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The Black Orb
One evening in downtown Seoul, Jeong-su is smoking a cigarette outside when he sees something a huge black orb appears out of nowhere and sucks his neighbour inside. The orb soon begins consuming other people and no one knows how to stop it. Impervious to bullets and tanks, the orb splits and multiplies, chasing the hapless residents of Seoul out into the country and sparking a global crisis with widespread violence and looting. Jeong-su must rely upon his wits as he makes the arduous journey in search of his elderly parents. But the strangest phases of this ever-expanding disaster are yet to come and Jeong-su will be forced to question everything he has taken for granted. Dryly funny, propulsive and absurd, The Black Orb is terrifyingly prescient about the fragility of human civilisation.
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2024
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August 25, 2024
Jeong-su had never seen such an object before. It was about 2 m tall, perfectly round, and didn’t reflect light. Jeong-su felt like he was staring into a hole in the fabric of space. The object was several steps away from him.
‘Whatisthat?�
정체불명� 그것은 남자가 살아오면� 처음 보는 물체였�. 높이� � 미터� 되고, 완전� 둥글�, 표면은 검은� 광택은 없어�, � 둥그� 그림자처� 보이� 무언가였�. 그것� 남자� 거리� 아주 가까워 단지 � 발자국밖� 되지 않았�.
“저� 뭐야?�
The Black Orb (2024) is Sean Lin Halbert's translation of 절망� � (2009) by 김이환 (anglisised as Ewhan Kim).
The novel is narrated from the perspective of Jeong-su (정수), a relatively successful salesman in his early 30s. Walking back to his home in a district of Seoul, having been to buy some cigarettes, he encouters a strange object, as per above, a mysterious black orb. And he witnesses it approaching one of his neighbours and absorbing them into the orb, followed by a woman who he hears screaming as she too is absorbed.
Jeong-su proves to have been the first person to witness the orb, and not quite able to believe what he saw ("was I hallucinating"), and not hearing anyone else having seen what he saw, doesn't report the incident but flees the area in his car.
By the next day, the orb has absorbed more people, and news is starting to spread (this the one chapter not navigated from Jeong-su's perspective, who having fled home, and unusally not a smartphone user, lacks any direct contact with the news):
As they continued to watch the news from inside the building, they learned more and more about the mysterious black orb. First was the physical description of the object: black, spherical, and about two metres in diameter. But there was no one who could attest to whether the orb was made from hard metal, like it appeared to be.
After all, everyone who had touched its surface was sucked inside. Later, it was confirmed that the orb moved at a slow speed of about 4 kilometres per hour, never speeding up or slowing down except to change direction. Eyewitness accounts of physically impossible behaviours, such as passing through walls, were also reported.
And, perhaps most importantly, was the theory that the orb only pursued people.
Then the orb start to divide and reproduce, and they spread inexorably all over the city and soon Seoul, and then Korea (and gradually the world) is in a panic, with social discipline breaking down and, as misinformation spreading. E.g. false rumours that each orb can only digest one person every 8 hours, lead some to kidnap other and offer them as protective bait. And inevitably those bent on violence and theft see an opportunity. Although others develop collective strategies to potentially contain the orbs, realising that as the orb always moves towards the nearest person, if they surround one then they can hold it in statis ... at least for a while ...
Meanwhile Jeong-su, who proves to have a relationship with the orbs which he himself doesn't understand, roams through the increasingly chaotic country in search of his parents.
The set-up in a fascinating one, although this is not speculative science-fiction for those who want such books to provide some rhyme or reason. What the orbs are is no clearer at the end of the book than on page 1.
Instead the author uses the device of the orbs, as he explains in an afterword, to explore the sources of anxiety, financial, political and emotional, in modern society. The literal translation of the title is the Orbs of Despair, which would have been a better title and is a phrase used in the book, the name given the phenomenon by the pope. And this is what gives the novel its power
3.5 stars - imperfect (at times the characters are too cliched in their actions e.g. a group of criminals) but its warts-and-all look at society and how people react is a welcome anecdote to the rather too-many 'Smiley Coffee-Scented Pottery Class in a Laundromat' genre of translations from the Korean this year.
‘Whatisthat?�
정체불명� 그것은 남자가 살아오면� 처음 보는 물체였�. 높이� � 미터� 되고, 완전� 둥글�, 표면은 검은� 광택은 없어�, � 둥그� 그림자처� 보이� 무언가였�. 그것� 남자� 거리� 아주 가까워 단지 � 발자국밖� 되지 않았�.
“저� 뭐야?�
The Black Orb (2024) is Sean Lin Halbert's translation of 절망� � (2009) by 김이환 (anglisised as Ewhan Kim).
The novel is narrated from the perspective of Jeong-su (정수), a relatively successful salesman in his early 30s. Walking back to his home in a district of Seoul, having been to buy some cigarettes, he encouters a strange object, as per above, a mysterious black orb. And he witnesses it approaching one of his neighbours and absorbing them into the orb, followed by a woman who he hears screaming as she too is absorbed.
Jeong-su proves to have been the first person to witness the orb, and not quite able to believe what he saw ("was I hallucinating"), and not hearing anyone else having seen what he saw, doesn't report the incident but flees the area in his car.
By the next day, the orb has absorbed more people, and news is starting to spread (this the one chapter not navigated from Jeong-su's perspective, who having fled home, and unusally not a smartphone user, lacks any direct contact with the news):
As they continued to watch the news from inside the building, they learned more and more about the mysterious black orb. First was the physical description of the object: black, spherical, and about two metres in diameter. But there was no one who could attest to whether the orb was made from hard metal, like it appeared to be.
After all, everyone who had touched its surface was sucked inside. Later, it was confirmed that the orb moved at a slow speed of about 4 kilometres per hour, never speeding up or slowing down except to change direction. Eyewitness accounts of physically impossible behaviours, such as passing through walls, were also reported.
And, perhaps most importantly, was the theory that the orb only pursued people.
Then the orb start to divide and reproduce, and they spread inexorably all over the city and soon Seoul, and then Korea (and gradually the world) is in a panic, with social discipline breaking down and, as misinformation spreading. E.g. false rumours that each orb can only digest one person every 8 hours, lead some to kidnap other and offer them as protective bait. And inevitably those bent on violence and theft see an opportunity. Although others develop collective strategies to potentially contain the orbs, realising that as the orb always moves towards the nearest person, if they surround one then they can hold it in statis ... at least for a while ...
Meanwhile Jeong-su, who proves to have a relationship with the orbs which he himself doesn't understand, roams through the increasingly chaotic country in search of his parents.
The set-up in a fascinating one, although this is not speculative science-fiction for those who want such books to provide some rhyme or reason. What the orbs are is no clearer at the end of the book than on page 1.
Instead the author uses the device of the orbs, as he explains in an afterword, to explore the sources of anxiety, financial, political and emotional, in modern society. The literal translation of the title is the Orbs of Despair, which would have been a better title and is a phrase used in the book, the name given the phenomenon by the pope. And this is what gives the novel its power
3.5 stars - imperfect (at times the characters are too cliched in their actions e.g. a group of criminals) but its warts-and-all look at society and how people react is a welcome anecdote to the rather too-many 'Smiley Coffee-Scented Pottery Class in a Laundromat' genre of translations from the Korean this year.
