South Korean science fiction and fantasy author Cheon Seon-ran is making her mark on international literature once again, as her dark fantasy novel "The Midnight Shift" is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom next month. The English translation, expertly rendered by Gene Png, will be published by Bloomsbury Publishing, the renowned British publishing house most famous for bringing the Harry Potter series to readers worldwide.
Originally published in South Korea in 2021 under the Korean title "The Savior Who Comes at Night," this gripping vampire tale presents readers with a unique blend of mystery and supernatural horror. The novel centers around Su-yeon, a detective whose soul has been numbed by profound loneliness as she navigates her demanding profession. Her world takes a dramatic turn when she begins investigating a series of mysterious and unexplained deaths occurring at a local hospital.
The plot thickens when Su-yeon encounters an enigmatic woman at one of the crime scenes. This mysterious figure makes the startling claim that she is a professional vampire hunter, currently on a deeply personal mission to track down her former lover. The woman becomes increasingly insistent that the string of hospital deaths is not the work of a human killer, but rather the deadly handiwork of a vampire.
The international appeal of Cheon's work is evident in the widespread interest from global publishers. Translation rights for "The Midnight Shift" have been successfully sold to multiple countries, including Italy and Brazil, with several other nations also securing publishing deals. This international expansion demonstrates the growing global appetite for Korean literature and genre fiction.
Cheon Seon-ran has established herself as one of South Korea's most celebrated and popular writers in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Her literary prowess gained significant recognition with her breakout novel "A Thousand Blues," which achieved the prestigious honor of winning the Grand Prize at the Korea Science Fiction Awards in 2020. The success of this work has transcended the literary world, as it is currently being adapted for the big screen by Warner Bros. Pictures for American audiences, marking a significant milestone in the crossover of Korean literature to Hollywood cinema.
The upcoming UK release of "The Midnight Shift" represents another important step in the international recognition of Korean genre fiction and Cheon's growing influence as a storyteller who can captivate readers across cultural boundaries with her dark, imaginative narratives.
