[This Week's Novels] "Water Moon" and More

Water Moon

This is a romantic adventure fantasy novel about Hana, the mysterious owner of a pawnshop in a world where fate is predetermined, and Keishin (Kei), a physicist. The story weaves together life choices, regrets, and their weight with a touch of magic. Inspired by the rows of pawnshops in Manila and a mystical experience of entering another world during a trip to Japan, the novel unfolds its unique narrative. Instead of precious metals, customers entrust their regrets over past choices to the pawnshop. Fantastical elements such as a secret space accessible only through a night market above the clouds and puddles evoke the universal question: "If I had made a different choice back then, would my life be different?" This is a novel that allows readers to shed the burdens of regret and emotional weight. (Written by Samantha Soto Yambao | Clayhouse)

Absence of the Owl

One of Bae Suah's representative works, "Absence of the Owl," returns as part of the Remastered Novel Selection. The novel is notable for its language that awakens new bodily sensations and its exotic sensibility of a strange city. It leaves a powerful impression with its unique and unfamiliar beauty, seamlessly traversing fiction and essay, reality and dream, past and present. While the work "Owl" depicted literary solidarity through dreams and writing, "Absence of the Owl" deals with solidarity and loss. The novel delicately portrays the process by which the absence of "Joerg" (you), a friend who shared deep friendship across age and nationality, is transformed into the language of loss. (Written by Bae Suah | Changbi)

All the Birds in the Sky

This is the first standalone book released in Korea by the author who has swept major science fiction literary awards such as the Hugo and Nebula Awards. The novel humorously depicts the emotions of those who face the madness of prejudice in a society that excludes minorities. Lawrence, a genius boy capable of building a supercomputer on his own, proposes friendship to Patricia, an eccentric girl who escapes to the forest at every opportunity, determined to become a "witch." Their friendship, which begins as a contract, develops into love but is shaken as the end of the world approaches. Through the love and growth of the girl and boy, the novel delicately explores issues of identity. The process of seeking answers through an artificial intelligence called "Peregrine" offers a unique twist. (Written by Charlie Jane Anders | Hubble)

The Cult

This novel realistically portrays the bizarre and violent underside of cult religions. Structured as an omnibus of six tightly connected stories, it follows the emergence of the cult group "Eden Missionary Church" in the fictional neighborhood of Naan-dong, and the ensuing tales of disappearances, murders, curses, and fanaticism. As the cult leader Ryu Baekju-initially dismissed as a petty swindler-and those around him begin to demonstrate inexplicable spiritual powers, the protagonist is thrown into confusion. This process immerses readers in the suspenseful irony of truth and falsehood, faith and deception. (Written by Jeon Geonwoo | Hankyoreh Publishing)

Ball

This is a story about modern people who, despite living diligently, find themselves becoming mean-spirited, carrying the weight of all the "balls" they've thrown in life. The protagonist, Byungseok, wakes up one day to find a strange Shih Tzu. It turns out he bought it at a pet shop while drunk after a company dinner. The next day, he tries to return or refund the dog, but after repeated bouts of diarrhea, he ends up taking it to an animal hospital in the middle of the night. Just before leaving for a business golf trip with a client, he receives an urgent call from the animal hospital about the Shih Tzu's critical condition. At that moment, Byungseok recalls his boss's words: "There are too many slackers on your team. Get rid of them one by one." The novel offers readers a chance to reflect on the sins committed unconsciously while adapting to the system. (Written by Kim Yuna | Wisdom House)

Bartleby the Scrivener·Billy Budd, Sailor

This is a collection of short stories by Herman Melville, best known for "Moby-Dick." The book blends fascinating scenery and adventure tales to create a unique world of its own. The plot centers on Bartleby, a scrivener hired at a Wall Street office, who at some point refuses to work, leave the office, speak, or eat. The novel poses the question, "What kind of person is Bartleby?" One possible answer is that he represents the definition of an alienated person. The stories offer readers an opportunity to reflect on wage laborers who must endure orders from employers who do not understand them, people who perform repetitive tasks, and those unable to bring about change through resistance. (Written by Herman Melville | Minumsa)