December 8, 2024
I know this was supposed to show humanity's lows when society breaks down while being a somewhat philosophical dive into the human psyche in moments of crisis, but it definitely didn't work out for me.
I'm the type of person who needs to root for something in the story, whether it's a plot point or a character, but there was honestly nothing to root for in this novel.
The MMC, Jeong-su, was a miserable bastard to deal with. I thought I'd garner some sympathy for him since he was on a quest to find his parents amidst an apocalypse created by giant killer metal balls. And doing all of that while suffering from his past and current experiences with toxic masculinity and hypermasculinity in the military and his civilian career.
But nothing about him was admirable. He's extremely selfish and homophobic and had zero redeemable qualities. He regularly beats up a younger man that he gets stuck with and doesn't feel remorse for any of it. No spoilers, but his situation with the younger man actually gets worse. And Jeong-su still doesn't feel any remorse for his actions.
With all that, I honestly didn't care if he lived or died. And at the end, I wondered if he was looking for his parents only because he was a man child and needed mommy and daddy's help.
Other than that, this pretty much had all the apocalyptic story tropes, such as a religious cult, a roving gang of murderers, martial law, etc. Nothing new and nothing all that interesting tbh.
Hell, I was even disappointed by the evil black orbs because they weren't fully explained at all. And I wasn't really feeling the black orbs as metaphors for society's ills and societal pressures. It reads like a stretch, but then again, I didn't study literature.
The beginning also read very comical, like the opening to a b movie. I was amused, and not in a good way.
I'm glad that I only wasted one day reading this book.
Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for this arc.
I'm the type of person who needs to root for something in the story, whether it's a plot point or a character, but there was honestly nothing to root for in this novel.
The MMC, Jeong-su, was a miserable bastard to deal with. I thought I'd garner some sympathy for him since he was on a quest to find his parents amidst an apocalypse created by giant killer metal balls. And doing all of that while suffering from his past and current experiences with toxic masculinity and hypermasculinity in the military and his civilian career.
But nothing about him was admirable. He's extremely selfish and homophobic and had zero redeemable qualities. He regularly beats up a younger man that he gets stuck with and doesn't feel remorse for any of it. No spoilers, but his situation with the younger man actually gets worse. And Jeong-su still doesn't feel any remorse for his actions.
With all that, I honestly didn't care if he lived or died. And at the end, I wondered if he was looking for his parents only because he was a man child and needed mommy and daddy's help.
Other than that, this pretty much had all the apocalyptic story tropes, such as a religious cult, a roving gang of murderers, martial law, etc. Nothing new and nothing all that interesting tbh.
Hell, I was even disappointed by the evil black orbs because they weren't fully explained at all. And I wasn't really feeling the black orbs as metaphors for society's ills and societal pressures. It reads like a stretch, but then again, I didn't study literature.
The beginning also read very comical, like the opening to a b movie. I was amused, and not in a good way.
I'm glad that I only wasted one day reading this book.
Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for this arc.
October 26, 2024
I absolutely flew through this book. The Black Orb is a speculative fiction apocalyptic novel about a man from Seoul who sees a black orb appear out of nowhere and start absorbing people to their deaths. The orbs multiply until there are hundreds across the world and humanity plunges into chaos trying to escape the orbs. No one knows what they are or why they are here - all people can do is run.
The pace of the book was super fast and I couldn’t put the novel down. Whilst I enjoyed our main character I found him to be slightly unlikable but by the end I realised that this was done purposefully. Kim uses the orbs as a metaphor for the problems in modern life we are running away from - financial trouble, addiction, political upheaval, societal expectations and probably most importantly the pressure of masculinity on Korean men. We are all being swallowed up by these devastating problems and the orbs represent how the fear of these things are causing friction, prejudice and misogyny within society.
The translation wasn’t brilliant and I found the writing to be slightly flat and lifeless, with the action being what made me excited and kept drawing me back. But this does seem to be the authors writing style. I really liked how the book developed and humanity got more and more depraved with the main character following suit. I think it would have been nice to have a few of the loose ends tied up like a glimpse into the science of the orbs, however I understand that the author chooses to not explain them in order to mirror the chaos and existential angst of the modern world. There were a few bits in the book which were slightly unbelievable and I had trouble buying into, and I found some of the shocking parts took me off guard a lot because they were so crazy, but overall I really enjoyed this book and its commentary.
The pace of the book was super fast and I couldn’t put the novel down. Whilst I enjoyed our main character I found him to be slightly unlikable but by the end I realised that this was done purposefully. Kim uses the orbs as a metaphor for the problems in modern life we are running away from - financial trouble, addiction, political upheaval, societal expectations and probably most importantly the pressure of masculinity on Korean men. We are all being swallowed up by these devastating problems and the orbs represent how the fear of these things are causing friction, prejudice and misogyny within society.
The translation wasn’t brilliant and I found the writing to be slightly flat and lifeless, with the action being what made me excited and kept drawing me back. But this does seem to be the authors writing style. I really liked how the book developed and humanity got more and more depraved with the main character following suit. I think it would have been nice to have a few of the loose ends tied up like a glimpse into the science of the orbs, however I understand that the author chooses to not explain them in order to mirror the chaos and existential angst of the modern world. There were a few bits in the book which were slightly unbelievable and I had trouble buying into, and I found some of the shocking parts took me off guard a lot because they were so crazy, but overall I really enjoyed this book and its commentary.
January 12, 2025
Ewhan Kim’s South Korean horror, The Black Orb, starts off in grand fashion, hitting the ground running with the feel of a classic monster movie with a nifty sci-fi twist. Jeong-su is taking a smoke break in the alley outside his home when he first notices the titular black orb approaching, watching in horror as it violently absorbs the people it comes into contact with. As Jeong-su flees, his attempts at warning others falling on deaf ears because people think he’s crazy, much to their detriment. Kim channels a slasher horror vibe almost immediately, with Jeong-su being stalked through the streets of his Seol neighborhood, as if he’s being pursued by Jason by way of a kaiju. It’s a brilliant, engaging, and intense opening.
And then it’s all pretty much downhill from there.
As the orb consumes more and more Koreans, it eventually begins to undergo mitosis, multiplying to such a rapid degree that there is no hope for humanity the world over. Kim’s monster mash quickly dovetails into the post-apocalyptic, with Jeong-su among the small handful of survivors. There’s plenty of interesting scenarios to contend with, as he tries to adapt to life on the run from the orbs, gets taken in by one group only to be exiled again, and running into gangs pillaging whatever has been left by those who were absorbed.
The longer it goes on, though, the less engaging it becomes. The orbs grow into such a monumental existential threat that we eventually become inured to their danger, and one can’t help but wonder what metaphor Kim is striving towards here. The black orbs eventually are labeled The Orbs of Despair, giving us at least one on the nose interpretation, in which society is threatened by a general malaise. The Black Orb could certainly, and perhaps most easily, be viewed as a work written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, or even the rise of far-right politics that threaten to destroy us all the world over, especially in the book’s latter chapters which see the survivors seeking revenge and trying to place blame on somebody, anybody, for the horrors that befell them. One might even view it as a response to our lack of proper actions being taken globally against the climate crisis. Even now, with the Palisades wildfires rampaging across California, one can’t help but think of MAGA’s attempt to blame wokeness, diversity initiatives, and women as the primarily culprit behind this climate disaster rather than face scientific facts. The Black Orb is rife with this kind of broadly sweeping, one size fits all social commentary.
