The Great Storyteller

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

“I came to write ‘Language of God’ when I was given a piece of advice by another author. Without a delay, I rushed to the beach and came up with the story.”

Standing behind the podium, Coin read the speech written by Yun Woo in a dry, soulless tone. However, every member of the audience listened intently to what the young author had to say. While the camera flashed sporadically, and the shutters sounded off, others raised their phones to take pictures. No matter how the audience was capturing the moment, they were all witnessing the birth of the youngest winner in the history of the award.

“In my novel, the process of downfall, decline, and birth repeat itself over and over again. Although a child started to learn a language after it was born, the nation falls, and that language, too, vanishes. The era of endless war eventually became the past, and the Golden Age of the Great Empire is passed down only as mythology. The person they believed to be God had a mere lifespan of three hundred years, and the hope the companions thought would last forever, dwindled away along their journey.”

The authors sitting at the round tables looked up at Coin on stage, and a handful of them nodded in agreement.

“But, it’s not over just yet. There are things that are yet to come to an end. The pain of war, the glory of the mythology, and the magnificence of God, to name a few. The people are swayed by the things that are coming to an end. All in all, what I’ve been meaning to say is that nothing lasts forever, and the end is coming, no matter what. After that, something slightly better will come around,” Coin read from the piece of paper in his hand while getting a better grip of the clear, rectangular trophy.

“I would like to thank each and every person who had an influence on me while writing the novel. Including Kelley Coin, of course.”

At the mention of his name, the audience exploded into laughter and applause, some even cheering out loud. The excitement in the air made Coin all the more displeased. Then, as he crumpled up the paper and shoved it back into his pocket, the cheers grew even louder, as if indicating the end of the speech. Coin looked down at the audience from the stage, and seeing as though the infamous author wasn’t about to come down from the stage anytime soon, the cheer eventually died down. Then, with his hand still in his pocket, he said, “As a representative, I’d like to add a few things as well. To be clear, I’m not happy for Yun Woo, at all.”

At the author’s sudden remark, the atmosphere changed. After Yun Woo, who was like serene water, Kelley Coin, whose fire burned fiercely, appeared. He saw Isabella in the distance, looking at him with piercing eyes as if looking at a troublemaker. Next to her, was Nabi with her mouth still parted open from the speech.

“Aside from my own writing winning an award, I take no joy in the happiness of others. Now, I can see that clearly thanks to Yun Woo. I think I’ll go home and write as soon as I hand this hefty thing over to him,” Coin said with a perverse attitude. The trophy in his hand waving left and right showed just how irritated he was.

“For those who couldn’t understand the message Yun Woo was trying to convey through his novel, I’d like to sacrifice my precious time to offer you an explanation. Of course, I’m talking about those of you I’m about to offend.”

At the infamous author’s remark, the expression on the executive director’s face grew darker.

“In this world, there exist numerous languages, and we live in an age where we can feel just how many languages there are in this planet. At the same time, we also live in an age where we can communicate with those who speak completely different languages. Through his novel, Yun Woo unveiled the roots of the different languages that exist on Earth, and today, that very novel has won the Nebula Award.”

The transparent trophy shone brightly under the spotlight.

“Novels that include only Caucasian characters have become unbearably boring. Times have changed, and a great storyteller is always sensitive to change. Unfortunately, this realization came way too late to the judges here, who are responsible for judging some of the greatest stories in existence.”

As the room grew silent, Coin stepped down from the stage. However, it was at that very moment that the audience exploded into the loudest cheers and applause of that day.

—

“I think I’ve had just about enough with the pictures.”

Juho watched Kelley Coin holding his trophy, looking as irritated as ever, in the video playing on his monitor. It was a recording of the award ceremony, uploaded on the World Science Fiction Society’s website. Some of the most widely-recognized authors at the ceremony were in it, and Coin was being interviewed at his table, after the award had been given out and the ceremony had come to an end. Although it wasn’t clear as to what had happened, people were chanting the name of the winner in the screenwriting category. At that moment, the picture of Coin standing alongside the winners of that year while holding the transparent trophy in his hands appeared.

