Lee Hyung-dong and Cheongye Artists Honored with Grand Prize at the 6th Korea Science Fiction Literature Awards

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] At the 6th Korea Science Literature Awards hosted by Hubble Publishing, Lee Hyung-dong's "The Last Judgment" and Cheongye's "The Three Siblings Do Not Look Back" were selected as the grand prize winners for the novella/short story and novel categories, respectively. Lee Hyung-dong's "The Last Judgment" is a courtroom narrative dealing with the repeated misjudgments of an AI judge, who gained public trust by delivering fairer verdicts than humans. Cheongye's "The Three Siblings Do Not Look Back" is also a courtroom story, depicting the trial process of humanoid triplets who stand in court after causing an unprecedented and shocking incident.

Cheongye (left), winner of the Grand Prize for the 6th Korea Science Literature Award for a novel
Photo by Heo Bul

The judges for the 6th Korea Science Literature Awards?novelists Gu Byeong-mo, Kim Seong-jung, Kim Hee-seon, and literary critics Kang Ji-hee and In Ah-young?commented on the novella/short story grand prize winner "The Last Judgment," saying, “The detailed imagination and persuasiveness in defending AI are excellent, and the process of driving the case forward gave a thrilling immersion as if confronting the text itself.” Regarding the novel grand prize winner "The Three Siblings Do Not Look Back," they stated, “The humanoid characters, who feel humanlike like heroes of ancient Greece, combine an interesting and humorous adventure narrative with a problem consciousness that only SF can address, making it unique and captivating.”

Lee Hyung-dong (left), winner of the 6th Korea Science Literature Award for short and mid-length stories
Photo by Heo Bul

In addition, a total of four excellence awards for novella/short stories were selected by combining one excellence award and three honorable mentions. The awarded works are Park Min-hyeok's "Two Worlds," Jo Min-hyeon's "Samsara," Choi Jae-hyeok's "Jenny's Era," and Heo Dal-rip's "The Moment Depression Heals in Space."

The prize money is 20 million KRW for the novel grand prize, 7 million KRW for the novella/short story grand prize, and 2 million KRW each for the novella/short story excellence awards. The collection of winning works in the novella/short story category is scheduled to be published in May, and the novel grand prize winner will be published in August.