However, readers looking for singular answers will likely find plenty to be disappointed in. Kim offers nothing in the way of explanation regarding the orbs appearance, where they came from, or why they do what they do, letting them operate purely as a metaphor du jour. There’s a sense of timelessness to be found in this approach, of course; read The Black Orb in another twenty years and you’ll likely find plenty of socio-political concerns to relate it to as you can today, presuming we’re still around, of course.
I wasn’t particularly bothered by the lack of answers regarding the orbs, and found myself largely pleased by Kim’s commentary on society in general. But as the book went on, I couldn’t help but wonder how Kim was going to resolve the multifaceted issues raised throughout The Black Orb. Jeong-su is a selfish and self-serving protagonist that progressively grows harder to root for the more we learn about him, eventually twisting toward the downright vile as his homophobia toward another survivor he becomes mutually dependent upon grows violent and abusive. What fate would be in store for a man such as him, in a post-apocalyptic Seol ruled by violence and its demands for bloodlust to be satiated?
The simple answer is, there is no answer. Kim simply ends the novel. There’s no definitive statement, no judgements, no emotional or moral resolution. It’s the kind of weak, open-ended anticlimax that made me wish I hadn’t slogged through so much tepid, shallow character work, repetitious ideas, and vulgar sexual abuses. After getting my hopes up with such a strong opening, Kim’s lack of definitive closure, particularly as it relates to Jeong-su, feels cowardly and trite.
A part of me can’t help but wonder if something got lost in translation, or if perhaps my total lack of cultural awareness of Korean society disserved me here. It’s certainly possible I’m too much the “ugly American� to fully appreciate Kim’s commentary, and that whatever he was striving for has fallen on the deaf and ignorant in this US reader. It’s also possible that this is exactly what Kim was striving for, if we’re to view The Black Orb on a metatextual level, with his final chapters attempting to capture those feeling of despair with its oblique finale and to leave readers in a fit of discomfort. In that case, it only half-worked. I wasn’t left feeling despair, only disappointment.
And then it’s all pretty much downhill from there.
As the orb consumes more and more Koreans, it eventually begins to undergo mitosis, multiplying to such a rapid degree that there is no hope for humanity the world over. Kim’s monster mash quickly dovetails into the post-apocalyptic, with Jeong-su among the small handful of survivors. There’s plenty of interesting scenarios to contend with, as he tries to adapt to life on the run from the orbs, gets taken in by one group only to be exiled again, and running into gangs pillaging whatever has been left by those who were absorbed.
The longer it goes on, though, the less engaging it becomes. The orbs grow into such a monumental existential threat that we eventually become inured to their danger, and one can’t help but wonder what metaphor Kim is striving towards here. The black orbs eventually are labeled The Orbs of Despair, giving us at least one on the nose interpretation, in which society is threatened by a general malaise. The Black Orb could certainly, and perhaps most easily, be viewed as a work written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, or even the rise of far-right politics that threaten to destroy us all the world over, especially in the book’s latter chapters which see the survivors seeking revenge and trying to place blame on somebody, anybody, for the horrors that befell them. One might even view it as a response to our lack of proper actions being taken globally against the climate crisis. Even now, with the Palisades wildfires rampaging across California, one can’t help but think of MAGA’s attempt to blame wokeness, diversity initiatives, and women as the primarily culprit behind this climate disaster rather than face scientific facts. The Black Orb is rife with this kind of broadly sweeping, one size fits all social commentary.
However, readers looking for singular answers will likely find plenty to be disappointed in. Kim offers nothing in the way of explanation regarding the orbs appearance, where they came from, or why they do what they do, letting them operate purely as a metaphor du jour. There’s a sense of timelessness to be found in this approach, of course; read The Black Orb in another twenty years and you’ll likely find plenty of socio-political concerns to relate it to as you can today, presuming we’re still around, of course.
I wasn’t particularly bothered by the lack of answers regarding the orbs, and found myself largely pleased by Kim’s commentary on society in general. But as the book went on, I couldn’t help but wonder how Kim was going to resolve the multifaceted issues raised throughout The Black Orb. Jeong-su is a selfish and self-serving protagonist that progressively grows harder to root for the more we learn about him, eventually twisting toward the downright vile as his homophobia toward another survivor he becomes mutually dependent upon grows violent and abusive. What fate would be in store for a man such as him, in a post-apocalyptic Seol ruled by violence and its demands for bloodlust to be satiated?
The simple answer is, there is no answer. Kim simply ends the novel. There’s no definitive statement, no judgements, no emotional or moral resolution. It’s the kind of weak, open-ended anticlimax that made me wish I hadn’t slogged through so much tepid, shallow character work, repetitious ideas, and vulgar sexual abuses. After getting my hopes up with such a strong opening, Kim’s lack of definitive closure, particularly as it relates to Jeong-su, feels cowardly and trite.
A part of me can’t help but wonder if something got lost in translation, or if perhaps my total lack of cultural awareness of Korean society disserved me here. It’s certainly possible I’m too much the “ugly American� to fully appreciate Kim’s commentary, and that whatever he was striving for has fallen on the deaf and ignorant in this US reader. It’s also possible that this is exactly what Kim was striving for, if we’re to view The Black Orb on a metatextual level, with his final chapters attempting to capture those feeling of despair with its oblique finale and to leave readers in a fit of discomfort. In that case, it only half-worked. I wasn’t left feeling despair, only disappointment.
February 14, 2025
4.5/5 (rounded up for GoodReads)
First of all, I would like to thank Harper Collins Canada for sending this book my way. I was incredibly intrigued because I do love myself some translated horror. This was written in a fashion that was very easy to read. It flowed incredibly well with really well done pacing by the author. What I found the most compelling, oddly enough, was not the orbs themselves but rather the slow mental breakdown of the main character as more and more of the population gets absorbed.
There was a very clear dialogue here throughout of how fragile a society's grip on humanity and order is. In the face of major events that disrupt status quo and government, people turn to bloodlust very quickly. As society starts to fully collapse our main character loses himself more and more. The interpersonal relationships with the characters he meets along the way are intricate and complex which creates a really incredibly thought provoking read.
I haven't quite read anything like this before and I read quite a bit of horror. I'm left very impressed and 'The Black Orb' has left quite the impression on me. I finished the book yesterday afternoon and have not stopped thinking about it since. If you're in the mood for an apocalyptical horror, I highly recommend this read. This definitely cemented my desire to explore more translated horror this year.
First of all, I would like to thank Harper Collins Canada for sending this book my way. I was incredibly intrigued because I do love myself some translated horror. This was written in a fashion that was very easy to read. It flowed incredibly well with really well done pacing by the author. What I found the most compelling, oddly enough, was not the orbs themselves but rather the slow mental breakdown of the main character as more and more of the population gets absorbed.
There was a very clear dialogue here throughout of how fragile a society's grip on humanity and order is. In the face of major events that disrupt status quo and government, people turn to bloodlust very quickly. As society starts to fully collapse our main character loses himself more and more. The interpersonal relationships with the characters he meets along the way are intricate and complex which creates a really incredibly thought provoking read.
I haven't quite read anything like this before and I read quite a bit of horror. I'm left very impressed and 'The Black Orb' has left quite the impression on me. I finished the book yesterday afternoon and have not stopped thinking about it since. If you're in the mood for an apocalyptical horror, I highly recommend this read. This definitely cemented my desire to explore more translated horror this year.