“What did Yun Woo have to say about all this?” a reporter wearing a lanyard asked, bringing a mic up to the author’s mouth. The irritable look on Coin’s face didn’t hold much power amid the excitement surrounding him.

“He told me that he didn’t give a damn about the award. Whether it’s one of the four major, internationally-recognized literary awards or not.”

Juho had no recollection of making a statement like that, and the flustered look on the reporter’s face was no different from the one on his face.

“Wow, is that true?”

“It sure is. You’d like to know more about Yun Woo, don’t you? Then bring the questions to me. I’m a three-eyed, six-eared, and eight-armed beast.”

The reporter laughed Coin’s incredibly sarcastic remark off, and by contrast, Coin’s expression grew even more irritable.

“Now, I’d like to ask YOU some questions. You’ve won that trophy four times thus far, and the one in your hand would make it your fifth. I can only guess how much it means to you. What does it feel like to receive that award on behalf of another author?”

“Uh-oh.”

A mechanical beep censored the words that came out of Coin’s mouth, and Juho felt a burning curiosity for what he might have said. Despite the profanity, the reporter didn’t let up.

“All right, one last question. Yun Woo has become one of the most widely-recognized authors in the world by winning this award, and fans are growing wild across the globe. Yun Woo might be young, but there’s never been an author like him. The appearance of Yun Woo is, simply said, an anomaly in the literary world. What’s your perspective on his achievement?”

At that, Coin answered while wearing the same look on his face, “Who cares? Each author is unique to themselves, and it’s always been that way. I told you earlier, this ceremony means jack to him. It’s probably something to write about in his next novel, at best.”

“Next novel, as in?”

“Unless it’s my ear or your tongue that’s not functioning properly, I believe you already asked your last question. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go back to my room.”

Then, the edited clip transitioned to another winner sitting on a velvet chair with a trophy in her hands. Having won the award for the short story category, she had a green one-piece dress on and was well-advanced in her age.

Juho leaned back on his chair’s backrest and rolled his eyes to the right. The same trophy in the clip was shining brightly on a stack of manuscript paper. It had been delivered to him by Nabi, who had been ecstatic when she handed the trophy over to him. However, she had struggled to hide the bitterness she had felt when talking about Coin. She had let out a heavy sigh, saying the infamous author nearly tossed the trophy at her when he was handing it over.

Under the base of the clear, rectangular trophy, there was a golden plate with an English word engraved on it, which made a dull sound upon flicking it. According to the engraving, the trophy was the work of a renowned designer. Then, Juho tried picking up the trophy. It was slightly heavy. Although it was a small trophy, the sales of ‘Language of God’ had multiplied to a figure incomparable to that of the past, and after winning the award, Juho realized just how different a nomination and winning were. The stark difference was engraved into Yun Woo’s mind, never to be forgotten. The first Asian, Korean, and the youngest winner.

“Haha,” Juho let out, tossing the trophy on top of his bed. Then, after looking up at the ceiling briefly, he reached for the manuscript papers next to him, all the while wearing a faint smile.

—

“The First Asian Winner of The Nebula Award! Yun Woo Beats the Record of the Previous Youngest Winner! The Korean Hero!”

“A Dream Come True! Korea’s National Writer, Yun Woo, the First Asian Winner of the Nebula Award! The Sales of His Previous Books Skyrocket! Publishers Celebrate.”

“The Book-District Comes Alive with Yun Woo’s Recent Award. The Globalization of the Korean Novel. How Did It Start?”

“Publishing Agent, the New Hottest Job? The Key Component in Exportation!”

“The Joy of This Generation! Yun Woo Delivers Hope.”

“The Result That Left the Globe in Shock! How Did the Nineteen-Year-Old Genius Author Come About? The Globe Focuses on Korean Novels.”

“Kelley Coin’s Sensational Speech at the Nebula Award Ceremony! A Closer Look.”

“The Poll Results Are In! Kelley Coin, the Most Popular Author Overseas, Growing in Popularity Along with Yun Woo! A Closer Look at His Incredible Mischief. A Character That Would Never Come Out of Korea!”

