Women are writing the resurgence of sci-fi in Korea

Once a male-dominated genre, science fiction in Korea is undergoing a seismic shift — and women are leading the charge, not just in expanded readership but as the leading authors, bringing more complex characters and dynamics.

Author Kim Cho-yeop, whose 2019 bestselling collection ″If We Can’t Go at the Speed of Light″ is considered as a turning point in Korean sci-fi literature [RABBITHOLE BOOKS]

Once a male-dominated genre, science fiction in Korea is undergoing a seismic shift — and women are leading the charge.

Over the past five years, women have surged to the forefront of the country's sci-fi scene, not only as a growing majority of readers but also as the authors pushing the genre into the literary mainstream.

According to Kyobo Bookstore, the country’s largest book retailer, women have made up more than half of sci-fi readers since 2020 — a number that climbed to 68.2 percent in the first half of this year. That’s a dramatic change from 2010, when the readership was evenly split between men and women.

Critics and publishers alike credit this shift to a wave of best-selling female authors.

The turning point came in 2019 with the release of "If We Can’t Go at the Speed of Light" by Kim Cho-yeop, followed closely by the English translation of Bora Chung’s "Cursed Bunny," which was later short-listed for the 2022 International Booker Prize. Cheon Seon-ran’s "A Thousand Blues" (2020), also a best-seller and stage adaptation, helped expand the genre’s reach.

“2019 was a watershed year,” said sci-fi critic Shim Wan-seon. “It marked the moment Korean sci-fi broke into the mainstream.”

Choi Ji-in, an editor at genre-focused publisher Rabbithole Books, emphasized the ecosystem that’s made that breakthrough possible. “Writers like Kim Bo-yong, Bae Myung-hoon, Djuna, Chung Se-rang and Jeong So-yeon laid the foundation, and growing investments in intellectual property and nontraditional writing contests helped build momentum.”

Despite the fanfare, the rise of female writers hasn’t drastically altered the gender balance among authors — at least not yet.

According to Kim Hak-je, editor at sci-fi publisher Hubble and organizer of the Korea Science Fiction Award, "about 47 percent of the 44 authors who debuted through the award since its inception in 2016 have been women."

Still, “The works of writers like Kim Cho-yeop and Cheon Seon-ran have helped draw in new female readers and, in turn, function almost like brands that invigorate the sci-fi publishing ecosystem,” Kim Hak-je added.

This rising popularity was underscored on July 17 when author Cho Ye-eun topped a Yes24 list that roughly translates to “Writers Shaping the Future of Korean Literature," which is filled based on responses by 440,000 readers. Known for blending sci-fi, horror and thrillers, Cho’s work signals how Korean speculative fiction is evolving far beyond its niche roots.

Cross-border collaboration between Korean and Chinese writers is also gaining momentum. Last month, Rabbithole Books published “Body, Again,” a Korean-Chinese sci-fi anthology that has already sold over 10,000 copies in its first month.

The collection features works by Korean authors Kim Cho-yeop, Kim Cheong-gyul and Cheon Seon-ran, and Chinese authors Zhou Wen, Cheng Jingbo and Wang Kanyu.

Zhou is a recipient of the Terran Prize, sponsored by U.S. author George R.R. Martin, while Cheng was the first Chinese woman to win both the Chinese Nebula Awards and Galaxy Awards, China’s two most major sci-fi awards. Wang is also a Chinese Nebula Awards winner.

Author Cheon Seon-ran [RABBITHOLE BOOKS]

What, then, sets these women’s works apart?

That question was raised at a recent roundtable celebrating the anthology’s release during the Seoul International Book Fair.

“There weren’t enough female characters in previous generations of sci-fi, so I deliberately try to include many,” said Kim Cho-yeop. “What makes sci-fi fun is the chance to depict women in ways that differ from how they are shaped by current sociocultural norms.”

Just as the number of female characters has grown, so has their diversity. The stories break away from gender stereotypes: Relationships between women aren’t always harmonious, and female characters aren’t automatically cast as morally righteous.

In “Body, Again,” the narrator in Kim Cho-yeop’s piece, whose title is translated to “Sweet and Tepid Sadnes,s” feels discomfort when another woman approaches her too easily, assuming closeness based on shared gender.

In Cheng’s contribution, which translates roughly to “The History of the Orchid,” the protagonist Chen Meilan is an eccentric older woman known around her neighborhood as “the strange lady.”

Many of these stories also weave social critiques into their narratives.

“In the past decade, we’ve seen attempts to explore issues like gender, labor, artificial intelligence and the climate crisis through the unique framework of sci-fi,” said critic In Ah-young, who has served as a judge for the Korea Science Fiction Award since 2022. “Rather than being a niche genre, sci-fi is becoming increasingly mainstream in the broader literary landscape.”

The cover of “Body, Again,” a Korean-Chinese sci-fi anthology published by Rabbithole Books [RABBITHOLE BOOKS]

BY CHOI HYE-RI [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]

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Women are writing the resurgence of sci-fi in Korea