August 22, 2024
I’m conflicted about this one. While the novel masterfully builds tension and evokes a palpable sense of dread, the ending left me feeling unsatisfied.
The story begins in Seoul, where Jeong-su witnesses a mysterious black orb consuming his neighbour. As the orbs begin multiplying, they trigger a global crisis. Determined to find his parents, Jeong-su sets out on a perilous journey, encountering various groups and facing numerous challenges. The slow, relentless spread of the orbs effectively conveys a growing sense of despair.
Kim’s world-building is exceptional, vividly portraying the chaos and exploring human reactions to catastrophic events. The sense of isolation throughout the book is profound, and the plot is so compelling that I found it difficult to put the book down.
The protagonist, Jeong-su, is a deeply complex character. He is selfish, narcissistic, and homophobic, making him incredibly unlikeable.
Books like this always make me consider how I might respond in a similar situation. If confronted with such a crisis, would I make the same selfish choices to protect myself and my loved ones? We all possess a certain level of selfishness, but how far would we really go?
Despite my disappointment with the ending, I’m eager to explore more of Kim’s work in the future. If you’re a fan of dystopian sci-fi and translated fiction, The Black Orb is worth reading for its chilling exploration of fear and survival.
Have you read this one or do you have it on your TBR list?
Thank you @serpentstail for sending me this book ❤️
The story begins in Seoul, where Jeong-su witnesses a mysterious black orb consuming his neighbour. As the orbs begin multiplying, they trigger a global crisis. Determined to find his parents, Jeong-su sets out on a perilous journey, encountering various groups and facing numerous challenges. The slow, relentless spread of the orbs effectively conveys a growing sense of despair.
Kim’s world-building is exceptional, vividly portraying the chaos and exploring human reactions to catastrophic events. The sense of isolation throughout the book is profound, and the plot is so compelling that I found it difficult to put the book down.
The protagonist, Jeong-su, is a deeply complex character. He is selfish, narcissistic, and homophobic, making him incredibly unlikeable.
Books like this always make me consider how I might respond in a similar situation. If confronted with such a crisis, would I make the same selfish choices to protect myself and my loved ones? We all possess a certain level of selfishness, but how far would we really go?
Despite my disappointment with the ending, I’m eager to explore more of Kim’s work in the future. If you’re a fan of dystopian sci-fi and translated fiction, The Black Orb is worth reading for its chilling exploration of fear and survival.
Have you read this one or do you have it on your TBR list?
Thank you @serpentstail for sending me this book ❤️
January 22, 2025
I picked off the library shelf after the cover caught my eye. It was an intriguing apocalyptic novel translated from Korean, which naturally appealed as I enjoy watching bleak apocalyptic kdramas. (Sweet Home is my favourite of these to date.) The concept is simple: mysterious black orbs slowly pursue and absorb people, throwing society into chaos. From this conceit, Ewhan Kim spins a thrilling survival narrative that gives a really grim impression of how military service and work obligations shape South Korean masculinity.
The protagonist Jeong-su is something of an everyman figure - not gifted academically, but handsome and hardworking therefore modestly successful. When the crisis hits, he is concerned for his parents and sets out for their house. But his plans rapidly unravel as the incomprehensible black orbs multiply. They are a very psychologically effective threat: slow yet utterly unstoppable. In one memorable scene, Jeong-su estimates how long a black orb would take to approach his position, then sets a phone alarm to wake him up every eight minutes. He also encounters a community that think religion can save them, with a creative approach to dealing with the orbs.
Jeong-su is a compelling protagonist because he is combination of exceptional and just some guy, and his behaviour veers between kindness and breathtaking cruelty. He suffered abuse and bullying during his military service and at work, which he accepted as normal and proceeds to perpetuate. It looked to me like Ewhan Kim is commenting on the difficulty of breaking vicious cycles in society, using an extreme situation to throw light on what is taken for granted as normal. The orbs did not strike me as an allegory for one thing in particular, although that could be my limited knowledge of South Korea, rather they seemed to express a more general dread. Jeong-su's overriding desires to survive and fit in animate the narrative and bring it to a nerve-wracking conclusion. I found hard to put down, despite often being horrifying to read. It's insightful but claustrophobic.
The protagonist Jeong-su is something of an everyman figure - not gifted academically, but handsome and hardworking therefore modestly successful. When the crisis hits, he is concerned for his parents and sets out for their house. But his plans rapidly unravel as the incomprehensible black orbs multiply. They are a very psychologically effective threat: slow yet utterly unstoppable. In one memorable scene, Jeong-su estimates how long a black orb would take to approach his position, then sets a phone alarm to wake him up every eight minutes. He also encounters a community that think religion can save them, with a creative approach to dealing with the orbs.
Jeong-su is a compelling protagonist because he is combination of exceptional and just some guy, and his behaviour veers between kindness and breathtaking cruelty. He suffered abuse and bullying during his military service and at work, which he accepted as normal and proceeds to perpetuate. It looked to me like Ewhan Kim is commenting on the difficulty of breaking vicious cycles in society, using an extreme situation to throw light on what is taken for granted as normal. The orbs did not strike me as an allegory for one thing in particular, although that could be my limited knowledge of South Korea, rather they seemed to express a more general dread. Jeong-su's overriding desires to survive and fit in animate the narrative and bring it to a nerve-wracking conclusion. I found hard to put down, despite often being horrifying to read. It's insightful but claustrophobic.
Shelved as '2025'
January 2, 2025📱 Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA
Read
December 10, 2024Pretty fun! Some standard apocalyptic story tropes, and the metaphorical implications probably needed to be fleshed out.
I did enjoy exploration of masculinity in Korea, and links to military trauma and loneliness but it also makes the main character so unlikable.
I did enjoy exploration of masculinity in Korea, and links to military trauma and loneliness but it also makes the main character so unlikable.
December 22, 2024
Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
I wanted to like THE BLACK ORB more than I did. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure what it intended to say, I didn't enjoy my reading experience, and I was left with a feeling of uncleanliness after finishing. So if that was the author's intention, then yay?
THE BLACK ORB follows Jeong-su Kim, a 30-something-year-old single manager leading a relatively dull life in an unspecified time in recent South Korea. One evening, he witnesses a 2-meter-tall floating black orb come out of nowhere, absorb any human it touches, and then go after the next closest human. As the black orbs continue to multiply and spread throughout the world, Jeong-su, along with everyone else, flees Seoul, ostensibly on a journey to find his parents. Along the way, he meets a religious cult, murderous thieves, and other humans of varying degrees of depravity, all the while trying to figure out what the heck is up with the orbs.
At first I was into this absurd story. THE BLACK ORB moves us quickly along in the plot, and the appearance of the black orbs bring out the worst in people. I felt there could've been some interesting commentary here about how quickly the thin veneer of civility in our lives tears the moment something apocalyptic occurs, how quickly social systems that are meant to protect us--the police, the military, the government--are revealed to protect no one in the face of danger.
