From a prize-winning new voice in Korean fiction, with roots in feminist SFF, these exhilarating stories will transport you to strange new worlds, celebrating young women striving for their independence and self-expression

'Radically brilliant... made me want to spark trouble and overthrow the system' JANE FLETT

'Plenty to keep you up at night, I loved the eerie beauty of the worlds Amil creates' NAOMI ISHIGURO

'Thrilling and unsettling... I loved this' MEGAN BRADBURY

In a near future where women are an endangered minority, two young friends try to break free from a facility designed for those few who can still give birth. Every year in a secluded seaside village, a maiden is sacrificed to a divine sea serpent. Elsewhere, the last female shaman of an indigenous tribe tells her stories to a visiting research team. And in South Korea's Alps Grand Park, the residents exist in an exclusive world dominated by giant air purifier towers as others are left to live in the shade.

The women in these stories find themselves trapped - by circumstance, society or tradition - as they fight for a means of escape. This sweeping and subversive collection celebrates their strength and their courage, their desire for independence and self-expression.

Translated by Archana Madhavan

About the Author
Amil is a South Korean writer and translator. She has won numerous awards for her short stories, including the SF Award in the Short-Mid Novel category for 'Roadkill' and the SF Award Grand Prize for 'Rabbi'. Under her name, Jihyun Kim, Amil has translated works by authors including James Baldwin, Joyce Carol Oates, Jeanette Winterson, R.O. Kwon and Lucas Rijneveld into Korean. Roadkill is her debut in English, with her novel, The Forest Called You, forthcoming in 2026.

Reviews
Roadkill is a radically brilliant collection. These uncanny fables shine a spotlight on the many ways women have been kept down, with nimble sentences that belie the fury thrumming beneath. Reading this book made me want to spark trouble and overthrow the system -- Jane Flett, author of FREAKSLAW
I loved how unsettled each of these stories made me feel, and how Amil never neatly tidies away that unease, choosing instead to leave readers with plenty to contemplate, and plenty to keep them up at night. I loved, too, the eerie beauty of the worlds she creates, the complicated women at the stories' hearts, and the often surprising way each story explores and explodes conventional ideas of entrapment and escape -- Naomi Ishiguro, author of COMMON GROUND
This thrilling and unsettling story collection pulls no punches. It might introduce us to strange new worlds, but the themes at its heart are disturbingly close to home. I loved this collection -- Megan Bradbury, author of EVERYONE IS WATCHING



Book Information
ISBN 9781787304857
Author Amil
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Harvill Secker
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 257g
Dimensions(mm) 214mm * 135mm * 18mm