Bora Chung

Speculative fiction and horror short stories that fuse folklore, dark satire, and surreal social critique have gained widespread international acclaim through the translated collection Cursed Bunny. South Korean author Bora Chung crafts unsettling narratives that examine systemic oppression, technological anxiety, and human vulnerability.

Career & Background

Bora Chung was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1976 to parents who were dentists. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yonsei University, followed by a Master of Arts in Russian and East European area studies from Yale University and a PhD in Slavic literature from Indiana University Bloomington. In addition to writing novels and short story collections, Chung has taught Russian language, Russian literature, and science fiction studies at Yonsei University. She also translates modern literary works from Russian and Polish into Korean, frequently collaborating with translator Anton Hur to bring her own work to English-language readers.

Writing Style & Themes

Chung's writing frequently blurs the boundaries between magical realism, science fiction, psychological horror, and dark humor. Her stories leverage grotesque imagery, surreal conceits, and absurd situations to interrogate the real-world cruelties of capitalism, patriarchy, and societal inequality. By transposing historical events or domestic anxieties into futuristic and supernatural settings, her work illuminates the physical and emotional toll inflicted on marginalized individuals.

Major Works

• Cursed Bunny — A genre-blending short story collection that combines magical realism, horror, and science fiction to critique patriarchal structures and social injustice. Shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize and selected as a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Translated Literature.
• Your Utopia — A collection of eight speculative and darkly satirical short stories translated by Anton Hur that explore technological estrangement, human connection, and dystopian realities.
• Red Sword — A science fiction novel that reimagines the 17th-century history of Korean soldiers conscripted by the Qing dynasty to fight against Russia, transposing historical conflict into a far-future setting.
• Midnight Timetable: A Novel in Ghost Stories — A speculative work combining elements of horror, satire, and ghost stories to explore themes of memory, resistance, and the supernatural.