The stories brought together in this collection introduce the dazzling speculative imaginings of Djuna, one of South Korea's most provocative science-fiction writers. Whether describing how a species of interplanetary machines brings Korea's North-South divide into the heavens or satirizing the vampiric nature of Confucian patriarchy, these stories evoke a universe at once familiar and clearly fantastical. Blending influences ranging from genre fiction (zombie, vampire, science-fiction, you name it) to Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Djuna's stories illuminate the past, present, and possible futures.

Memoir of a Joseon Bride: Stories has a story by Djuna. English translation is done by Adrian Thieret, Jihyun Park, and Gord Sellar. Published by Honford Star (September 30, 2026).

Content Warning: child abuse

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

Korean science fiction author Djuna is something of a powerhouse. Both an author and a film critic, they're clearly well-versed in many forms and genres of literature, and despite the title story of this collection, most of the stories here feel like they have a decidedly western influence – perhaps not surprising given that they've said that their pseudonym comes from author Djuna Barnes and an Ellery Queen character. Although this is not their first work to be translated into English, it's my first encounter with their writing, and while the first half of this collection is markedly stronger than the second, I walked away very impressed.

The title story is the only piece that's pure horror (and historical fiction) rather than science fiction. It takes place during the Joseon period, in the mid-19th century, and strange as this may sound, it feels like a cross between Dracula and Tuck Everlasting. The basic plot is that an attempt to save the head of a yangban (highly educated aristocratic caste) family's life, he's accidentally turned into a vampire instead. Although he's turned by a concoction, he then turns the rest of his family via bites…with the exception of the narrator and two illegitimate daughters, all three of whom are outcasts within the family. The girls escape because they consume part of the plant meant to heal the family head, giving them the immortality he was meant to have. It's a strange, dark tale and a unique take on the vampire story.

By contrast, the final tale in the book is a much more traditional zombie story, where a little girl has to kill her abusive father and then accidentally kicks off the zombie apocalypse. Where the vampire tale felt innovative, though, this one just sort of follows in the well-tread footsteps of other zombie works, and the youth of the main character feels more exploitative than anything. It's not a bad story, it's just not a great one.

And Djuna is absolutely capable of great stories. “The Pentagon,” for example, is a science fiction thriller that slowly builds to its reveal, dropping clues like breadcrumbs but never quite letting readers figure it all out until the very end. Similarly, the hard science fiction alien “invasion” story is deliberately misleading in places, using the advent of aliens to show humanity at its worst, even as people try to be better. Many of these stories take that as a theme: humans do strive to be good, but the weight of society and outside forces push them to be terrible – especially to each other.

If you like your speculative fiction literary, Memoir of a Joseon Bride is worth picking up. The second half really doesn't live up to the first in its creativity and world building, but Djuna is an important voice in science fiction, and you don't want to miss them.