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A review by nini23
Walking Practice by Dolki Min
3.25
Masquerading as a SF book, Walking Practice is really about society's intolerant attitudes towards those who don't conform to the norm. My ebook edition released by HarperVia (14 March 2023) and translated by Victoria Caudle notes that it was originally published as Bohaeng Yeonseup in Korean in 2022 (Eunhaeng Namu Publishing Co., South Korea). Not sure what the Hangul title is.
Mumu whose spaceship has crashed on earth and been stuck here for more than a decade has to expand great energy to look and act like a human. Walking, taking public transport, stairs especially are extremely onerous. There are illustrations in the book done by Dolki Min to show the true form of Mumu. Mumu has discovered that humans seem to be their most suitable food and hunting via sexual online app hookups the most efficient way to have a continuous food supply.
The physical visceral descriptions of sex, gore and violence underscore the dynamics of predator and prey, the vulnerability of those who are outcasts, exploited. The empath reader in me could not help reacting to the pain of alienation and bullying in Dolki Min's writing. The parallels are not subtle, such as Mumu observing how humans slot gender with a glance and the acceptable confines of behaviour and demeanor, especially for female humans. Some do require context such as Mumu feeling under surveillance with cameras everywhere, I think this is referring to the scandals of spycams in South Korean female public washrooms (https://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200928000778) and the blackmailing of South Korean females with nude photos and sextapes taken without permission. A few important scenes take place in public washrooms (an assault at a public park too) and this is significant imo.
Who is truly monstrous?
Mumu whose spaceship has crashed on earth and been stuck here for more than a decade has to expand great energy to look and act like a human. Walking, taking public transport, stairs especially are extremely onerous. There are illustrations in the book done by Dolki Min to show the true form of Mumu. Mumu has discovered that humans seem to be their most suitable food and hunting via sexual online app hookups the most efficient way to have a continuous food supply.
The physical visceral descriptions of sex, gore and violence underscore the dynamics of predator and prey, the vulnerability of those who are outcasts, exploited. The empath reader in me could not help reacting to the pain of alienation and bullying in Dolki Min's writing. The parallels are not subtle, such as Mumu observing how humans slot gender with a glance and the acceptable confines of behaviour and demeanor, especially for female humans. Some do require context such as Mumu feeling under surveillance with cameras everywhere, I think this is referring to the scandals of spycams in South Korean female public washrooms (https://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200928000778) and the blackmailing of South Korean females with nude photos and sextapes taken without permission. A few important scenes take place in public washrooms (an assault at a public park too) and this is significant imo.
Who is truly monstrous?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual violence, Blood, Gore, and Violence