[This Week's Novels] 'How Angelic Can One Be' and More

How Angelic Can One Be

After losing everything to gambling and becoming stranded in the California wilderness, private detective Quinn survives with the help of a new religious community. One day, breaking the sect’s rules, a “Blessed Sister” approaches Quinn with a dangerous request: to investigate the disappearance of a man. Who is this man, and where did he go? The pursuit of deception and madness hidden under the guise of faith and salvation escalates into a suffocating psychological suspense. Set against the backdrop of a closed religious community, this classic crime novel, full of twists, incisively explores human blind faith and anxiety. (Written by Margaret Millar | Elixir)

Mr. Poetmans Who Followed the Aurora

Putmans, an accountant who has always measured the world by numbers, loses his balance in life after his mother’s death. What gets him moving again is her final wish: “Go on a journey for yourself.” On a 12-day Northern European aurora bus tour, he learns about warmth and connection that cannot be measured by numbers, even as he endures uncomfortable company with strangers. Dutch national author Hendrik Groen depicts the tragedy of loss with humor and a lively style, portraying the dignity of life that shines brightest in the dark. Aurora Bus is a novel that offers warm comfort to those quietly traversing life after loss. (Written by Hendrik Groen | Droom)

Lost Kingdom

Imperialism, which seemed to have vanished after decolonization, is now being revived in combination with nationalism. World-renowned Eastern European historian Serhii Plokhy traces how nation and empire have been intertwined throughout Russian history, analyzing how the imagined concept of a “pan-Russian nation” shared with Ukraine and Belarus has led to today’s invasions and wars. The memory of “Kyiv Rus,” the “lost kingdom,” has long held Russia back from becoming a modern civil nation-state. By viewing Russia as one type of empire rather than an exception, the book deeply reflects on the reconstruction of nations and states required in the post-imperial world. (Written by Serhii Plokhy | Geulhangari)

Dawn

The first volume of Octavia Butler’s “Xenogenesis Trilogy,” titled “Dawn,” has been published in Korea for the first time by Hubble. Octavia Butler, a leading Black female science fiction author, has long questioned the roots of humanity beyond the hierarchies of race, gender, and power. After a nuclear war wipes out humanity, an alien species called the Oankali saves the survivors, demanding genetic fusion as the price for survival. “Dawn” depicts the genesis of post-humanity through symbiosis with another species, presenting the ethics of coexistence in the most radical way during an era of hatred and division. It stands as the pinnacle of biological science fiction. (Written by Octavia Butler | Hubble)

[Essay Collection] The Real, Real Final

This is not a success story from the webtoon industry, but a vivid record of a creator who has endured 15 years amid deadlines and anxiety. The author candidly reveals emotions such as self-loathing, jealousy, and a sense of defeat, honestly describing the process of pushing through in their own way despite wavering. The letters to the editor, written in an epistolary style, are light and humorous yet leave a deep sense of empathy. (Written by Deulgae Ippal | Maumsanchaek)

[Poetry Collection] Scale Model

Poet Shin Wonkyung, who began her literary career in 2023 by winning the New Writer’s Award from Literature and Society, has published her first poetry collection, “Scale Model,” as the 628th volume in the Munhakgwa Jiseongsa poetry series. The book brings together 59 poems in five sections, delicately capturing the subtle signs of everyday life and expanding the layers of the world. The poet creates suns and clouds with words and allows uncontrollable events to unfold on their own. Although these small worlds start from condensed introspection, they embrace a gentle warmth rather than resignation by allowing external intervention. This is a sensory poetry collection that invites readers to see the ordinary in a new light. (Written by Shin Wonkyung | Munhakgwa Jiseongsa)