Became an American Retro Novelist - Chapter 216



Only Noblemtl

216.

Ursula K. Le Guin.

And George RR Martin.

The two writers, who are loved by the public both now and in the future, smiled gently after hearing Shin’s acceptance speech on stage. It was because his energetic words and appearance somehow reminded them of their younger days.

The market has always needed young writers like this.

Those who deny the existing value system and write new things are not writers who have reached middle age, but young writers like this. That is why the words of the writer, God, sounded like an ambition to lead a new era, not a challenge or arrogance.

······Of course, God himself tried to take back his remarks.

But that doesn’t mean he just brushed it off by saying, “I was just joking” or “I made a slip of the tongue.” The method he chose was to confront it head on.

God took a deep breath and conveyed his thoughts in a calm tone.

“I think a writer is someone who shows the universe inside him to the world. And there are many people here who have written wonderful stories that I cannot dare to measure with my universe. ······I think you are all thinking that I am talking about myself, and that is all correct.”

A god who regains his composure and talks comfortably, even joking lightly.

What he meant was simple.

It was, ‘It’s impossible, but I’m going to pursue it.’

“It may be meaningless to divide the universe into superior and inferior. However, I dare to say this because I feel proud and responsible for myself. I will continue to try to write the most interesting novel in my universe. I believe that is the way to bear the weight of this award and contribute to this industry that I love.”

Maybe it’s because it’s a science fiction literature award ceremony.

The analogy using ‘space’ as an example brought a smile to many people’s faces.

After finishing his acceptance speech, Shin gave a light nod and came down from the stage, and the association president stepped forward again to conclude the awards ceremony, thinking.

‘It was a short but powerful speech.’

When I first met him, I was very surprised to hear that he was a young writer who had just turned twenty. This was because I had a prejudice that writers write more profoundly as they get older, gain more experiences, read more books and think more about them.

But I felt a little bit confused listening to the story of a writer who was much younger than me.

‘I can feel the vigor of a young boy and the maturity of middle age at the same time.’

I found it fascinating that he had both of those two qualities that are usually difficult to reconcile, and that too in a young man who had just turned twenty.

But it was definitely true.

Real humankind has ascended into space and headed toward the stars. However, even before that, writers have tried to bring out the universe of the inner self of humans and express it in their own ways.

And the universe of the new author expressed through the ‘Losers’ series clearly showed a wonder worthy of a Nebula award winner.

Applause poured in as the god descended down the podium.

Shin, a writer who is just beginning to make a name for himself in this American society.

And at the same time, he was also the author who won the most prestigious award, the Nebula Award.

‘I’m looking forward to the future.’

I can’t wait to read his next work.

***

The SFWA banquet that continued into the evening was very enjoyable.

As one of the main characters of today’s awards ceremony, I had the opportunity to talk to many writers. They praised the ‘Losers’ series so much that it felt like a stranger to me, and I was deeply inspired as I carefully took to heart the expressions they gave me.

Perhaps it’s because he’s a writer.

Every word they said seemed to penetrate the spirit of the times.

[There was a sad accident a while ago. The Challenger accident. When I saw that, I thought of the ‘Losers’ series. We believe that everything will get better as science advances and the future era arrives. It’s like we’re looking for the happiness we can’t find in this life in a better future.]

Not only I, but countless other writers also warn us endlessly.

The future may not be all that happy. As in ‘Country of Losers’. Nevertheless, people bet a lot on the future, not the present. That’s why the disappointment when it doesn’t work out as planned, such as the Challenger disaster, can’t help but bring about momentary depression in many Americans.

I, too, had a lot of thoughts as I recalled that incident.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Most of us live ‘averagely unhappy’ lives.

I thought the reason was that happiness has the property of ‘dullness’.

It is a pity. The happiness we pursue so much continues to dull, and on the contrary, unhappiness continues to cause pain like a thorn digging into the skin. It is expressed in various ways, such as trauma and Jung’s shadow, and it pops up unexpectedly and prevents us humans from living a true life.

