From the Author’s Note, sounds like Chung wrote these stories in protest. As a way to speak against human death that can be prevented - to protest the Anti Discrimination Act and Serious Accidents Penalty Bill not passing. Each of these shorts are distinctive and captivating. I’m not a fan of futuristic sci-fi stuff but truly enjoyed this collection.

Happy pub day to Bora Chung’s YOUR UTOPIA! This collection of shorts is one part eerie, one part weird, one part creative — and on the whole, it’s fantastic!
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I don’t enjoy weird books and generally stay away from sci-fi and futuristic stuff. I have heard so much about CURSED BUNNY that I had to get my hands on Chung’s second book. (Before I started YU, I read the first chapter to CURSED BUNNY and it is…interesting, to put it shortly 😅) Even with the caveat of the weird factor, I did find all of the stories to be extremely creative and imaginative — one of the premise of short story “Seed” is in a world where nature makes a comeback against industrialization and genetic modification. The one called “A Song for Sleep” takes place in a world where an elevator knows your favorite song and serves targeted ads - just genius!
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Speaking of imagination, how do I spark my creative spirit again? I feel like idk how to think out of the box anymore. Accepting all the tips!

Thanks @algonquinbooks & @netgalley for the eARC!

OMG! “Your Utopia” by Bora Chung, Author, and Translated by Anton Hur is a unique anthology and collection of stories that might leave you speechless, or having to say a lot of things. The author is creative, speculative, imaginative, and also wrote “Cursed Bunny”. These stories seemed to be written around Covid, and the period of isolation that we had. The genres for these stories are Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Satire, Horror, and Political Thriller. In one of the stories, many of the characters develop a disease, with no symptoms, other than the need to be cannibalistic. Unlike Covid, there is no cure, and some of the people from Earth are sent to a spaceship, location not specified. If and when the disease stops, they may or may not be able to return. Unfortunately it is not clear if anyone has this disease. Do you have any clues to what happens?

I read most genres and an anthology can be difficult to review, because the stories are different, although there might be some themes that are related. To quote the description, “Bora Chung’s imitable blend of horror, absurdity and dark humor reaches its peaks in these tales of loss and discovery, dystopia and idealism, death and immortality”. In some ways this book is strange, weird, creepy and crazy. There are twists and turns and endings that really threw me for a loop. There is the element of surprise, and the author certainly is creative! I would suggest not reading this late at night as I did. For those who have certain fears, I would suggest caution. I would recommend this for those readers that enjoy the genres mentioned above. Happy Reading!

Your Utopia is a mind-bending collection of short stories, speculative fiction mixed with horror and dark humor, that highlights the absurdities of humanity and modern life. I’ll be mulling over these stories and what they say about us for some time.

Thank you Bora Chung, Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Some sci-fi, some fantasy, some horror, but all deeply thought-provoking and subtly (or not so subtly) disturbing, this collection of eight short stories is yet another surreal delve into the depths of the human psyche from the author of Cursed Bunny.

From lowly office workers in an unusual corporation, to a cannibalism pandemic seen from space; from a deceptively ordinary marriage, to the brain scans of a comatose criminal; from an abandoned automotive struggling to survive, to a building lift that finds a connection to an elderly and ailing resident; from human-tree hybrids trying to plant their version of peace, to a terrorism witness who just wanted to meet her idol – the content of these stories spans universes of robots, aliens, plats, animals and human beings, all struggling to survive and connect in an increasingly terrifying and lonely existence.

Throughout run themes of what it means to be human or not-human, what the purpose of existence might be, how we reach out into the void from within our own individual consciousnesses hoping for connection and meaning in the chaos.

If you pick up this book, be prepared to fall deep into the depths of these intricately layered tales and find yourself left mentally reeling and emotionally drained as you turn the final page.

Thank you #NetGalley & #Algonquin for providing a copy of "Your Utopia" in exchange for an honest review. Bora Chung has written a powerful and addictive collection of short stories -- surreal, poignant, funny, and timely. A blend of horror, humor, and hope for our misguided humanity, Chung's imagination comes on full force within a variety of settings and landscapes. Some of these stories were written at the height of the global pandemic and the themes recall many of the feelings of uncertainty, anger, and fear held by so many people.

Chung conjures an array of characters--dystopian survivors, flesh eating astronauts, conflicted robots, threatened trees (and so much more). Every story carries a larger message -- including the exceptionally powerful final story - The Act of Mourning - with notes from the author directly afterward. A few of the stories were fictionalized tributes to victims of oppression and violence - and Chung made clear that "when faced with loss, one must mourn, and to remember and mourn loss, one must survive."

