"Creamy(nal) Love"
By Lee Hee-joo
Munhakdongne Publishing
In recent years, much of South Korean fiction translated abroad has leaned toward science fiction or what critics call “healing fiction” — gentle, empathetic stories that capture quiet slices of everyday life.
But Lee Hee-joo has taken a decidedly different path. Her work delves into distorted desire and the chaos it leaves behind, offering readers an unsettling glimpse into the darker edges of affection.
Since debuting in 2016 with "Phantom Pain," a novel about a fan’s consuming devotion toward an idol, Lee has explored the psychology of fandom with rare intensity. Her second novel, "Holy Boy" (2021), which follows the kidnapping of a K-pop idol, earned her a major advance from HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan for English-language editions, with translations also forthcoming in Brazil, Italy and France, next year.
Her newly published story collection, "Creamy(nal) Love," gathers eight provocative tales centered on forbidden and obsessive love. In the award-winning “My Idol’s Child,” a hardcore fan purchases her favorite idol’s sperm to conceive his baby as an extension of her obsessive love, and to have the baby as “merch.” Another prize-winning story, “Apple and Ringo,” portrays two sisters — dutiful Sara, burdened by family responsibility, and aimless Saya — locked in a cycle of resentment and affection.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
