Hopeful Monsters

In science "hopeful monsters" are genetic mutants that adapt themselves to changing environments, and are often the bridge between species. In Hiromi Goto's collection of stories, hopeful monsters are characters trapped between generations and cultures, desperately seeking to evolve, to escape their lives and even themselves. A woman gives birth to a baby with a tail and is forced to re-examine her relationship with her mother and confront her past. Three generations of women spend a night around a kitchen table, describing how their dreams turn into nightmares. A young woman tries to understand humanity and her own experiences by immersing herself in mall life. They all know they're out of place, but they don't know where to go. There's no sanctuary for them, no domestic or cultural space where they can blend in and lead normal lives. The past is a strange land and the future an alien one.