That is why humans need hope.

A wish for something good, such as happiness, success, or stability, that cannot be held onto yet but will come someday.

But as I listened to those stories, I thought:

‘What does this moment mean to me?’

Is this the future you so desperately wanted? Or the past you once wanted?

I went back in time and returned to the past. Time travel. Like Joe from the currently in-progress comic series Kung-Fury, I was able to rewrite my life as a more mature and competent me.

That made me happy. I could be happy because my past had once become the future I had so longed for. I couldn’t deny that fact.

But now, it was only the ‘past’.

The future I experienced is still a long way off.

‘······It’s difficult.’

Late April 1986.

The night scenery of California flashes before my eyes. The red streetlights flash past me, illuminating me, but in fact, I am the one moving.

It felt like a strange situation where I went back to my ‘past’ and changed my ‘future’.

What was this called? How should I express it? I was worried the whole time.

‘I, who returned to the past, am actually living in a new future.’

Suddenly, I felt that what I was thinking right now was very interesting.

It was around this time that I got the idea to write about this.

“god?”

Suddenly, I came to my senses to the sound of a voice tickling my ear, and I found Alexa sitting in the passenger seat. She was still in her dress. Her hair was a little more disheveled than when I saw her this morning, but I found that attractive.

I opened my mouth, feeling grateful to her for being by my side all day.

“Was I too quiet?”

“No. You looked like you were thinking deeply about something. I just waited comfortably.”

“Thank you for being by my side today. I know it must have been boring.”

“Huh? Not at all. On the contrary, it was really fun.”

“okay?”

“Do you remember what I said before? I felt like I had a glimpse into your world. I felt that feeling even more strongly at that party. Oh, and today you said ‘universe’, right?”

I was intrigued by what she said as she smiled happily.

“In what way?”

“First of all, you are someone I like, so that’s why I did it. Also, what should I say, you are obviously the most special, but when I see the world of people who are working hard in the world besides you… it’s really enjoyable. Sometimes it’s really sad, but I guess I should say that this world feels like a beautiful place.”

“Beautiful?”

“As you said in the ‘Losers’ series, happiness and unhappiness exist intertwined.”

“······.”

For some reason, those words touched my heart.

Alexa Flair was definitely something other than me. I definitely thought of her that way. She was a cheerleader, she was white, she was beautiful. But I knew. That didn’t describe Alexa at all. I knew that all too well now.

That’s why her words reach me.

“Alexa.”

“Yeah, God.”

“You look more beautiful when you say that.”

“······Huh? Yes?”

“I’m serious.”

I smiled and continued driving.

Alexa’s face turned bright red and she didn’t say anything after that. I slowly reached out and touched her thigh on the passenger seat… Oh, no, no. I grabbed her hand. It was definitely her hand. I’m not a man who can’t handle such situations.

‘It’s all because of him that I can have such embarrassing thoughts.’

Alexa, the precious person who has always been by my side and has always inspired me about life and humanity.

I hoped this drive would continue for a while.

“Ah, ugh. Today was the best, Jackanim.”

······Let’s first consider dropping off Simon, who is passed out drunk in the backseat, at a suitable motel.

***

News of the Nebula Award-winning ‘Losers’ series quickly spread throughout California.

The Los Angeles Times, Torrance New Media, and other newspapers, among others, unusually carried articles about the Nebula Award winners. The Losers series by a new writer was chosen as the “Best Novel.” It was impressive that they also explained the history of the Nebula Award and its significance in detail.

“Hey, I knew this would happen?!”

Karl Hobbs, the head of KH Agency, was very excited and shouted with a newspaper in his hand from the morning.

The new author was now a true Californian. Just as a hometown person is happy when he gets recognition in a foreign land, or even more, when everyone recognizes the true value of someone he only knew, Carl Hobbes, who had not read the ‘Losers’ series but was well aware of its fame, laughed heartily.

