Title: If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light
Author: Kim Cho-yeop
Translator: Anton Hur
Pages: 192
Release: May 7, 2026

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An inventive and intriguing blend of science fiction storytelling. Thoughtful and consistently engaging, even if it lacks a true knockout punch. I much preferred Kim’s stories that lean into explorations of what it means to be human, like “Symbiosis Theory,” where a woman paints images from a fictional planet that turns out to be very real, or “Spectrum,” which centers our shared humanity as a woman recounts her time deep in space and her discovery of a planet inhabited by sentient, bipedal aliens with their own unique culture.

No single story truly wowed me, but I found this to be a worthwhile collection all the same.

Favorite stories: “Spectrum,” “Symbiosis Theory,” “My Space Hero”

★★★

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.