Contemporary Korean Science and Speculative Fiction with Jane S. Kim, A&S, '25 (MFA)

Odyssey October 25, October 25, Sundayodyssey, moser, korean, science fiction, writing. moser creative writingContemporary Korean Science and Speculative FictionInstructor: Jane S. Kim, A&S, '25 (MFA)October 25 - December 6 (6 Sessions; no class Nov. 29)Sundays, 3:00PM - 5:00PM ET (12 - 2PM PT)Virtual va ZoomBrought to you by Odyssey Course Description: From the rapid industrialization under dictatorship of the 1970s to the democratization movement in 1987, South Korean science fiction has been a way to represent the South Korean political unconscious. In the introduction to the anthology, Readymade Bodhisattva, editor Sunyoung Park notes, “Science fiction is a rising and ever-shifting genre in South Korea today. Inspired by the activism of the past decades, more and more writers see the genre as the creative laboratory for reflecting on the opportunities and contradictions of modernization in a late-capitalist and postcolonial society.” More than ever, global audiences are familiar with South Korean visual media, but what about fiction? Over the course of six weeks, we will read a sampling of works published between 2005 and 2019 to find inspiration and possibility in the speculative imagination. In this class, we will get a chance to explore science fiction as a literature of ideas, and discover the critical relevance of these works as commentary on contemporary social, political, and environmental issues.In addition to the primary text, Readymade Bodhisattva, which include