116 Followers
No Name, No Memory, Just War
At first, I had a hard time getting into the story. Just like the unnamed protagonist, you’re thrown straight into a strange and brutal world: out of the spaceship and into war. Alongside other fighters, she’s dropped onto a planet again and again to battle a “white army” (aliens). Her only weapon is her red sword. The book feels quite strange at first. There are barely any names, just color-based labels like Red Sword, Indigo Skirt, or Light Green Skirt. The characters have no memories, and their identities seem to exist only through warfare. It takes time for the backstory to unfold, told through interwoven chapters called “Double Helix,” which explain why they’re fighting, who the Greys (her own side) really are, and what the planet is all about. Red Sword is thematically strong, exploring colonialism, power, identity, and the question of what freedom really means. The white planet, the white blood, the structural violence — all of it invites political and historical interpretation. According to the blurb, the story is inspired by real events: Korean soldiers who fought and died for the Qing Dynasty in a war against Russia. The first half felt confusing to me, almost too abstract, but the second half really pulled me in. That’s where the emotional weight and narrative depth started to come through. I hadn’t really read military sci-fi before, so this was something new for me. Once again, Bora Chung brings her own dark and unsettling voice to the genre. Not an easy read, but I think it’s a solid recommendation for fans of dark and political science fiction.
Jun 25, 2025
No Name, No Memory, Just War
At first, I had a hard time getting into the story. Just like the unnamed protagonist, you’re thrown straight into a strange and brutal world: out of the spaceship and into war. Alongside other fighters, she’s dropped onto a planet again and again to battle a “white army” (aliens). Her only weapon is her red sword. The book feels quite strange at first. There are barely any names, just color-based labels like Red Sword, Indigo Skirt, or Light Green Skirt. The characters have no memories, and their identities seem to exist only through warfare. It takes time for the backstory to unfold, told through interwoven chapters called “Double Helix,” which explain why they’re fighting, who the Greys (her own side) really are, and what the planet is all about. Red Sword is thematically strong, exploring colonialism, power, identity, and the question of what freedom really means. The white planet, the white blood, the structural violence — all of it invites political and historical interpretation. According to the blurb, the story is inspired by real events: Korean soldiers who fought and died for the Qing Dynasty in a war against Russia. The first half felt confusing to me, almost too abstract, but the second half really pulled me in. That’s where the emotional weight and narrative depth started to come through. I hadn’t really read military sci-fi before, so this was something new for me. Once again, Bora Chung brings her own dark and unsettling voice to the genre. Not an easy read, but I think it’s a solid recommendation for fans of dark and political science fiction.
Jun 25, 2025