Beautifully translated by Anton Hur. Unlike many readers, I have found my way to Bora Chung through this collection and now have "Cursed Bunny" on deck! So grateful to have found this unique and creative activist and author.

This feels quite different from Bora Chung's previous short story collection, Cursed Bunny, which had more of a weird horror bent and was stronger overall. These stories lean more sci-fi with just light touches of horror. A Very Ordinary Marriage was the standout story by far. Several had plotlines that felt a bit cliche or predictable, but others were creative or unexpectedly sentimental (A Song for Sleep). This was a mixed bag for me, but I do look forward to seeing more of her work in English translation.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this collection in exchange for a fair review.

This author writes such fascinating stories. Here they were thought-provoking and entertaining from start to finish. I only truly disliked one of them. I can recommend the book for sure.

Anton's translation style has become quite familiar to me. Like coming home. And Bora Chung's storytelling, the stories she chooses to tell, and the characters she chooses to tell them with have put her firmly in my 'has written, will read' pile. Cursed Bunny piqued my interest, but Your Utopia has held it.

My favorite stories in the collection: 'The End of the Voyage' and 'Maria, Gratia Plena'.

This short story collection was another hit from Bora Chung, although I prefer "Cursed Bunny." As someone who doesn't read a lot of science fiction, it took a little getting used to adapting to a different world with every story. I loved the stories from the points of view of the car and elevator, they were all so inventive. The alien story was my favorite out of all of them, and reminded me of "Cursed Bunny" the most in its bizarre-ness and descriptions of relationships. I would recommend this to fans of "Black Mirror," "Wall-E," and "Her Body and Other Parties."

Your Utopia

Your Utopia is a thought-provoking collection of short stories that delve into speculative fiction and dystopian themes.

I found it a slight departure from Chung's previous work, Cursed Bunny (which I absolutely loved) - although, this collection really shows Bora's versatility in exploring different genres.

I also found that a lot of the stories were quite lengthy. Nothing bad at all, just a bit different from the relatively concise style of Cursed Bunny.

I do have to reiterate how much I enjoyed seeing Bora explore different genres. Some of them are science fiction, whereas some are horror and even some political or suspenseful.

The collection is recommended for fans of thought-provoking stories that leave readers unsettled, something Cursed Bunny and Life Ceremony did so well.

In summary, I give high praise for this collection's intelligence, depth, and ability to tackle themes with a dark sense of humor.

I still enjoyed Cursed Bunny more, but it is not a far shot between the two books. I look forward to more books by Chung.

3.8/5

From a mid-level manager getting ready for her company‘s 98th anniversary celebration to traveling through space with cannibals and the story about a fan wanting to meet an ex musician now social warrior this book is funny it’s very smart and an author I would definitely read more of. Your Utopia is packed with nonsense and social commentary and equal parts and makes for a great short story collection, not to mention some of the stories have really great twist at the end. Bora Chung she’s an author I definitely will start following on every book platform she is on. This was not only fascinating interesting and funny it was also thought-provoking and an all-around great reads a definite five star book! I want to thank Algonquin Books and Net Galley for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

To be honest, normally, I shy away from reading short stories, and I don't read much science fiction. However, I was intrigued by the book description, which touted a "blend of horror, absurdity, and dark humor" and "tales of loss and discovery, dystopia and idealism, death and immortality."

Your Utopia by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur, did not disappoint! Many of the stories have a twist at the end. Some will leave you emotionally drained. All provide much food for thought. You will chuckle. You will mourn. You will contemplate. Touching on topics like AI, capitalism, and intense longing, Chung is a master at packing exceptional emotion and reflection in the pages of each story.

Read this if you like:
• Science fiction
• Short stories
• Books that make you think
• Stories with a retro Twilight Zone feel

Available now! Many thanks to Algonquin Books for the digital copy!

This book is so fun and cringe and brings you on so many journeys through the human existence. Bora Chung's writing is sharp and witty while also being so genuine and tender. The stories are generally futuristic but feel close to home. I cannot wait to read more Chung!!

This is a collection set in near and distant futures - there is a center for immortality research that is planning its 98th anniversary and the event turns into chaos; an uninfected person in the spaceship while a Disease spreads on Earth; a man who discovers a shocking secret about his wife; an AI elevator in the apartment building develops tender emotions for an elderly resident; an autobody with solar battery living in a planet with no more human communities,...

