readership?
I kept the local flavour intact while appealing to an international readership by weaving them into one story that mixes the essence of global mythologies with the local setting. Utilizing my familiarity with the local culture and places, I blended these seamlessly with the Greek mythologies I have learnt through novels and movies. I wanted to mingle the elements in my local settings with the worldwide mythologies to make my story stand out, besides mixing both local and worldwide cultures to make my story unique.
“Winning the FAPA President’s Book Award strengthened my passion for writing and sharpened my literary skills.” – Lee Ching Kai
Sire Yojivu discovers he is the son of Zeus—what drew you to classical mythology after starting with sci-fi horror?
After starting with sci-fi horror, I wanted to explore the classical mythology that falls within the fantasy genre. I merged the different elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and romance into a single novel, combining them with the world of the classical mythology that has shaped the realm of fiction for centuries. In my novel “Era of New Solstice”, the characters of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades have embodied the essence of the Greek mythology, and they are the quintessence of one of the most popular mythologies on the globe.
Flash fiction prizes taught you economy of words; how do you decide when a scene deserves a novel rather than a thousand-word punch?
I have received awards for both my novels and flash fictions. To me, a scene deserves to become a novel when it contains multiple plots, compelling characters, extended dialogues, deeper character developments, and other elements too complex to be delivered via flash fictions. A novel allows the story to unfold at length, placing readers in a fictional realm which brings them myriads of sensations together with plots and characters galore, and it tells a story that stretches from a unique beginning to the end.
Your aliens shrink to cellular size and battle inside a brain—walk us through the research that stopped the science from tripping the narrative.
The story blends the elements of fantasy and sci-fi, and the aliens shrink to cellular size through the mixture of chemicals and the help of a magical wand. This illustrates how the fusion of genres can create an unworldly realm that captures the readers’ boundless imaginations. Scores of extraordinary possibilities can be delivered in such a fictional world, and these are the possibilities that many readers might seek when they read a novel. Also, there are no limits to such genres, as they can be told in various angles and perspectives.
For authors juggling day-jobs, rejections, and the lure of social media, what three habits kept your writing disciplined enough to collect awards across four continents?
The three habits are passion, dedication, and discipline. With these habits, I am able to juggle a mixture of things including my day-jobs, rejections, and the lure of social media. I tried to limit my time on social media and other distractions so that I can remain as determined and focussed as possible in my writing journey. These habits have helped me to collect awards across four continents, proving that my perseverance and hard work have truly paid off against all odds.
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