However, the book's themes just never coalesced. Instead, Kim chose to introduce more and more absurd/unpleasant elements, especially in Jeong-su's character. It is clear from the beginning of the story that he is rather self-centered and individualistic--he doesn't have any close relationships with anyone, and his actions are more or less self-serving. However, later on there is a strong plotline that brings out his homophobia and toxic masculinity, and I just... don't know. Like, yes, there are people in the world who are clearly homophobic, but I felt that this aspect of Jeong-su's character was shoehorned into that moment of the story because the plot needed it to be there, rather than something that had been built up all along. Jeong-su's homophobia also constitutes a large part of the ending, and it all just felt... icky.
I guess what I'm trying to say here in my review is that a character can be homophobic and/or toxically masculine, but that has to kind of be consistent across the whole story and/or relevant to the book's themes. I couldn't figure out if THE BLACK ORB was trying to comment on the amoral, individualistic nature of contemporary South Korea, or specifically on Korea's problem with toxic masculinity. Either angle would have been fine, but the book's events seemed to go one way, while Jeong-su's thoughts and actions went the other.
Overall, I felt that THE BLACK ORB had the potential be a scathing indictment of the problems of individualistic capitalist societies, especially in the way we respond to tragedies, but the plot and the MC seemed to want to go a different way, leaving me uncertain as to what the book wanted to say to its audience.
[20 Dec 2024]
Ugh, I feel so unclean after reading whatever the heck that was all about.
I wanted to like THE BLACK ORB more than I did. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure what it intended to say, I didn't enjoy my reading experience, and I was left with a feeling of uncleanliness after finishing. So if that was the author's intention, then yay?
THE BLACK ORB follows Jeong-su Kim, a 30-something-year-old single manager leading a relatively dull life in an unspecified time in recent South Korea. One evening, he witnesses a 2-meter-tall floating black orb come out of nowhere, absorb any human it touches, and then go after the next closest human. As the black orbs continue to multiply and spread throughout the world, Jeong-su, along with everyone else, flees Seoul, ostensibly on a journey to find his parents. Along the way, he meets a religious cult, murderous thieves, and other humans of varying degrees of depravity, all the while trying to figure out what the heck is up with the orbs.
At first I was into this absurd story. THE BLACK ORB moves us quickly along in the plot, and the appearance of the black orbs bring out the worst in people. I felt there could've been some interesting commentary here about how quickly the thin veneer of civility in our lives tears the moment something apocalyptic occurs, how quickly social systems that are meant to protect us--the police, the military, the government--are revealed to protect no one in the face of danger.
However, the book's themes just never coalesced. Instead, Kim chose to introduce more and more absurd/unpleasant elements, especially in Jeong-su's character. It is clear from the beginning of the story that he is rather self-centered and individualistic--he doesn't have any close relationships with anyone, and his actions are more or less self-serving. However, later on there is a strong plotline that brings out his homophobia and toxic masculinity, and I just... don't know. Like, yes, there are people in the world who are clearly homophobic, but I felt that this aspect of Jeong-su's character was shoehorned into that moment of the story because the plot needed it to be there, rather than something that had been built up all along. Jeong-su's homophobia also constitutes a large part of the ending, and it all just felt... icky.
I guess what I'm trying to say here in my review is that a character can be homophobic and/or toxically masculine, but that has to kind of be consistent across the whole story and/or relevant to the book's themes. I couldn't figure out if THE BLACK ORB was trying to comment on the amoral, individualistic nature of contemporary South Korea, or specifically on Korea's problem with toxic masculinity. Either angle would have been fine, but the book's events seemed to go one way, while Jeong-su's thoughts and actions went the other.
Overall, I felt that THE BLACK ORB had the potential be a scathing indictment of the problems of individualistic capitalist societies, especially in the way we respond to tragedies, but the plot and the MC seemed to want to go a different way, leaving me uncertain as to what the book wanted to say to its audience.
[20 Dec 2024]
Ugh, I feel so unclean after reading whatever the heck that was all about.
August 19, 2024
Quite grim and sad. I was hoping for a surreal tale about life inside the orbs once you’ve been sucked in but nooo. That would have made it v different from other dystopian end-of-world novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2025
The American Science Fiction Fans seem to have discovered Korean Science Fiction. We here in Germany have done so, too (I know about at least one short story anthology and one novel which has also been awarded for the Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis last year ("Tausend Arten von Blau" of Cheon Seon-Ran).
After reading the review of Ian Mond (my favorite Locus.reviewer), I bought and read the book as well.
When I told a friend of mine that I cannot put this novel down, he was surprised: But it's from Korea, isn't the tradition to tell stories different and therefore maybe not always full of suspense?
But not, this has no Cixin-Liu-like paragraphs which make me want to yawn.
The story
I have read so many post-apocalyptic stories. Some stuff is always the same, some is not. Some stories offer something new, some do not.
I gather the Orbs (and the twists in the last third of the novel which I will not spoil) are very creative and innovative. It's cool. It's also cool to not only experience how Korea treats the threat, but also (from a Korean point of view), how other countries like China and USA are handling them.
The danger the Orbs bear is easy to understand and to imagine. The typical loss of civilization leads to other problems. The goal of Jeong-su (first finding his parents in the chaos, then surviving) is very clear.
The protagonist
That's an evil one. A very plausible, literally very interesting one. My oldest child (I retold the story to her, leaving out all the sex stuff and the splatter) really detested him.
Ian Mond seems to really dislike him as well.
I cannot really agree with them. Yes, sometimes it's difficult to bear how Jeong-su treats other people, especially the young man who is forced to spend time with him due to reasons that would spoil too much here. That's a toxic relationship if I have ever read about one. Wow.
But most of the time, Jeong-su just acts in a very plausible (but not really brave and very selfish) way. But wouldn't many of us do so? There seem to be an overproportion of these two types of humans in most post-apocalyptic stories:
Either the brave, nice one who helps people and sacrifices a lot to stay true to his human values (and, usually, the one of the readers).
Or the very evil one, who starts to murder people the minute there is no civilization around any more.
There are some of the first part and some of the second part in the novel, but Jeong-su seems to be in the (for me) very plausible middle of it. He does not actively murder anybody, but he nevertheless is not without guilt for some evil stuff that happens.
He is capable of love and complex feelings, of grief and loss, but he mostly thinks of himself and his own well-being.
I really enjoyed how well carved this character is, even as I did not enjoy reading about some of his actions. And of course his homophobia (which seems to mirror the homophobia of a big chunk of Korean society around 2009) is difficult to bear, but still: plausible.
What it really might be about
From my point of view, no horror or science fiction idea can stand on its own without having anything to say about our life, our circumstances, our world. It has to open rooms in my head (or my heart, or both).
This novel is a perfect example, of course it's not really about Orbs that multiply around earth, absorbing living human beings. No matter how cool the twists are (and they are really really good).
This is about us, about how we live our lives, how we enact with other people. Of course we could tell ourselves: We are are not like Jeong-su. We might not live in Korea. We are not forced to sleep with prostitutes to get promoted.
Okay, we might not be forced to anything that extreme, but aren't there a dozen little things we do without wanting to, because "it's expected"?
This might not be Korea, which as a country is culturally a bit different from USA or Europe, but we have as well our social No Gos or the corset of what is demanded by us by society.
One thing is for sure: Our lives aren't endless either. We will all die one day. Even without the Orbs in our world, shouldn't we choose wiser how to live and what to experience? Or do to other people?
Recommendation?
Yes. But a warning. The protagonist is evil on purpose. I think that the homophobia is also shown on purpose and (mostly?) in a way that should make readers question this way of thinking.
