Character introduction
Space Force Organization Chart
Fire anything!
Trash talk
Round and round honor guard
Report of occurrence of romantic relationship
Strict but flexible
Throw away teddy bears
Design that protects peace
Common Sense of the Jungle and Civilization
The front line of humanity

Author's Note

Author Bae Myung-hoon's sixth full-length novel, opening a new chapter in Korean science fiction, has been published.

Bae Myung-hoon, a young writer who was praised for showing new possibilities for Korean science fiction literature with his first book, "Tower," published in 2009, has now grown into a mid-career writer, approaching his 15th year since debut.
Meanwhile, he has lived up to the expectations placed on him by proving his potential through his active work.
Now, Bae Myung-hoon's existence is nothing short of a milestone in Korean science fiction literature.
Many readers begin their journey into Korean science fiction literature with Bae Myung-hoon, and aspiring writers write their works after reading Bae Myung-hoon.


Bae Myung-hoon has expanded and grown with each work he releases, always presenting new works that defy expectations.
Starting with 『Tower』, which satirized the state of society through the world's largest tower-shaped city-state, Binstock, then 『Proposal』, which contained words of love sent from space, 『First Breath』, which showed the humanistic solidarity of space citizens, and 『Archaeological Psychic』, which created the discipline of 'Archaeological Psychic' and challenged readers with a chilling brain game, Bae Myung-hoon has always moved forward in an unpredictable direction without hesitation, and each time, he has achieved outstanding literary achievements and expanded the realm of Korean science fiction.

And in 2020, his sixth full-length novel, "The Round and Round Space Force," arrived to us.
As always with Bae Myung-hoon's work, a new world constructed through free imagination shines through in this work as well.
In the fictional world where two suns rise and travel and migration to Mars become possible, there exists a “space army.”


In a world where two suns rise, there exists a space force that protects Earth's orbit!

“There cannot be two suns in one sky,
There were two suns in the summer sky that year.

Plus, one of them was shaped like Pac-Man.”

The Earth continues to experience abnormal weather, with the highest daytime temperature in Seoul reaching 32 degrees Celsius in mid-October.
It is because there are two suns floating in the same sky.
One is the sun we originally knew, and another is shaped like Pac-Man or a slice of pizza with an empty slice.
The problem was that second sun.
The second sun reflects a small portion of the original sunlight that was scattered into space back toward Earth, making summer last this long.
Even that second sun, which is growing in size, cannot but be a global concern.
Beyond the atmosphere, beyond the land, sea, or sky, lies the domain of the Space Force.


Of course, the attack on the second sun is the responsibility of the United States-led Combined Forces, but the ROK Space Force hopes to receive government budget support for this opportunity.
At that time, the Blue House proposed that one way to create that opportunity be to launch something into space.
In reality, it wouldn't even come close to Pac-Man, but it would make it look like the ROK Space Force was helping the United Space Force launch missiles to attack Pac-Man.
At this somewhat absurd suggestion, Space Force Chief of Staff Gu Ye-min is unfazed and launches something that no one could have guessed, as if he had prepared it in advance.

While the space force is bustling with the Pac-Man sun, the atmosphere in the Martian settlement is somewhat uneasy.
Some secretly request to defect from Mars to Earth, while others are eradicated as remnants of the rebels.
Above all, the fact that the ambitious Martian governor, General Lee Jong-ro, is about to return to Earth gives rise to an ominous premonition that something unusual is about to happen to Earth's space forces.

Mars, where jungle common sense, not civilization common sense, dominates.
The atmosphere there is suspicious!

In the novel, Mars is a place where you can migrate whenever you want, communicate with Earth via video calls, and even travel back and forth via express ships.
However, when communicating directly with Earth, there is a communication delay of at least 6 minutes and up to 47 minutes, making everyday communication impossible.
And these communication difficulties may make the two planets worlds that can never be reconciled.
As the novel progresses, the heterogeneity of Earth and Mars gradually comes to the surface.
The truth about the rebellion that occurred on Mars during the period of Earth's communication breakdown is gradually revealed, and the people involved appear, creating a confrontational structure between Earth and Mars.


The novel's conclusion leaves an unforgettable impression, presenting a stark contrast between those who have lost their most important values ​​on Mars, where "jungle common sense" prevails, and those who strive to protect the world by upholding "civilized common sense." It does so in a way that is both science fiction and humanistic.


The power of independent and colorful characters,
A new attempt by Bae Myung-hoon, 15 years after his debut!

“What does it look like, Space Force?”
“Super smart people and a stupid system.
So, the military is like a sitcom every day?”

『Round and Round Space Force』 contains the story of the military called “Space Force.”
Since it deals with a huge organization like the military, there are a lot of characters.
There are nine main characters, and dozens more appear, showing the various aspects of the space force organization.
What is notable is that, unlike previous novels dealing with the military, most of the strong and independent characters that lead the narrative of 『Round and Round Space Army』 are women.
Roles that were previously played primarily by men in the narrative are now played by female characters, such as Chief of Staff Gu Ye-min, the supreme commander of the Space Force, and ace pilot Han Seom-min. Kim Eun-kyung, who is in charge of contacting Mars, Park Soo-jin, who takes on the role of detective at the launch site, and Seo Ga-eul, who plays the supporting role of the Space Force, are also all female characters.
Additionally, male characters such as Eom Jong-hyeon, who analyzes the appearance of artificial satellites, Park Guk-young, who sometimes transforms into a lawyer, Lee Ja-woon, a rookie who was an idol singer before joining the space force, and Lee Jong-ro, the cold-hearted governor of Mars, appear here to add variety to the novel.
And their chemistry is the main fun of reading the novel.


Author Bae Myung-hoon portrays their daily lives with his signature wit and emotional writing.
Unlike his previous works, the author maintains a writing style in which the narrator takes a step back, and it is said that the author spent a whopping two years just refining this writing style.
As you read the novel, you will naturally understand why the author made that choice.
Because it is perfect for creating a sense of intimacy with the characters who each tell their own stories.
Of course, as the narrator steps back, readers have more room to freely understand the novel.


If the two suns rising high in the sky, the conflict between Mars and Earth, and the unexpected threat facing Earth are the main plot lines that drive the novel forward, then within each of these lines lies the lovable daily life of the Space Force, which is trivial, quirky, and full of emotion, and, as the novel puts it, “an army where every day is a sitcom.”
And as you watch their daily lives, you can't help but cheer on the Space Force's struggles as they "continuously strive to protect humanity from all threats to peace and safety."