Alexa, who arrived at the office early in the morning, smiled as she listened to his words.

‘It’s amazing.’

And at the same time, I was happy.

Other models in the office asked after seeing Alexa smiling brightly.

“Alexa, is something good happening?”

“Your cheeks are red. Are you a man?”

“Oh, no.”

“That’s right~!”

“Whoa! Who is that?! Are you handsome?!”

“······.”

When asked that question, Alexa couldn’t help but look away. Then, Karl Hobbes, who was reading a newspaper and laughing, approached her and started talking to her.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s nothing, right?”

“Oh, I heard everything.”

Models have their own world, so I usually pretended not to notice it, but now it was different. Alexa Flair was currently the KH Agency’s flagship model. I was planning to go out and shoot around lunchtime today and come back.

That’s why I had to ask.

“Alexa, it’s your personal business, so I can’t comment on it, but think about it carefully.”

“yes yes?”

“This is the most important time for you. As you become more famous, people will demand ‘purity’ from you. That’s the image you have now. So······ I want to tell you to think about your future more than meeting a man now.”

Alexa, hearing Carl’s words, became dumbfounded for a moment.

The surrounding models turned around and swung their knives wildly, muttering among themselves.

“What the heck? You can date a little.”

“If you don’t do it now that you’re this pretty, then when will you do it?”

“Celebrities are people too, right?”

“That, that’s it. Ahaha.”

Alexa smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

She is currently appearing in season 2 of the series ‘About T’ and is also working as an extra in the drama and as a model.

Although the existence of the group has become somewhat known to the public, and there are often people who recognize them wherever they go, it is still stagnant and has not progressed beyond a certain point.

However, Alexa watched Shin win the Nebula Award and felt like she wanted to work harder, so she prepared herself for today’s filming and got plenty of sleep.

At that moment, a loud phone ringing sound rang out inside the office.

“Yes, this is KH Agency.”

Miss Grouse, the only other employee in charge of office work besides the CEO, answered the phone. She said, “Yes, yes,” and then transferred the call to the CEO.

For some reason, she felt a strange feeling, and even while the other models were chatting away, Alexa’s gaze naturally turned there.

“Yes, I got the call. ······Oh, yes. That’s right.”

It didn’t take long for Karl Hobbes’ eyes to widen as he smoked a cigarette.

“Oh, uh. Oh, I see. I’ll get back to you right away.”

The phone call suddenly hung up. Carl Hobbs, who immediately put out his cigarette in the ashtray, walked over to the sofa where the models were waiting with a pale face and spoke to Alexa.

“Ah, ahh, Alexa!”

“yes yes?”

“You, you got an offer! A movie······ as······ a lead role······!!”

“······yes?”

Alexa Flair’s eyes also widened when she heard the sudden story.

***

Meanwhile, at the same time.

God was having a secret meeting with a man.

Their meeting was kept completely secret because they were about to commit something bordering on the illegal.

As Shin sat down and slipped out the document, the man on the other side made a sound of ‘Frrrrr······.’ and took the document and examined the drawing inside. On the pure white paper, a muscular superhero wearing a costume that seemed to be inspired by the white, red, and blue of the American flag stood tall. And right next to him was a black man in a suit and glasses who had the same pose.

It was a guy called Seonghwa.

“······SEEN.”

The man, who had pushed up his glasses, shed hot tears.

In front of him, God smiled and answered.

“How about it? He’s a friend who was inspired by you.”

“I······ am not this cool.”

“It looks that way to me.”

Star Chaser, a superhero appearing in ‘Kung Fury’.

The character with the highest rank in this world, corresponding to DC Comics’ Superman.

He was a superhero with superior fighting power and powerful abilities than anyone else, but he was a black man who wore a mask and hero suit to protect his entire body.

After hearing that background story, Doofy Kingston responded:

“I guess I should start doing that soon.”

Doofy Kingston declares diet to become a man worthy of being a star chaser······!