Counterweight (Korean: ν‰ν˜•μΆ”) is a 2021 science fiction novel by South Korean writer Djuna.[1][2][3][4] It is Djuna's first novel to be translated and published in English.[1] It was translated by Anton Hur and published by Pantheon in 2023.[1][4]

Development

The initial concept for the book was developed from a draft movie script that Djuna wrote about ten years before it was finally published as a book.[2]

Plot

Set in Patusan, an imaginary tropical country, the narrative unfolds around the Earth's inaugural space elevator, a creation of the Korean megacorporation (chaebol) LK. The megacorporation's involvement, likened to the island's colonization by Korea, is opposed by a rebel force called the Patusan Liberation Front The tale is told through the eyes of Mac, a disenchanted security executive at the company, who delves into the odd conduct of a subordinate and its connection to the recent demise of the firm's chief executive.[2][4]

Reviews

Hari Kunzru reviewed the book for The New York Times. He desrcribed it as "an efficient, fast-paced cyberpunk story" and noted that the discussion of artificial intelligence in the book is a timely topic.[1]

Andrea M. Pawley reviewed the book for Washington Independent Review of Books. She wrote that the book "packs more corporate intrigue into its 176 pages than most stories manage in three times the space" and concluded that "fast-paced and exhilarating, Counterweight is worth the ride".[3]

Charlie Jane Anders reviewed the book for the Washington Post..He called the book a "dizzyingly subversive cyberpunk thriller", concluding that "In true Philip K. Dick style, Djuna serves up enough paranoia and clever ideas to keep you guessing.".[5]

Kate Knibbs reviewed the book for Wired, describing it as "a jaunty cyberpunk thriller about memory implantation, space colonization, and identity".[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kunzru, Hari (9 July 2023). "In Djuna's Space-Elevator Sci-Fi, Corporate Conspiracies Abound". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Knibbs, Kate (11 July 2023). "Djuna, South Korea's Enigmatic Sci-Fi Legend, Opens Up About Their New Book". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 Pawley, Andrea M. (19 July 2023). "Counterweight: A Novel | Washington Independent Review of Books". Washington Independent Review of Books. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Kim, E. Tammy (30 October 2023). "The Enigmatic Science Fiction of Djuna". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Anders, Charlie Jane (19 July 2023). "Review | These stories will help you deal with cults and fanatics". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
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