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Your Utopia
Your Utopia: Stories | Bora Chung
8 posts | 7 read | 4 to read
The new story collection from the author and translator of Cursed Bunny, a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award in Translated Literature! Your Utopia is full of tales of loss and discovery, idealism and dystopia, death and immortality. Nothing concentrates the mind like Chungs terrors, which will shrivel you to a bouillon cube of your most primal instincts (Vulture), yet these stories are suffused with Chung's inimitable wry humor and surprisingly tender moments, too. In The Center for Immortality Research, a low-level employee runs herself ragged planning a fancy gala for donors, only to be blamed for a crime she witnessed during the event, under the noses of the mysterious celebrity benefactors hoping to live forever. But she cant be firedno one can. In One More Kiss, Dear, a tender, one-sided love blooms in the AI-elevator of an apartment complex; as in, the elevator develops a profound affection for one of the residents. In Seeds, we see the final frontier of capitalisms destruction of the planet and the GMO companies who rule the agricultural industry, but nature has ways of creeping back to life. Chungs writing is haunting, funny, gross, terrifyingand yet when we reach the end, we just want more" (Alexander Chee). If you havent yet experienced the fruits of this singular imagination, Your Utopia is waiting.
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AshleyHoss820
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I am really digging science-fiction and/or speculative fiction short story collections lately. They‘re just hitting it out of the park. As with most collections, some stuck more than others, but it‘s a solid outing. I looked forward to each story, getting enveloped in each reality, and I look forward to reading more of Chung‘s work.

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ReadingOver50
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I liked this collection better than Cursed Bunny. I liked all the stories except Your Utopia and To Meet Her. Your Utopia was boring, and To Meet Her was confusing. The rest were interesting and thought provoking.

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TracyReadsBooks
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Written during lockdown in 2020 (in part) this collection of short stories is about relationships—humans with each other, nature, technology, & time. I appreciated all the stories even as I found this collection more uneven than Cursed Bunny. Standouts include The End of the Voyage (a world where causal cannibalism leads to the destruction of the planet) to Seed where man thinks they‘re in control of nature when the opposite is true. Good read.

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Megabooks
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While I liked Chung‘s second short story collection translated to English, I didn‘t like it as much as Cursed Bunny. It‘s interesting speculative horror often involving AI/sentient machines. My favorite story was about an elevator obsessed with an elderly woman with Parkinson‘s. Also the title story about a car and robot on a deserted planet was surprisingly touching. Overall, I‘d say #BorrowNotBuy on this one.

Kerrbearlib Great photo! Love the #BorrowNotBuy tag! 7mo
Megabooks @Kerrbearlib thanks!! I wish I could take credit for the hashtag, but a friend who doesn‘t post anymore invented it! 7mo
squirrelbrain Sounds a bit weird for me. 😬 7mo
See All 6 Comments
Megabooks @squirrelbrain it was definitely strange! 7mo
EKonrad The elevator story was my favorite too! 7mo
Megabooks @EKonrad so well done! 7mo
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EKonrad
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Chung is quickly becoming one of my fave short story writers. I love her style, and there were several truly wonderful stories in this collection. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #arc

Full review at: https://erinkonrad.com/2024/02/06/your-utopia-book-review/

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rachelsbrittain
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No real standouts this past month so going with a short story collection I really enjoyed #2023ReadingBracket @chasjjlee

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rachelsbrittain
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Between her last collection and this one Bora Chung is quickly becoming one of my favorite short story writers. This collection is more futuristic and sci-fi focused but just as good as Cursed Bunny. The stories are less weird, but just as good.

Hooked_on_books I LOVED Cursed Bunny! I can‘t wait to read this one! 12mo
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rachelsbrittain
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One ebook arc, one physical book, and I'll probably finish up my Hunger Games reread with Mocking on audiobook for my drive home tomorrow #WeekendReads