The year 2020 brought all of us a little trouble, a little mayhem, and a whole lot of uncertainty, but it also gifted us something truly wonderful, too—even more Korean literature to add to our must-read lists.

If you’re anything like us, you’re ready to read as much Korean literature as possible, no matter the genre, and, further you probably spent a good bulk of your 2020 gobbling up literature like Umma’s Table by Jong Yeon-sik, Untold Night and Day by Bae Suah, Friend by Paek Nam-nyong, The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun, and many, many more.

If you haven’t read the long list of Korean books that came out in 2020, we highly advise you to start there for your 2021 reading rampage. But once you’re done reading every last one, you’re going to want to look toward the future. And we’ve got some good news—there are a ton of Korean authors putting out even more Korean literature in 2021.

Some authors will be brand new to you, some might have already written some of your Korean literature favorites—either way, we certainly suggest that you take a look at this list, get a feel for what’s coming out, and start tallying up your wish list now. You’re going to have a lot of Korean literature reading to do this year—and that’s just the way we all like it.

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

Written by Korean author Sang Young Park, love in the big city brings dramatic, exciting, and controversial elements to life in the form of love stories. Though much of this book is still left to be discovered and tons of mystery surrounds it, Sang Young Park called it an “omnibus novel” in an interview with Words Without Borders. Mostly, it uses a set of short stories that are loosely connected to create a larger narrative that dives into what it’s like to be lonely and empty in a big city. Typically, it talks about queer culture, women, abortions, STDs, and economic class issues.

Shoko’s Smile by Choi Eunyoung

Short stories and novellas all diving into human relationships, joys, heartbreaks, and more? Sign us up. This book is all about the development of a friendship that cultivates over the course of 13 years between one Korean woman and one Japanese woman. With multi-country settings, historical events (like the Vietnam War, and a cross-section of historical non-fiction with fiction, the images within this book are empowering and heartbreaking.

To The Warm Horizon by Choi Jin-young

Follow the post-apocalyptic journey of a band of Korean people moving through Russia, trying to live deliberately off the devastated landscape prior to a plague that’s ravaged the world. The central focal point of this book? Two women who have chosen to let their love grow and thrive in a world punctuated by bleakness and survival. This queer love story juxtaposes hope with the hopelessness that the post-apocalyptic world brings.

My Brilliant Life by Ae-ran Kim

Join the heartbreaking and inspiring journey of a loving, eccentric sixteen-year-old boy named Areum who was born with a rapid aging disease. Under the impression that he won’t live much longer, Areum has been compiling and crafting the disjointed and beautiful stories of life and love his parents have told him his entire youth. He plans to gift the manuscript to his parents before his final birthday. This book is tender, touching, and packed with meaning—it’s bound to bring tears, joy, and impactful thought between its pages.

Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun

Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun is a novella that dives into the death of a young woman known as the High School Beauty murder, all told through the perspectives of three narrators. As the book dives deeper into the mystery surrounding this murder, it also takes a closer look at one of the narrators—Da-on, the victim’s younger sister—as she grows up full of obsession, revenge, and anger. All of these emotions lead to her make questionable decisions where she ultimately loses herself—but can she unbury herself from all of the anger?

Tower by Bae Myung-hoon

Science fiction lovers, this one is for you. Tower by Bae Myung-hoon is a sci-fi novel that’s set in a skyscraper, otherwise known as Beanstalk, which exists solely as its own nation, with its own rules, laws, and regulations. The book is set up in the form of several short stories, but as you continue reading, you realize how interconnected they all are, giving you a better, more birds-eye view of what living in Beanstalk is really like.

I’m Waiting For You by Kim Bo-young

Another science fiction book for our sci-fi fiction lovers, I’m Waiting for You by Kim Bo-young is a tale that’s as twisted and interesting as it is complicated and romantic. Told through the perspective of four connected characters set across two different worlds, this book documents the tale of a couple trying to return to earth at exactly the same time so they can be wed as well as a tale that explains what life on Earth looks like from a god-like perspective from creators. All in all, these stories combine to explain how free will, rebellion, fate, and choice all intertwine.