In this mind-expanding work of speculative fiction, now available in English for the first time, one of South Korea's most treasured writers explores love, hope, creation, destruction, and the very meaning of existence in two pairs of interconnected stories.
‘Her fiction is a breath-taking piece of a cinematic art itself. Reminiscent of the world we experienced in The Matrix, Inception, and Dark City, still it leads us to this entirely original structure, which is a ground-breaking, mystic literary and cinematic experience. Indeed, powerful and graceful'
Bong Joon-ho, Oscar-winning director of Parasite
Two worlds, four stories, infinite possibilities.
In ‘I'm Waiting for You' and ‘On My Way' (translated by Sophie Bowman), an engaged couple coordinate their separate missions to distant corners of the galaxy to ensure – through relativity – they can arrive back on Earth simultaneously to make it down the aisle. But small incidents wreak havoc on space and time, driving their wedding date further away. As centuries on Earth pass and the land and climate change, one thing is constant: the desire of the lovers to be together. In two separate yet linked stories, Kim Bo-young cleverly demonstrates the idea love that is timeless and hope springs eternal, despite seemingly insurmountable challenges and the deepest despair.
In ‘The Prophet of Corruption' and ‘That One Life' (translated by Sung Ryu), humanity is viewed through the eyes of its creators: godlike beings for which everything on Earth – from the richest woman to a speck of dirt – is an extension of their will. When one of the creations questions the righteousness of this arrangement, it is deemed a perversion – a disease – that must be excised and cured. Yet the Prophet Naban, whose ‘child' is rebelling, isn't sure the rebellion is bad. What if that which is considered criminal is instead the natural order – and those who condemn it corrupt? Exploring the dichotomy between the philosophical and the corporeal, Kim ponders the fate of free-will, as she considers the most basic of questions: who am I?
