Lee Yeongdo

Infobox Korean name
hangul=이영도

Lee Yeongdo (born 1972), is arguably the most famous fantasy fiction writer of South Korea. He first made his debut by Dragon Raja, which he first serialized in a Korean forum site, Hitel. Dragon Raja was later published into book through Golden Branch company, due to its popularity and demands that it should be published. After this occasion, Korean literature market was swept by Internet Literature market, where fantasy authors serialize their novels in the Internet forums and get their novels published afterwards. Since Dragon Raja, Lee steadfastly chooses to serialize his works in the Internet first, even after his novels have gained great success and he no longer requires serialization in order to publish his works.

International success

His first novel Dragon Raja is also the most successful. By 2007, Dragon Raja has sold over 1,000,000 copies worldwide. Dragon Raja was also made into a comic series and an internet mutiplayer game, which were also successful mainly around Asia.

Recurring themes

Lee Yeongdo's works very often contain recurring themes, such as the will to change, deliveratly unclear distinction between the good and the bad and the beauty of the human nature.

Conflict for change

Lee's novels almost always revolve around the conflict between the will to stagnate, and the will to change. At the end the conflict is always resolved by the victory of will to change- that change is the only way of survival, even if humans may remain hateful and mortal, for the will change is what makes humans who they are. In Dragon Raja, the main protagonist Hoochi sent the final dragon Amurtath to the sunset so the humankind may complete its growth, even if it may open the possibility of humankind's death. In Future Walker, people denied the immortality and never-changing world, and rather chose to live with death and change.

Human nature

Another recurring theme that continuously reappear throughout Lee Yeongdo's novels is the celebration of the beauty of the human nature. This 'human nature' do include love, hope and compassion but also include other human characteristics that are normally consisted bad, such as the humankind's hate, greed or even the fate of mortality. It does not mean that the author encourages the evil nature of human, but the author rather seems to think that even the evil side of humankind is what makes human a human.

Published works

Novels

*Dragon Raja (드래곤 라자)
*Future Walker (퓨쳐 워커) - A sequel to Dragon Raja
*Polaris Rhapsody (폴라리스 랩소디)
*The Bird That Drinks Tears (눈물을 마시는 새, "Nunmul'l mashinuun saeh") - One of rare examples of the genre Korean Fantasy
*The Bird That Drinks Blood (피를 마시는 새, "Peeru'l mashinuun saeh") - A sequel to The Bird That Drinks Tears

Individual short stories

* Shinbiroun Iyagi (신비로운 이야기) - Date of serialization unknown(1999-2000?), Red Pen (Or Powwow).
* Spring Is Here (봄이 왔다) - Serialized at June 2005, Gulteen (http://teen.munjang.or.kr).
* Regarding the Translation of KAIWAPANDOM (카이와판돔의 번역에 관하여, "Kaiwapandom'ui bunyeok'e gwanhayeo") - Serialized at December 2005, [http://crossroads.apctp.org/ Crossroads] . A SF based on near future. The English version story can be read in Crossroad website itself [http://crossroads.apctp.org/pdf/archive/vol.3_Science_Fiction_Yeongdo_Lee_21_en.pdf here]

Published short stories

* Lee Yeongdo's Collection Of Short Stories (이영도 단편집)
** Over the Horizon (오버 더 호라이즌)
** Over the Nebula (오버 더 네뷸러)
** Over the Mist (오버 더 미스트)
** Golem (골렘)
** Chimera (키메라)
** The Source of the Happiness (행복의 근원, "Hængbog'ui guunwon")

External links

* [http://crossroads.apctp.org/pdf/archive/vol.3_Science_Fiction_Yeongdo_Lee_21_en.pdf The English version of 'Regarding the Translation of KAIWAPANDOM', provided by Crossroads]
* [http://www.dragonraja.net/ DRN, Unofficial Lee Yeongdo fanclub]
* [http://people.naver.com/search/people_detail.nhn?frompage=nx_people&id=8341/ Information about Lee Yeongdo, provided by Naver]