"Trans-Pacific Express"
By Djuna
Moonji Publishing
Djuna, a pioneering figure in Korean science fiction, has reissued "Trans-Pacific Express," one of their most celebrated works, over two decades after its first release.
The book collects 12 stories, including the title piece, which follows a protagonist whose family has, for generations, lived aboard an international train that runs over the Pacific Ocean. The story centers on rescuing a child from ritual sacrifice in a fictional country that still clings to the practice.
Other stories highlight Djuna’s early explorations that now read as defining strengths: dystopian imagination, intersections with popular culture such as music and film, and genres that blur the line between horror and romance.
In "Cello," a middle-aged woman struggles with love and desire after developing feelings for a young girl robot.
"Parasite" imagines a dystopian city where the balance of power between humans and machines is reversed.
Writing under a pen name, Djuna began publishing short stories on the Hitel SF Club, a community on the popular PC communication service, in the early 1990s. For more than 20 years, Djuna has refused to reveal personal details such as age, gender or legal name.
"Counterweight," translated into English by Anton Hur, introduces a tale of corporate intrigue, political unrest and the chaos unleashed by a company’s obsession with building the world’s first space elevator.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
