Kosmos

Crime novels are ideal for reading at the beach. But have you ever ventured beyond authors from Sweden, Britain or the U.S.? For an exciting alternative, check out the booming literary crime scene in Asia.

Suspense in Hong Kong

In The Borrowed, the brilliant Inspector Kwan solves no fewer than six cases. Chan Ho-Kei’s novel is as suspenseful as it is complex – and draws a scintillating portrait of Hong Kong.

Killers in Korea

A contract killer becomes the target himself: This isn’t exactly a new premise, but the narrative has never been more thrilling, poetic or politically explosive than in Korean author Un-su Kim’s novel The Plotters.

Evil in Japan

Dark, sinister, disturbing: Evil and the Mask, the second Fuminori Nakamura book to have been translated into English, is part crime and part classic noir fiction – Japanese style.

The world in a bowl of soup: Some soups are revered as miracle cures, others are shrouded in mystery and legend.

Heavenly grub

Borscht is the classic beet soup of Slavic Christmas parties and funerals. At the latter, the soul of the deceased is said to ascend to heaven with the steam. Speaking of heaven: While in orbit, cosmonauts can even eat borscht from a tube.

Fiery potage

Ancient dish? Not exactly. City dwellers across the world happily tuck into their pho, but the Vietnamese rice-noodle soup was only invented around 100 years ago. Rumor has it that the name comes from pot-au-feu, the classic French beef stew.

Wonder worker

Chicken soup is universally held to be good for a cold, but scientists claim that Japan’s miso is the real wonder soup. It eases stomach and menopausal complaints, and possibly even helps prevent cancer. Here’s a New Year’s recipe: miso with sweet mochi rice cakes.

In Caracas at Christmas, city streets are blocked off so that people can safely inline skate to mass. How the tradition began is something of a mystery, but it has to be the most athletic way of getting to church.

Images like this can make you dizzy! Op art is good at deceiving the eye. It’s the subject of the Vertigo exhibition opening at Stuttgart Art Museum on April 19, 2020. Can you see the two zebras?

kunstmuseum-stuttgart.de