We're excited to feature "Wife of the Iron Road" by Wanying Zhang in our fabulous February 2026 issue of
Electric Spec. Wanying was kind enough to send us some comments.
What inspired you to write this story?
The core of this story was inspired from the history of Chinese railroad workers in America. In light of recent events that stirred anti-Asian sentiment, I looked into the history of Chinese-Americans and was interested in the experiences of Chinese immigrants who arrived during the Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. When I dug further into their role and living experiences in building the transcontinental railroad, I was struck by the extent of their exploitation and erasure as "cheap labour." Since this was minimized or overlooked in American history, I was inspired to write a story to give a voice to the people who sacrificed their lives to build one of the nation's most used infrastructure.
I also drew inspiration from Chinese folklore, particularly the legend of Meng Jiang Nü, where a widowed wife journeys to seek her deceased husband along the Great Wall of China. For the horror aspects of the story, I was influenced by Pu Songling’s ghost stories, especially his depictions of female spirits who confront injustice.
More broadly, I was interested to explore generational and familial trauma in immigrant families, and examine how historical violence shapes the present. In doing so, I hope I can honour the cultural memory.
Did the story develop in any surprising ways as you wrote it?
Yes, this story evolved in several unexpected ways over the course of many revisions. In my first iteration of the story, the ghost was the central figure driving the story and the protagonist functioned as a distant observer from the future. However, when I revised, I realized I wanted a stronger connection between the past and present, so I revised it to give the protagonist greater agency and purpose and to let the narrative unfold through his lens.
My research also progressed in stages which altered several details in my story in terms of world-building, dialogues and characterization. Initially, I relied mostly on secondary accounts reported in news articles or historical texts. But eventually I found some firsthand testimonies that allowed me to incorporate more specific details and authentic voices. As I learned more about the racism, violence and harsh working conditions faced by the Chinese railroad workers, the story naturally grew darker. Gordon H. Chang's book, “The Chinese and the Iron Road: Building the Transcontinental Railroad," was an invaluable resource that provided first hand accounts of their living experiences and ballads from their families.
In my more recent revisions, I gave my protagonist a more distinct Chinese-American voice and internal conflict. He became a more fully realized character that evolved along with the story, which strengthened the emotional core.
Is this story similar to your other writing, or were you trying out something different?
Yes, currently I write a lot of speculative fiction that is inspired by Asian folklore and myths. However, before this story, I had written a lot of western fantasy/horror. This was the first piece where I fully leaned into Asian folklore and history. In doing so, I began to find my voice. I wrote the first draft in 2021 in response to a submission call with the theme of "Asian Ghost Stories." It was rejected, but I believed in this story’s core and theme, so I continued revising it on and off over the years until it was published. In the time since, I have written many other stories, and in my more recent revisions, I was able to bring the voice I had developed elsewhere back into their piece, allowing it to fully come alive.
Would you like to dedicate the story to anyone in particular?
I like to dedicate this story to all the railroad workers who gave their blood and sweat for America, and may their voices and memories be remembered. I also like to dedicate it to my husband for his unwavering support for my writing and for sparking discussions regarding labour movements.
Interesting! Thanks, Wanying! Be sure to check out "Wife of the Iron Road" and the rest of the February 28 stories!
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