Humans and Other Animals

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This volume consists of a critical introduction and translations of nine short stories on animals by prominent Vietnamese writers from the French colonial period (1885-1945) to the present-day. These stories have been in active circulation and have been highly regarded in literary circles in Vietnam since 1986, the ‘Year of the Reform’, when Vietnamese literary works were politically and culturally ‘liberated’ and engaged with greater commitment to criticizing, among other things, mainstream ideologies. Specifically, since the inception of ecocritical awareness in Vietnam from the start of the 21st Century, there has been an intellectual movement that has explored and recovered Vietnamese environmental, animal and climate crisis stories since medieval times. These are valued as voices that challenge and counter mainstream socialist ideology that overlooks the survival and lives of marginalized beings, including ethnic minorities and non-human nature. The authors have carefully selected the best animal stories that have been identified as the most influential in Vietnamese literature, which are deserving of global recognition. They have been chosen from various short story collections and literary textbooks—prescribed in schools and colleges—in Vietnam. The critical introduction begins by sketching the field of Animal Studies drawing upon various contemporary theoretical perspectives. It then goes on to examine the historical origins and formulations of animal stories in Vietnam. This section carefully traces the symbolic significance of animals in Vietnamese cultural imaginary. The ensuing section discusses the impact of ecocriticism and contemporary status of Animal Studies in Vietnam. The final section provides critical insights on the stories in the collection.