Le Guin’s, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” along with the common fairy tale trope of the sacrifice of one to the local monster buying the safety of the many. Verdict: Yes - I’m a sucker for a good sci-fi shortĪ boy is chained in a cave and fed on by a massive beast. Featuring a fox who bleeds gold and a very creepy son, be prepared to be unsettled.Ī futuristic sci-fi story about robotic companions and planned obsolescence, but with a few unexpected twists. This one plays on a confusion of the senses and loops back onto itself in an interesting way, but still falls a bit flat.Ī mix between a Poe story and a classic fairytale, this horrifyingly compelling tale explores greed and the extent a man will go to procure wealth. That’s all I’m going to write because it’s too good to spoil. The titular tale, this short story is a tightly written examination of the consequences of government corruption with a twisty addition of a cursed bunny. Verdict: Give it a try - but be forewarned about magic relating to pregnancy (it gets weird)
Issues of pregnancy, paternity, and the commodification of women’s bodies, this one might hit close to home for those whose parents repeatedly ask, “but when are you going to have children?!” Verdict: Pass - a very provocative start, but not compelling enough for me to read it (ever) againĮqually unsettling, but in a slightly different way, this story explores the ways women are forced to assimilate and abide by a set script of behaviors that, if deviated from in the slightest, yield public consequences. It’s about the ramifications of childhood neglect, untreated mental illness, and introduces to the reader how even the most mundane aspects of life are infused with magical elements throughout Chung’s stories. See, I told you to beware if you’re squeamish! But it also isn’t about poop. While the overall collection is rooted in similar themes, there are some wild deviations of tone, topic, and genre that might alienate some readers (especially if you’re squeamish). I would recommend SOME of the short stories. Cursed Bunny, written by Bora Chung and translated by Anton Hur, is a collection of ten short stories unsettlingly stitched together with themes of dysfunctional relationship dynamics, generational trauma, and an ongoing journey of self discovery in the context of one’s culture and family.
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