RIM OF FIRE: Short Stories from the Pacific Rim Edited by Trevor Carolan (Vintage, $79) ENGLISH language readers in Asia are often frustrated by their lack of access to local writers. Translations from Asian languages are few and far between, and often of indifferent quality.
Trevor Carolan, who teaches literature and something called ''East-West comparative studies'' in Vancouver, has attempted to tackle this problem by editing a collection containing works by writers in 13 countries.
He says that the impetus for this anthology came from the Korean poet Kim Chi-ha who, when asked what was being done to improve the awareness of Western writers among Asian readers, turned the question on its head and suggested that it would be far more constructive if something were done to create a greater awareness of Asian writers in the West.
Mr Kim has a point. It is particularly striking that the contemporary literature of the Pacific Rim countries is so little explored in the West while bands of calculator-wielding businessmen and financial analysts pour into the area, attracted by its considerable economic potential.
Rim of Fire performs a small, but highly useful role in breaking down the communication barriers. However it does so in a very surprising way. Mr Carolan's selection has focused on stories which, with no more than a couple of exceptions, reflect a resolute pessimism and fatalism of the most depressing nature.
I wonder quite how representative this is of the many works on offer. Living in Hongkong and travelling widely throughout Southeast Asia, I am continually struck by the optimism of the people. You rarely meet anyone who expects their children or grandchildren to lead anything but more satisfactory lives than themselves. The belief in progress is quite unshakeable.