Lim Sun-woo
The Unnamed Press
10 February 2026
200
eBook - PDF
Short Stories
ARC via Edelweiss
With the Heart of a Ghost is a debut collection of eight fantastical stories translated by Chi-Young Kim (Whale) that explore feelings unseen, unconveyed, unexplainable.
The funny, meditative characters who inhabit this book are pulled far from their ordinary daily routines to stare straight into their own sorrows, however they manifest. Ghosts and otherworldly occurrences are folded seamlessly into author Lim Sunwoo’s quiet universe with stories buoyed by humor, warmth, and empathy for the lost and hurt among us.
A ghost who looks just like the narrator reflects her feelings back to her in a bun shop; mutant jellyfish take over the world and if you touch one you become one yourself; a heartbroken man becomes a tree in his ex’s apartment; the ghost of a wannabe K-pop star stuck in a vacuum cleaner wants out; Jugyeong helps a man hibernate by burying him up to his neck; Huiae, in deep conflict with her husband, reconnects with her strange old friend; Jo has lost his best friend–a gecko–but won't give up the search; and Suyeong plots revenge on a wild dog that killed her cats by channeling her inner cat.
For a moment, a short period of your everyday lives, each sparkling story asks you to look within, to encounter all that is desired and strange and possible in life and death.
With the Heart of a Ghost was a fun collection of tales that were fantastical and strange rather than spooky despite the references to ghosts. As I always say with short story collections, there were naturally some tales that spoke to me personally more than others, but all in this book were interesting reads even if I liked some over others. The stories are contemplative but also warm and hopeful, and they cover universal themes that anyone could relate to. If you are looking for a light read that is also thought-provoking, this collection is worth a look. I am giving it 4 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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