Amid a literal fog of war on a disputed planet, a woman is thrust into battle, forced to fight in her captors' war. With an empire at her back, ready to kill her at the slightest hesitation, this slaveturned- reluctant hero must battle through an unknown enemy, scientific abominations, and truly alien terrain to uncover the truth about her identity and that of her enslaved companions.Chung's novel—told in sparse, evocative prose and expertly translated by Anton Hur—draws on the real history of Korean soldiers who fought and died in a war against Russia on behalf of the Qing Dynasty. Red Sword combines stunning world-building with a thought-provoking challenge to readers: what does it mean to wield power over others?
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4 books in catalog
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.
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.
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.
