New Delhi, Aug. 23 -- Nominated for the prestigious Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction 2026-an annual award for imaginative fiction bestowed in honour of the late American writer-Mad Sisters of Esi (2023) by Tashan Mehta is one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction to have come out of India in recent times.

Bypassing conventional forms of fantasy storytelling focused on protagonist-antagonist tensions, Mad Sisters is an exploration of myth and memory, told through the intertwined histories of two pairs of sisters in a strange and fluid universe. Ahead of the announcement of the winner in October, Lounge spoke to Mehta about her book, its themes, and why her narrative remains rooted to a certain Indian-ness. Edited excerpts....