Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park

Same Bed Different Dreams

by Ed Park

New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • A wild, sweeping novel that imagines an alternate secret history of Korea and the traces it leaves on the present—loaded with assassins and mad poets, RPGs and slasher films, pop bands and the perils of social media

“Your view of twentieth-century history will be enlarged and altered. . . . A Gravity’s Rainbow for another war, an unfinished war.” —Jonathan Lethem, author of The Fortress of Solitude

WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE • ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Public Library, Polygon, Kirkus Reviews 

In 1919, far-flung patriots establish the Korean Provisional Government to protest the Japanese occupation of their country. This government-in-exile proves mostly symbolic, though, and after Japan’s defeat in World War II, the KPG dissolves and civil war erupts, resulting in the tragic North-South split that remains today.

But what if the KPG still existed—now working toward a unified Korea, secretly pulling levers to further its aims? Same Bed Different Dreams weaves together three distinct narrative voices with an archive of mysterious images, and twists reality like a kaleidoscope. Korean history, American pop culture, and our tech-fraught lives come together in this extraordinary and unforgettable novel.

Soon Sheen, a former writer now employed by the tech behemoth GLOAT, comes into possession of an unfinished book seemingly authored by the KPG. The manuscript is a riveting revisionist history, connecting famous names and obscure bit players to the KPG’s grand project—everyone from Syngman Rhee and architect-poet Yi Sang to Jack London and Marilyn Monroe. M*A*S*H is in here, too, as are the Moonies and a history of violence extending from the assassination of President McKinley to the Reagan-era downing of a passenger plane that puts the world on the brink of war.

From the acclaimed author of Personal Days, Same Bed Different Dreams is a raucously funny feat of imagination and a thrilling meld of history and fiction that pulls readers into another dimension—one in which utopia is possible.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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Book Summary:

What would the world be like if certain historical figures or groups still remained? Take the KPG, for example. How would they react to K-pop bands and the space race? What would they do to instill their mark on the world?

That is the story Soon Sheen will tell us here, for the KGB is still alive and active in his history. Let us see how different Korea, the world, and even the universe would be this time around.

My Review:

Oh wow. I won't lie - Same Bed Different Dreams is a challenging read. I don't necessarily mean about the subject material. I'm not even talking about the book's size (though it is 577). The tough part (for me) was the solid foundation in history. More specifically, the foundation in Korean history.

I kept hitting historical walls, as, let's be real here, history is not my strong point. Thus, I had to keep stopping and looking up this and that to understand the full meaning and context of a situation. So, in a way, I really have to thank Ed Park for making me stop and learn so many new things!

Same Bed Different Dreams is the epitome of speculative science fiction. It's unique; it takes a big risk and goes somewhere totally unexpected with it. If you're looking for a novel that will make you stop and think (not to mention a chance to learn more about history), Same Bed Different Dreams is the book for you.

Highlights:
Historical Fiction
Speculative/Science Fiction

Thanks to Random House and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 19 November, 2023: Finished reading
  • 19 November, 2023: Reviewed