But I am not sure of the misogynie. Is this really on purpose? There is no paragraph that shows that it's just the figure who thinks that way. There is no single woman in the book who is more than a shrieking, frightened or absolutely hysteric, loud human being. Not a rescue for me as a woman. Is the author aware that all the women he shows are this way? Maybe. I am not sure. Just give it the benefit of a doubt. but it's hard to read, especially if you are a woman.
After reading the review of Ian Mond (my favorite Locus.reviewer), I bought and read the book as well.
When I told a friend of mine that I cannot put this novel down, he was surprised: But it's from Korea, isn't the tradition to tell stories different and therefore maybe not always full of suspense?
But not, this has no Cixin-Liu-like paragraphs which make me want to yawn.
The story
I have read so many post-apocalyptic stories. Some stuff is always the same, some is not. Some stories offer something new, some do not.
I gather the Orbs (and the twists in the last third of the novel which I will not spoil) are very creative and innovative. It's cool. It's also cool to not only experience how Korea treats the threat, but also (from a Korean point of view), how other countries like China and USA are handling them.
The danger the Orbs bear is easy to understand and to imagine. The typical loss of civilization leads to other problems. The goal of Jeong-su (first finding his parents in the chaos, then surviving) is very clear.
The protagonist
That's an evil one. A very plausible, literally very interesting one. My oldest child (I retold the story to her, leaving out all the sex stuff and the splatter) really detested him.
Ian Mond seems to really dislike him as well.
I cannot really agree with them. Yes, sometimes it's difficult to bear how Jeong-su treats other people, especially the young man who is forced to spend time with him due to reasons that would spoil too much here. That's a toxic relationship if I have ever read about one. Wow.
But most of the time, Jeong-su just acts in a very plausible (but not really brave and very selfish) way. But wouldn't many of us do so? There seem to be an overproportion of these two types of humans in most post-apocalyptic stories:
Either the brave, nice one who helps people and sacrifices a lot to stay true to his human values (and, usually, the one of the readers).
Or the very evil one, who starts to murder people the minute there is no civilization around any more.
There are some of the first part and some of the second part in the novel, but Jeong-su seems to be in the (for me) very plausible middle of it. He does not actively murder anybody, but he nevertheless is not without guilt for some evil stuff that happens.
He is capable of love and complex feelings, of grief and loss, but he mostly thinks of himself and his own well-being.
I really enjoyed how well carved this character is, even as I did not enjoy reading about some of his actions. And of course his homophobia (which seems to mirror the homophobia of a big chunk of Korean society around 2009) is difficult to bear, but still: plausible.
What it really might be about
From my point of view, no horror or science fiction idea can stand on its own without having anything to say about our life, our circumstances, our world. It has to open rooms in my head (or my heart, or both).
This novel is a perfect example, of course it's not really about Orbs that multiply around earth, absorbing living human beings. No matter how cool the twists are (and they are really really good).
This is about us, about how we live our lives, how we enact with other people. Of course we could tell ourselves: We are are not like Jeong-su. We might not live in Korea. We are not forced to sleep with prostitutes to get promoted.
Okay, we might not be forced to anything that extreme, but aren't there a dozen little things we do without wanting to, because "it's expected"?
This might not be Korea, which as a country is culturally a bit different from USA or Europe, but we have as well our social No Gos or the corset of what is demanded by us by society.
One thing is for sure: Our lives aren't endless either. We will all die one day. Even without the Orbs in our world, shouldn't we choose wiser how to live and what to experience? Or do to other people?
Recommendation?
Yes. But a warning. The protagonist is evil on purpose. I think that the homophobia is also shown on purpose and (mostly?) in a way that should make readers question this way of thinking.
But I am not sure of the misogynie. Is this really on purpose? There is no paragraph that shows that it's just the figure who thinks that way. There is no single woman in the book who is more than a shrieking, frightened or absolutely hysteric, loud human being. Not a rescue for me as a woman. Is the author aware that all the women he shows are this way? Maybe. I am not sure. Just give it the benefit of a doubt. but it's hard to read, especially if you are a woman.
December 26, 2024
Kim’s first novel in English translation (but his 12th in Korean) is a satirical representation of how quickly society can turn into chaos and lawlessness.
It concerns Jeong-Su, an egocentric guy in his mid-thirties who is threatened on the street by a 2 metre black orb that absorbs his neighbour, then slowly comes after him. Told in a straightlaced manner there follows Jeong-Su making his way around the city as he seeks to find and warn his parents, while witnessing the destruction of society as the black orb multiplies; countless orbs absorbing everyone they roll over.
I don’t think either the plot or the humour work very well. The story is far from being innovative, reminiscent of ‘The Last Of Us� or an episode of ‘Doctor Who�. The humour and satire is better done, but just wasn’t my sort of thing.
It concerns Jeong-Su, an egocentric guy in his mid-thirties who is threatened on the street by a 2 metre black orb that absorbs his neighbour, then slowly comes after him. Told in a straightlaced manner there follows Jeong-Su making his way around the city as he seeks to find and warn his parents, while witnessing the destruction of society as the black orb multiplies; countless orbs absorbing everyone they roll over.
I don’t think either the plot or the humour work very well. The story is far from being innovative, reminiscent of ‘The Last Of Us� or an episode of ‘Doctor Who�. The humour and satire is better done, but just wasn’t my sort of thing.
Read
April 1, 2025Highly disturbing
Read
January 26, 2025I don’t think I reviewed a single translated work for Locus last year. I’m sure they were out there, but I don’t recall seeing them.* I’ve already rectified this with The Black Orb and Max Besora’s The Fake Muse.
I know bugger all about Ewhan Kim beyond this novel. That’s despite Kim having published something like fourteen novels in South Korea and co-authored multiple collections. The Black Orb** is an award-winning novel. In a better world, It wouldn’t have taken fifteen years to publish.*** This isn’t to say that The Black Orb is a masterpiece, but it is entertaining, better than a good chunk of SF written in English.
The title is the plot. One day, a spherical object appears in Seoul. Any human it touches is swallowed up—they vanish inside the orb. The orb never stops moving, targeting humans as it rolls through the streets of Seoul. One orb is bad, but humanity's days are numbered when it starts to multiply.
I could give you more plot****, but if you like end-of-the-world scenarios with an absurdist premise, a couple of neat wrinkles and the most selfish, narcissist protagonist in the history of fiction, then buy this book. If you want to know more, read my review in that fabled genre magazine, Locus. Whatever the deal, you do you.
*The Black Orb was published in the UK in 2024. I could have read it then, but it slipped by me. Thank the Lord for US publication schedules.
**Released in South Korea under the much better title, The Orbs of Despair.
***I understand why these works take so long to get to English. It requires bold publishers to invest in the work, knowing that in an already tight market, they may not get a return on that investment. I want more, but I’m glad we get what we get.
****He’s meant to be unlikeable.
Thematically, the novel is about toxic masculinity (care of the South Korean Army) and a distrust of authority.
I know bugger all about Ewhan Kim beyond this novel. That’s despite Kim having published something like fourteen novels in South Korea and co-authored multiple collections. The Black Orb** is an award-winning novel. In a better world, It wouldn’t have taken fifteen years to publish.*** This isn’t to say that The Black Orb is a masterpiece, but it is entertaining, better than a good chunk of SF written in English.
