If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light by Kim Choyeop
Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur
7th May 2026 [2019] | Adult Sci-Fi, Short Story | Korea | 192 pages
From alternative futures to distant alien planets, in the company of scientists, space explorers and ordinary citizens in extraordinary situations, Kim Choyeop revels in making the impossible seem not only possible but somehow inevitable.
I saw this book many times in bookshops when I was living in Korea and never got around to picking it up (although I flicked through it almost every time I went into a bookshop). I’m happy to say that I was very much not disappointed by this translation. Not only are we getting some precious Korean speculative fiction translated into English (of which there can never be enough), but it’s both enjoyable and well-translated!
Translation and Writing Style
I had previously (attempted to) read A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon and really did not enjoy the writing style or translation, and since that was also translated by Anton Hur, I was a little concerned that I might not enjoy this book as much as in English as I might have done in Korean. Luckily, these worries did not come to pass. I think this is likely down to two key factors: the translation was unintrusive (always a good thing!), and the writing style in general worked much better for me. Kim has a mature writing style with a good balance between description and momentum.
Individual Short Stories
As for the actual content of the book, it’s a short story collection, so there were naturally some stories I enjoyed more than others. A quick breakdown of my ratings for the individual short stories (entirely vibes-based as I was reading):
- Symbiosis Theory – 4 stars
- Spectrum – 4 stars
- If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light – 4 stars
- The Materiality of Emotions – 3.5 stars
- Archival Loss – 3.5 stars
- Pilgrims – 3.5 stars
- My Space Hero – 3.5-4 stars
Overall Execution and Content
I decided to give the book 4 stars overall, even though many stories were more like 3.5, because the collection offers a very interesting glimpse into a wide variety of sci-fi worlds, leaving me curious but not unsatisfied, and I was able to read the book in two sittings…. something which is extremely rare for a short story collection (trust me, it usually takes me months to read these things even when I am enjoying them).
There’s a wide range of sci-fi stories here, from the space-based to the slightly dystopian (although mostly not overtly and overwhelmingly dystopian, thankfully, as that’s not my vibe), so there’s something for every type of sci-fi reader and I highly recommend giving this a read if you’re looking to expand your sci-fi horizons or if you enjoy short stories/want to start reading short stories. Very few short story collections are as readable as this one!
Of course, it’s a short story collection, so don’t expect a huge amount of character development – and I also didn’t feel a huge depth of emotion whilst reading these stories – but the intellectual stimulation of the worlds created and the level of sympathy that I felt for the characters’ plights was enough for me to rate this a solid 4 stars overall.
The description of this book also notes that each of the stories deals with some form of discrimination against women or marginalised groups – this is done subtly, and it’s not always super obvious, which I think was actually quite refreshing. Try and read each of the stories critically to discover their underlying message.
Buy this book when it comes out on the 7th of May (or preorder now)!
I am very passionate about supporting authors, libraries, independent bookshops and generally any bookshop that isn’t Amazon! Therefore, I will always try and make it as easy as possible to buy books from sources that aren’t Amazon by providing links. Bookshop.org UK links are affiliate links that help support indie bookshops as well as myself without affecting the price you pay. Delivery is UK-only, but US-based customers can also check out Bookshop.org US. All other links offer international shipping, but please also consider supporting your local bookshop or library!
Have you read this book? What did you think?
If you haven’t read it yet, are you thinking of reading it? Let me know below!
Keira x
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