A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The atmosphere, fear, and cosmic/deity-style Lovecraftian setting here are intoxicating. I could smell and feel the slimy fish and molding sea water jumping off the pages. Not only is this translation superb; but the stunned words of mere humans encountering what is seemingly impossible to comprehend are so well done here by Korean writer Kim Bo-Young that I hate to even try to describe them as I could never do justice. I truly hope more of the Korean works put together for this Lovecraftian project back in 2020 will be translated. I will be hunting down as many of them as I can; plus finding more of Bo-Young’s translated works. If any of them are half as impressive as A Plagued Sea I know I want to experience these stories.
The (moderately creepy) real-life twist here is that A Plagued Sea was first conceived before COVID-19 and the first lockdown. Published in May of 2020 in Korean, yet reading it 6 years later in this English translation, I could feel the lockdown fear emanating from the page. The concern, scientific choice (with some paranoia added in) that caused the world to come to a standstill, cleared Times Square, grounded planes, and left cruise ships stranded at ports with thousands of people on board. How bizarre that Bo-Young was writing this in the middle of all those events also transpiring in reality. A parallel that is too stark to miss and served to enhance the horror for me here.
More important is how relevant, even six years later, this story still is today. As the world’s politics have shifted significantly, towards supporting the original prejudice-based story being rewritten here, and published in English, the core language of the orange man who (arguably, gleefully) today has led so many to re-prescribe to the ideals of racism and prejudice of all kinds to be appropriate if not required in society. A Plagued Sea brings us around to the understanding that it’s merely fear that creates these segregations and thoughts. The parallels of societies’ fear that we might lose something we can’t even describe are deliberately and brilliantly laid out on the page in this short story.
Bo-Young ripped my heart out with their emotional climax and reminded me that we need not fear what we do not understand, but instead look for the love and good in the differences. And thus I adore the narrative here that it’s okay if things change. Even if they seem cosmically difficult to understand that doesn’t mean that change is inherently wrong. That our own fear is what feeds racism and prejudice and serves no purpose except to create discord and fighting when, often, none is needed. There can be a place for everyone in which no one is better than another.
There is so much more that could be said about these mere 100 pages and the narrative here. Just like when I first read Lovecrafts Call of Cthulhu and Innsmouth stories I feel the fear turning into hatred on the page and emanating from the story. If only we could learn, as a species, to accept one another as we are and co-exist. So much unnecessary sadness and loss could be avoided. Yet, so many believe otherwise which is sad. Thankfully Bo-Young has flipped the narrative to make this a story about love instead of hate. For that I am truly grateful.
I believe A Plagued Sea will stick with me. I’ll be seeking out a copy for my print library that I can loan to others to see what their takeaway is from 100 pages of intellectual writing that challenges what is horrific. In many ways it feels like The Plagued Sea was written to lecture us on how we ever allowed Lovecraft to spur his awful prejudice as a legacy in literature. This kind of twist and rework is perfect for the 21st century, and exactly the kind of work that North America needs right now. A reminder that acceptance of everyone, regardless of how monstrous they might appear, will result in less loss and tears. Our world is better when we work together and don’t fight one another. I’m truly glad to see this cosmic horror ideal flipped in narrative to expose the hatred below that shows that fear should not drive hate, it should drive curiosity and a desire for life to be better, for everyone.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The atmosphere, fear, and cosmic/deity-style Lovecraftian setting here are intoxicating. I could smell and feel the slimy fish and molding sea water jumping off the pages. Not only is this translation superb; but the stunned words of mere humans encountering what is seemingly impossible to comprehend are so well done here by Korean writer Kim Bo-Young that I hate to even try to describe them as I could never do justice. I truly hope more of the Korean works put together for this Lovecraftian project back in 2020 will be translated. I will be hunting down as many of them as I can; plus finding more of Bo-Young’s translated works. If any of them are half as impressive as A Plagued Sea I know I want to experience these stories.
The (moderately creepy) real-life twist here is that A Plagued Sea was first conceived before COVID-19 and the first lockdown. Published in May of 2020 in Korean, yet reading it 6 years later in this English translation, I could feel the lockdown fear emanating from the page. The concern, scientific choice (with some paranoia added in) that caused the world to come to a standstill, cleared Times Square, grounded planes, and left cruise ships stranded at ports with thousands of people on board. How bizarre that Bo-Young was writing this in the middle of all those events also transpiring in reality. A parallel that is too stark to miss and served to enhance the horror for me here.
More important is how relevant, even six years later, this story still is today. As the world’s politics have shifted significantly, towards supporting the original prejudice-based story being rewritten here, and published in English, the core language of the orange man who (arguably, gleefully) today has led so many to re-prescribe to the ideals of racism and prejudice of all kinds to be appropriate if not required in society. A Plagued Sea brings us around to the understanding that it’s merely fear that creates these segregations and thoughts. The parallels of societies’ fear that we might lose something we can’t even describe are deliberately and brilliantly laid out on the page in this short story.
Bo-Young ripped my heart out with their emotional climax and reminded me that we need not fear what we do not understand, but instead look for the love and good in the differences. And thus I adore the narrative here that it’s okay if things change. Even if they seem cosmically difficult to understand that doesn’t mean that change is inherently wrong. That our own fear is what feeds racism and prejudice and serves no purpose except to create discord and fighting when, often, none is needed. There can be a place for everyone in which no one is better than another.
There is so much more that could be said about these mere 100 pages and the narrative here. Just like when I first read Lovecrafts Call of Cthulhu and Innsmouth stories I feel the fear turning into hatred on the page and emanating from the story. If only we could learn, as a species, to accept one another as we are and co-exist. So much unnecessary sadness and loss could be avoided. Yet, so many believe otherwise which is sad. Thankfully Bo-Young has flipped the narrative to make this a story about love instead of hate. For that I am truly grateful.
I believe A Plagued Sea will stick with me. I’ll be seeking out a copy for my print library that I can loan to others to see what their takeaway is from 100 pages of intellectual writing that challenges what is horrific. In many ways it feels like The Plagued Sea was written to lecture us on how we ever allowed Lovecraft to spur his awful prejudice as a legacy in literature. This kind of twist and rework is perfect for the 21st century, and exactly the kind of work that North America needs right now. A reminder that acceptance of everyone, regardless of how monstrous they might appear, will result in less loss and tears. Our world is better when we work together and don’t fight one another. I’m truly glad to see this cosmic horror ideal flipped in narrative to expose the hatred below that shows that fear should not drive hate, it should drive curiosity and a desire for life to be better, for everyone.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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