New Korean sci-fi anthologies explore humanity and body

A human climbs a 20-meter-tall colossal snail. This surreal image opens Kim Hye-yoon’s short science fiction story "The Words of Ascent." Though under 40 pages, the tale immerses readers in a vivid, fully realized world.

Ahead of the Seoul International Book Fair opening on Wednesday, two new science fiction anthologies were released. Cradling a Shattered Universe features five past winners of the Korean Science Fiction Literature Award, including Kim. The second, "Back to the Body," brings together six writers from Korea and China to explore philosophical reflections on the human body.

Back to the snails. One day, they simply fell from the sky. With shells as hard as rock and soft flesh beneath, these creatures slid along the ground at about 100 meters a day. The only Earth animals they vaguely resembled were snails.

Dozens of barnacle-like protrusions covered the front of each creature. Humans found a way to communicate by climbing their massive bodies, securing ropes, and signaling with their hands on the protrusions. As the climbers formed emotional bonds with the aliens, they decided to ascend to the 20-meter summit to deliver a final message: “Leave Earth,” in protest of the government’s plan to use the creatures for biological experiments.

The story illustrates how science fiction can sometimes capture reality more powerfully than realism. The image of a human scaling the giant snail’s surface evokes real-life high-rise labor protests. In her author’s note, Kim said she was deeply moved by those fighting for their rights. “I’m always overwhelmed when I see people fighting,” she said.

Cradling a Shattered Universe also includes work by Kim Cho-yeop, Cheon Seon-ran, Cheong-ye and Jo Seo-wol, notable figures in Korea’s contemporary sci-fi scene. Each author was asked to write “the story they most want to tell right now.”

Despite working independently, the authors share themes of death and love. In "Do You Know Who We Are?", Cheon tells the story of a protagonist who wakes from a coma after a zombie bite, becoming neither fully human nor undead. Through voice recordings left by his wife, he learns how she protected him while he was unconscious. Alone in a zombie-overrun world, their love stands out amid profound solitude.

The Korea-China joint anthology "Back to the Body" centers on the human body. While science fiction often imagines futures where humans transcend physical limits through technology, this collection reverses that trend, prompting readers to reconsider the meaning and value of the body itself.


김소민기자 somin@donga.com