“The New Wave of Private Writing Institutes. Parents in Search of Second Yun Woo. Our Future Generations Learning the Joy of Literature!”

“The Proud Teenager of Korea, Yun Woo. Who Else Is There? Sports Stars, Idols.”

“Yun Woo Eradicates All Doubt. The Preconceived Notions Surrounding the Young Author. Yun Woo’s Grief Blown Away at Once by the Nebula Award! One Step Closer to Achieving the Double Crown.”

“Let Him Be Known to the Rest of the World. His Astonishing Works!”

—

“I’m so proud of him. He’s achieved a miracle.”

“I wouldn’t have imagined in my dreams that a Korean author would win the Nebula Award.”

“My palms were all sweaty when they were announcing the winner. Proud of you, man!”

“What makes Yun Woo so incredible is that ‘Language of God’ was published under another name. Yet, it became a bestseller, and now, the Nebula Award. That’s just insane.”

“No wonder I was so desperate to learn the languages in ‘Language of God.’ It’s seriously the best. Centering the book around languages was a stroke up genius. It only makes sense how elaborate the world is.”

“Nebula? THE, Nebula!? Yun Woo won the Nebula!? This is a miracle.”

“The media overseas are going crazy right now. Everyone’s desperate to hear from him. Well, he’s hanging just as loose as ever. Did I mention that the publisher’s website is down again?”

“Wow, ‘Language of God’ is ranked number one in online bookstores across the globe. Do you know what that means? It means his books are selling the most out of all the books that were ever translated. I’d never seen a Korean Novel get so popular.”

“Did you guys hear Yun Woo’s speech? I mean, it was delivered by Kelley Coin, but wow, did it move me to tears. Those sentences were just exuding confidence. Guess that’s the kind of author it takes to send Kelley Coin to fetch his internationally-recognized award for him.”

“It was insane how Kelley Coin was at the ceremony on Yun Woo’s behalf. I mean, everyone here knows what kind of person he is, right? He’s somebody who wouldn’t even go to his own ceremonies. Now, that’s just crazy.”

“The reason the Nebula Award is so widely recognized is that it’s judged by professionals. That only goes to show how great of a book ‘Language of God’ is, superseding all the major weaknesses of the author, like his age and nationality.”

“He’s a genius, all right. The kind that turns up maybe every three hundred years.”

“But I’m sure there are still people doubting his identity. I mean, he’s just too good at what he does.”

“People are starting to predict that Yun Woo will be nominated for another major literary award, the Hugo Award. It’s based heavily on the opinions of the fans, so popularity is one of the major aspects that determine the winner.”

“Double Crown! Let’s go!”

“Man, why am I the one getting all nervous?”

“This guys is insanely popular. He’s exploding in Japan too, apparently. I saw it on TV, and people came all the way to Korea just to find him. Of course, they ended up going home empty-handed, with just footage of the streets.”

“Has anyone heard him being called the reincarnated version of Shakespeare in other countries? I asked myself the same question.”

“That’s understandable. I was seriously confused as to who he was after I read ‘Sublimation.’”

“‘Sublimation’ is legit!”

“I wonder how that book would do overseas though. From what I hear, it hasn’t been exported, yet.”

“I heard Fernand’s on it, already.”

“Well, there it is. I’m marathoning through the entire ‘Language of God’ series.”

“Already on it.”

“Already done it.”

“Politics, military, villages, families, weddings, funerals, the different food, clothing, and housing culture in different regions, general culture, books, language, hunting, entertainment, sports, mythology, history, tribes, nations, climate, seasons, the solar terms, the geological formation process, the education level of the intellectuals, welfare, economy, and the list goes on and on. It has it all. The more you dig in, the more you find.”

“Personally, the language God uses was my favorite of all. In the offshoot volume, the author says that it has its roots in Hangul.”

“Oh, man! I think that’s making me drunk.”

“Hooray for King Sejong!”

“With all nations in the novel aside, Yun Woo is just an incredible specimen. I can’t imagine how much work he put into writing this massive, epic series that is ‘Language of God.’ It had to have taken more than just genius to accomplish that.”

“He’s the best.”

“…”