The title is the plot. One day, a spherical object appears in Seoul. Any human it touches is swallowed up—they vanish inside the orb. The orb never stops moving, targeting humans as it rolls through the streets of Seoul. One orb is bad, but humanity's days are numbered when it starts to multiply.
I could give you more plot****, but if you like end-of-the-world scenarios with an absurdist premise, a couple of neat wrinkles and the most selfish, narcissist protagonist in the history of fiction, then buy this book. If you want to know more, read my review in that fabled genre magazine, Locus. Whatever the deal, you do you.
*The Black Orb was published in the UK in 2024. I could have read it then, but it slipped by me. Thank the Lord for US publication schedules.
**Released in South Korea under the much better title, The Orbs of Despair.
***I understand why these works take so long to get to English. It requires bold publishers to invest in the work, knowing that in an already tight market, they may not get a return on that investment. I want more, but I’m glad we get what we get.
****He’s meant to be unlikeable.
Thematically, the novel is about toxic masculinity (care of the South Korean Army) and a distrust of authority.
July 25, 2024
The Black Orb was really compelling and full of suspense! It was such a unique concept. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it and could not put it down. It was quite a disturbing read and really showed the ugly side of humanity.
I love that the book explored masculinity in such a vulnerable way, it went into military trauma, male loneliness, and expectations that are placed on men. There was a strong feeling of tension that was carried through the whole book, the feeling of dread was a key theme that was portrayed really well, almost too well! This book did not help with my fear of societal collapse!
This line in the authors note sums up the feeling of the book really well:
‘It always seems like people are on the run from something, without ever knowing exactly what they are running from�
I think you will enjoy this book if you like dystopian, scifi, translated, weird books! I also think this book will be of interest to readers who enjoy thrillers.
Thank you @serpentstail for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review! 🧡
I love that the book explored masculinity in such a vulnerable way, it went into military trauma, male loneliness, and expectations that are placed on men. There was a strong feeling of tension that was carried through the whole book, the feeling of dread was a key theme that was portrayed really well, almost too well! This book did not help with my fear of societal collapse!
This line in the authors note sums up the feeling of the book really well:
‘It always seems like people are on the run from something, without ever knowing exactly what they are running from�
I think you will enjoy this book if you like dystopian, scifi, translated, weird books! I also think this book will be of interest to readers who enjoy thrillers.
Thank you @serpentstail for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review! 🧡
July 23, 2024
I'm quite torn, so I've settled in the middle on a 3 star rating. There are as many good things in Black Orb as bad. I started this when I was feeling quite slumpy, and it was so readable. The idea of two metre wide black orbs terrorising Seoul locals and sucking many of them into their shiny black abys, I just couldn't look away. It felt like the start of Chrysalids or Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, so weird and unexplained. One of my first gripes comes from the main protagonist being a completely awful and homophobic man. I get that the orbs are, I guess, like a metaphor for his despair and horribleness. But I also didn't get it. There was a weird turn in the narrative that went overly sexual and uncomfortable, and I just didn't really care for it in the narrative. The ending was also not great. I feel unsatisfied, but I don't regret reading it. It's a weird one.
February 9, 2025
2.5*
I have a bit of a case of Mixed Thoughts� about this one. There were some aspects that I... well notenjoyed, because it's pretty messed up, but we'll say certainly piqued my interest and kept me reading. On the other, there were times I wanted to throw this book at my wall, except I was reading on my Kindle and that would have been an expensive foible. Anyway.
What I Liked:
I mean, it was exciting and fast paced and you all know Ilove an end-of-the-world story. This was definitely a creative apocalypse, too, even if I couldn't quite wrap my head around how these orbs worked- neither could anyone else, so it tracked. There were also aton of twists that made the story quite readable. The atmosphere was also good, as you certainly could feel the isolation and desperation. The story definitely excels at the creepy, messed up vibe, and I am bummed that it disappointed in other ways.
What I Didn't:
Okay so the main character kind of sucks? And so does everyone else for the most part. I had kind of hoped that there would be some epic character arc but that simply wasn't the case. It was all just sodepressing, especially considering our current state of the world. And honestly, I think that had our MC been nuancedand kind of an ass, it could have worked. But he was justboring and also an ass, which did not. Like- antiheroes can work! But in this case, sir was just dulland miserably unlikable. He cares only about his status and ego, which is pretty dumb at the end of days, and he legit has the personality of a piece of bread. The end piece, too.
There is also a lot of really messy stuff happening (think assault) that should definitely have some trigger warnings included. The thing that bugged me is not that this stuff occurred, it was more how it was glossed over without any actual handling of the situation(s). Add to it, a lot of my questions simply were never answered.
Bottom Line: I think we were maybe supposed to be rooting for the orb?
I have a bit of a case of Mixed Thoughts� about this one. There were some aspects that I... well notenjoyed, because it's pretty messed up, but we'll say certainly piqued my interest and kept me reading. On the other, there were times I wanted to throw this book at my wall, except I was reading on my Kindle and that would have been an expensive foible. Anyway.
What I Liked:
I mean, it was exciting and fast paced and you all know Ilove an end-of-the-world story. This was definitely a creative apocalypse, too, even if I couldn't quite wrap my head around how these orbs worked- neither could anyone else, so it tracked. There were also aton of twists that made the story quite readable. The atmosphere was also good, as you certainly could feel the isolation and desperation. The story definitely excels at the creepy, messed up vibe, and I am bummed that it disappointed in other ways.
What I Didn't:
Okay so the main character kind of sucks? And so does everyone else for the most part. I had kind of hoped that there would be some epic character arc but that simply wasn't the case. It was all just sodepressing, especially considering our current state of the world. And honestly, I think that had our MC been nuancedand kind of an ass, it could have worked. But he was justboring and also an ass, which did not. Like- antiheroes can work! But in this case, sir was just dulland miserably unlikable. He cares only about his status and ego, which is pretty dumb at the end of days, and he legit has the personality of a piece of bread. The end piece, too.
There is also a lot of really messy stuff happening (think assault) that should definitely have some trigger warnings included. The thing that bugged me is not that this stuff occurred, it was more how it was glossed over without any actual handling of the situation(s). Add to it, a lot of my questions simply were never answered.
Bottom Line: I think we were maybe supposed to be rooting for the orb?
April 2, 2025
I don't know if this book was written badly or it was just a bad translation. I feel the author was trying to make a analogy with the orbs and our lives constantly running from one problem to the next. It wasn't that provocative. By the end it just leaves you feeling flat. Lots of unanswered questions and no real ending, so if you are the type of person that wants some kind of resolution in your stories, I don't recommend this.
July 14, 2024
This chilling catastrophe novel explores the ways in which each of us run from despair. It confronts how fear can make monsters of us, and the dreadful things we’ll do to survive.
It starts as a large black orb appears in Seoul, on protagonist Jeong-su’s street. When people touch it, it absorbs them. They scream and cry as they are taken. No bullets affect the orb. It can pass through walls and even fly. Terrified, Jeong-su flees, determined to reach his parents to warn them. So begins his journey through the disaster-ridden city, during which he encounters various groups (those relying on their faith, those slaughtering and stealing for fun, those who have seen dreadful instances of panic and pandemonium) and faces the same decision again and again: give in to the human impulse for connection and community, or give in to the human impulse to run and save himself.
