A little while ago, Hyukoh surprised us with a new album drop! 🎶 It’s called ‘With Love Remix’ and it bundles up some of their past hits. Being a fan, I hit play on the whole album without a second thought. Then, a familiar voice started playing—none other than Jang Kiha.
Back in the day, parting ways didn’t mean this. At least back then, we shared the same sky, the same planet, the same atmosphere. But now, not even the same universe, you see. Those who knew my story comforted me for decades, saying, ‘At least you’re in the same universe.’ But if we can’t move at the speed of light, what’s the point of being in the same universe? Even if we pioneer the cosmos and expand humanity’s reach, if people keep getting left behind, aren’t we just increasing the sum of loneliness in the universe?
The narration overlapping the music is from a character in Kim Cho-yeop’s short story, ‘If We Cannot Move at the Speed of Light.’ 📖 I remember reading her collection of sci-fi stories with the same title ages ago. Some pieces reminded me of Ted Chiang, focusing on philosophical messages wrapped in sci-fi, with solid scientific grounding.
‘If We Cannot Move at the Speed of Light’ tells the tale of a scientist living a prolonged life in a dystopian setting, exploring why people live. A human life, lasting just over a hundred years, seems dynamic and chaotic. But is a long life truly a blessing? If life stretches on to hide all events behind eons, leaving only boredom, silence, and forgetfulness, does life still hold meaning? 🤔
The protagonist clings to memories of her husband and son who ventured to the distant planet Slanfonia (a planet humans tried to migrate to long ago). She finds meaning in her life by focusing solely on getting there. Her husband and son, who had moved there, passed away long ago, and no ships travel to that planet anymore. Yet, the dream of relocating to Slanfonia keeps her going, as it gives her life purpose. 🚀
Personally, I also loved ‘Why The Pilgrims Don’t Return’ from the same collection, blending sci-fi vibes with philosophical elements beautifully. Oh, and about Jang Kiha’s narration—it feels a bit like a con, don’t you think? Or is it just me? 😅
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