[One Sip of a Book] Nine Carefully Selected Short Stories... 'Seongnihak Punk 2077'

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This is the latest short story anthology from BritG. It spans various genres and eras?from cyberpunk set in the Joseon Dynasty to SF, fantasy, horror, martial arts, and everyday life?capturing extraordinary imagination with humorous writing skills. Starting with "The Owner of the Box," which features a strange story and well-crafted structure, it includes "Seongrihak Punk 2077," which unravels incidents in a world where artificial intelligence governs a state based on Neo-Confucianism, "Living Plants Must Undergo Quarantine," a chilling tale about a fruit received by chance, "Quarterly Astrology Sent to Intellectuals Worldwide," a shocking story revealing that a discontinued quarterly magazine was actually a business to trap evil spirits after the grandfather’s death, "Nice to Meet You," a peculiar yet everyday story of a programmer working at a startup, "Song of the Tree," narrated by an alien species traveling along cosmic routes since ancient times, "Birth of Sisters," which conveys healing and harmony through the daily lives of two sisters with opposite personalities, "Side Path," telling the story of astronauts encountering new alien lifeforms, and "Detective in Martial Arts" (협탐), a detective story set in a martial arts background that begins with a request to find a cat. Including six finalists from the 4th Golden Dragon Literary Award, this anthology introduces nine carefully selected short stories representing each genre on BritG.

The Owner of the Box

Having grown up with my grandmother and uncle, I hear that my grandmother’s house has a bell box that brings fortune. The box has a single name written on it, and if a person with the same name opens the box, it brings tremendous luck. My uncle, who has become a scoundrel, threatens my grandmother, determined to find that box.

Seongrihak Punk 2077

In Joseon, 2077, the monarchy was strengthened with the help of artificial intelligence based on Neo-Confucianism. Since physiognomy was highly emphasized at the time, the Physiognomy Engineering Institute developed a cyborg to study the worst combination of physiognomies. However, this cyborg, “Sapilgwijeong 13,” escapes from the lab and takes hostages.

Living Plants Must Undergo Quarantine

I, who have been living abroad as a student for several years, one day receive a strange fruit from an old woman. The fruit offers an astonishing taste experience, and unable to forget the flavor, I try to find the fruit again but have no way to obtain it. Eventually, I decide to plant the seeds left from the fruit and try to grow it.

Quarterly Astrology Sent to Intellectuals Worldwide

I, a Korean literature university student, unexpectedly inherit the magazine Quarterly Astrology published by my late grandfather. Somehow, I manage to publish it well for a year, but it eventually ceases publication. Shortly after the discontinuation, ghostly calls start coming in, protesting why the magazine is no longer published.

Nice to Meet You

Programmer Sunwoo prepares to start work at a startup company, but is shocked when asked to perform a ritual to bless the newly acquired server. While incredulous about believing in superstition in this day and age, the company experiences a series of surprisingly good events, seemingly due to the ritual’s effect.

Song of the Tree

Methuselah, a member of an alien species that looks like a tree to humans. His species periodically departs and returns along cosmic routes. Methuselah tells a long story to the mortician who tends and cares for the roots of their species.

Birth of Sisters

Ria, who dreams of becoming a complete woman and loves makeup and glamour, and her older sister Hyejin, who goes around without a trace of makeup just before graduating from college. The two sisters, with opposite personalities, often quarrel, but one day Ria disappears. Ria has received a military draft notice and decides to disappear for a while.

Side Path

The crew of a migration ship heading to a new planet discover a small lifeform in space. Among the crew, veterinarian Jiyoung quickly comes into contact with the new lifeform, and they become embroiled in a strange incident.

Detective in Martial Arts (협탐) - There Is No Cat

A middle-aged woman dreaming of becoming a “Detective in Martial Arts” (협탐) who seeks righteousness in the peaceful martial arts world, but unable to make a proper living, receives a request from a girl to find her cat. The detective’s first interesting mission begins.

Seongrihak Punk 2077 | Lee Jun and 8 others | Hwanggeumgaji | 340 pages | 15,000 KRW