Jeong-su, though successful and singular, is not a likeable character. He refuses to own up to his own culpability, justifies wrongdoing and puts others in danger when it will further his own ends. Through him, themes of blame, isolation, confusion and justice are explored, and his complex backstory forces the reader to consider how we all have tipping points, and how we each feel like the hero of our own story, even when we’re the villain. The gradual, claustrophobic presence of the orbs is a great depiction of encroaching despair, and the author definitely succeeds in a haunting representation of the sense that things will never get better.
My disconnect with this one is that it all feels a bit too grim. There is no light at the end of the tunnel - many bad characters meet grisly ends, and many get away with their crimes, and neither outcome leaves you feeling better. I rarely found myself rooting for the main character and I often took issue with his brutal manner and how terribly he treated others. I understand the premise of the book - to encapsulate and describe dark emotions - but I wanted there to be a lesson to take from that or some kind of hopeful application.
However, if you’re ready for a darker read and like ‘what if� scenario stories, I’d be really interested to hear what you think. Thank you to Serpents Tail Publishers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
It starts as a large black orb appears in Seoul, on protagonist Jeong-su’s street. When people touch it, it absorbs them. They scream and cry as they are taken. No bullets affect the orb. It can pass through walls and even fly. Terrified, Jeong-su flees, determined to reach his parents to warn them. So begins his journey through the disaster-ridden city, during which he encounters various groups (those relying on their faith, those slaughtering and stealing for fun, those who have seen dreadful instances of panic and pandemonium) and faces the same decision again and again: give in to the human impulse for connection and community, or give in to the human impulse to run and save himself.
Jeong-su, though successful and singular, is not a likeable character. He refuses to own up to his own culpability, justifies wrongdoing and puts others in danger when it will further his own ends. Through him, themes of blame, isolation, confusion and justice are explored, and his complex backstory forces the reader to consider how we all have tipping points, and how we each feel like the hero of our own story, even when we’re the villain. The gradual, claustrophobic presence of the orbs is a great depiction of encroaching despair, and the author definitely succeeds in a haunting representation of the sense that things will never get better.
My disconnect with this one is that it all feels a bit too grim. There is no light at the end of the tunnel - many bad characters meet grisly ends, and many get away with their crimes, and neither outcome leaves you feeling better. I rarely found myself rooting for the main character and I often took issue with his brutal manner and how terribly he treated others. I understand the premise of the book - to encapsulate and describe dark emotions - but I wanted there to be a lesson to take from that or some kind of hopeful application.
However, if you’re ready for a darker read and like ‘what if� scenario stories, I’d be really interested to hear what you think. Thank you to Serpents Tail Publishers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2025
The Black Orb by Ewhan Kim, Jeong-su was the first person to see the black orbs. Although he didn’t know what they were at first, once he witnessed one of them consuming his neighbor he knew his best option was to get as far from it as he could. Jeong thought this new hell was his permanent state of being and although he goes through a lot nothing will prepare him for when the orbs go away. there was just way too much to put in this review but what I will say is in the beginning of the book when he was with the church people I really liked him and he seemed like a nice guy but once he hooked up with Jeong-suk, that totally changed my opinion of him. I really like this book way better than I thought I would and I mean a lot more. This is a great end of the world scenario type book but it’s not really the end of the world it makes lots of statements on our society especially in Korea which I found to be so interesting. The book was narrated by Earl T Kim and I thought he did a wonderful job he had great character distinction and gave a solid Erie tone to the book not to mention his performance had emotional depth and he just gave such a wonderful performance.#NetGalley, #HarlequinTrademark, #MyReview, #TheBlindReviewer, #EwhanKim, #TheBlackOrb,
January 27, 2025
The Black Orb is a wild ride of a novel. I was really engrossed in it, curious to see where the orbs came from and where the story was going. I love macabre and strange stories, but unfortunately, this one kind of fell flat for me. It was full of action and danger, but there was also a lot of waiting and sitting. Almost no questions that are raised during the novel are answered and it honestly felt like it had no explanation or resolution. I know that there are some books where this is meant to be on purpose, and I feel like this is the case with this one, but with no answers at the end, I ultimately felt like “what was the point?�
I sat on this novel for an additional day before reviewing, and the sentiment is still the same. I think I was thrown off too by the events in the department store, and at the end. Ultimately, this wasn’t really for me.
I switched between listening to the audiobook and reading the novel, and the audiobook was well acted and easy to listen to. So props to the narrator on that front!
Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for a gifted advanced copy of this novel, and the ability to read early!
I sat on this novel for an additional day before reviewing, and the sentiment is still the same. I think I was thrown off too by the events in the department store, and at the end. Ultimately, this wasn’t really for me.
I switched between listening to the audiobook and reading the novel, and the audiobook was well acted and easy to listen to. So props to the narrator on that front!
Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for a gifted advanced copy of this novel, and the ability to read early!
February 28, 2025
This book is described as a “searing interrogation of contemporary South Korean culture, male loneliness and military machismo.� This description gave me high hopes, but the book unfortunately didn’t manage to ‘interrogate� these themes as much as I hoped. The main character is very bland until about halfway through the book. The second half is way better, raising questions about toxic masculinity and the Korean military. But the ending let me down again, since the main character shows absolutely no character development after the experiences he has had in these 82 apocalyptic days that should definitely have changed a person� So now I’m just left wondering why this man has learned nothing and why he keeps running away from these themes. (Maybe he should get a therapist to confront this lol)
Also I would have loved to read more about what the world / Korea would have learned from this apocalypse, but the book cuts the ‘aftermath� short. Such a shame.
Also I would have loved to read more about what the world / Korea would have learned from this apocalypse, but the book cuts the ‘aftermath� short. Such a shame.
April 14, 2025
Strange black orbs suddenly appear all over Earth and start sucking up all humans. Jeong-su tries to reach his parents, and along the way encounters others trying to escape from the orbs.
I did not enjoy this book, and I can’t believe that it won any awards. Maybe there is a problem with the translation, because I did not care for the writing style. The plot should have been compelling, but really wasn’t and it was hard to root for the protagonist. The end of the book was anticlimactic and unsatisfying. There was no explanation for the orbs. The only message of the book seems to be that humans are rotten. I didn’t learn anything new. 2.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I did not enjoy this book, and I can’t believe that it won any awards. Maybe there is a problem with the translation, because I did not care for the writing style. The plot should have been compelling, but really wasn’t and it was hard to root for the protagonist. The end of the book was anticlimactic and unsatisfying. There was no explanation for the orbs. The only message of the book seems to be that humans are rotten. I didn’t learn anything new. 2.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
March 30, 2025
I was actually on the fence about giving this one a four or five. Some parts might have been heavy-handed, but it still had some interesting themes and politics that feel relevant here in the States, even if they were a little heavy-handed as well. Definitely pretty cool, though. I'll think about it a little more.
January 4, 2025
Really enjoyed the first probably 70% of this, but then I felt like it lost a bit of steam - nature of the beast with apocalyptic-type books I fear
March 9, 2025
Brilliant, chilling. An unflinching look at the desperation, despair, and depravity of people, men in particular, in the grip of crisis as society collapses. Dark cautionary tale even as the world leans more and more into the darkness now.
April 11, 2025
This had such a strong start and concept but went off the rails at a few parts. I wish the author had shown more of the story instead of simply telling.
February 14, 2025
This was fun, but everyone sucks here.
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