Being 'Cursed bunny' one of my favorite collections, I had high expectations for this one. YOUR UTOPIA has more sci-fi and technology elements -the stories are weird and brilliant at sparking one's curiosity about human behavior, while Chung dissects with precision the different fates for humanity. Human and AI aggregate and through their mundane interactions, the stories broadly examine life, loss, capitalism, discovery, isolation and marriage. The characters are put in absurd situations and the author invites one to watch the most real reactions.

With sophisticated prose and outstanding translation, these stories incorporate the dystopian nature blazing with horror and dark humor. Edgy and terrifying, YOUR UTOPIA (tr. Anton Hur) questions what it means to be 'real human', restoring hope amidst desperation. An undeniably original collection.

cw: drug abuse, gore, violence, death, cannibalism

Bora Chung is quickly becoming one of my favorite short story writers. This is the second collection I’ve read of hers (“Cursed Bunny” was outstanding), and I was instantly reminded of how interesting her writing is.

Chung is able to easily create these worlds (often futuristic and dystopian) that truly draw me in as a reader. Sometimes stories that lean heavily on science fiction tropes can make me feel disconnected or bored, but Chung is able to keep me glued to every sentence. She also has this unique gift where she can infuse her stories with this incredible pathos that makes every story super moving (even when talking about a robot). My favorite example of this in “Your Utopia” was a story called “A Song for Sleep” in which an AI-operated elevator falls in love with an old woman in the building who has Parkinson’s. It’s so heart-wrenchingly sweet and insanely creative. I think Chung also succeeds when she provides little plot twists in her stories. I won’t name those ones to avoid spoilers, but I was frequently surprised by the direction of some of the stories. Other favorites included “Maria, Gratia Plena” and “The End of the Voyage” (a creepy, modern take on a zombie takeover).

There were a few stories that verged a little too much into the horror genre for my taste. Some scenes got a bit graphic. Chung is adept at writing this kind of content, but it’s just not my thing. There were a few stories that seemed to move a bit slower than others (namely the title story), but overall, Chung’s writing is wild and wonderful.

While I acknowledge this is a completely separate collection from "Cursed Bunny," I couldn't help but draw comparisons, and regrettably, the former didn't captivate me as much. The haunting and lingering narratives of "Cursed Bunny" continue to stick with me to this day, while the fundamental plot points of "Your Utopia" slip through the cracks. I find this collection difficult to review as it seems my brain failed to retain a single story upon finishing. Nevertheless, I remain open to the idea of a novella or novel by Chung with a similar sci-fi approach. Perhaps a more focused approach and dedication to a single story will be the secret to recapturing my intrigue.

Let me start by saying that if you are a fan of Bora Chung's first collection, Cursed Bunny, you may be surprised by Your Utopia. While Cursed Bunny is firmly in the bizarre stories camp, Your Utopia is pure science fiction. Written in protest during the COVID-19 pandemic, these stories are very existential, often featuring anti-capitalist themes. This collection had so much that I loved: sentient cars & elevators, immortal office workers, tree-human hybrids, cannibalism... Every mini-world that Chung created was memorable and unsettling.

I ended up dnfing this because the stories were so bland and predictable. I only got through the first two stories, but those should be the most shocking ones, however, I was left finding them really lackluster and not understanding the point of either. I love Black Mirror and weird short stories, however this didn't have any of the punch as anything else of this type that I have consumed.

READ IF YOU LIKE...
• The creepiness of AI and advanced technology
• Apocalyptic settings
• The dark and the twisted

I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A fascinating collection of speculative short stories that pull no punches. A fast-spreading virus that causes cannibalism, an investigation conducted through watching memories from the comatose suspect, a solar-powered vehicle running from a terrifying amalgamation of technology, a smart building that knows every detail of your life -- Chung explores all of these conceits and more in this book.

I feel a bit stunned after finishing this collection. Chung's imagination continues to astound me. I love how she isn't afraid to push things to disturbing extremes. To me, it feels like that's how she attempts to get at the truth -- the truth at what we are as humans, the truth at what our society is.

Future technology is a heavy focus of this collection. It's supposed to make our lives better, but instead it reveals some of our most fundamental flaws and weaknesses. This collection felt like an examination of humanity from non-human perspectives and the verdict is pretty damning. But at the same time, there's still hope for us. Utopia can still be in our future if we try our best to be our best in our present.

An intriguing collection of 8 stories, all focused in some way on technology. Nothing is as it seems in some, nothing is real in others, and not all will engage you. I'd not read Chung before but now understand why she (and her translator Hur) have fans. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is definitely a set which should be read one at a time over a period of days. For fans of literary fiction.