The curtain #1 .34 may be a little different from the real thing
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #2 .58
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #3 .81
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #4.101
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #5.103
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #6.148
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #7.174
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #8.209
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #9.256
The actual #10 .288 may be a little different from the actual one.
The actual #11 .330 may be a little different from the actual one.
The actual #12 .367 may be a little different from the original.
The actual version may be slightly different from the original #13 .474
The actual #14 .487 may be a little different from the original.

“The library is not the final destination for writers that will last for thousands of years, but rather a messenger used by future readers and writers alike.
“The writer’s final destination is always the reader.” - From the text

“That’s not writing.
"It's not creation! Even if everything about the deceased was burned, the smoke from the crematorium is not an artistic expression of the deceased!" - From the text

Drama-style audiobook and Lee Young-do's handwritten notes were also published simultaneously.

To coincide with the publication of this new work, the audiobook version of 『The Death Message of Sir Earthtam』 will be released.
Drama-style audiobooks are a popular audiobook format that allows you to listen to a novel in its entirety as if you were watching a movie, with multiple voice actors acting out the story and adding background music and sound effects.
The 60-hour-long drama audiobook of "The Bird That Drinks Tears" was selected as an excellent work at the e-publishing awards and received explosive responses from readers, breaking the record for the highest sales for a single audiobook.
『Earthtam's Death Message』 will also be released as a drama-style audiobook with the participation of popular voice actors such as Shin On-yu and Seonwoo Hyun-soo.
In particular, voice actor Kim Hyun-soo, who took on the narration, will present voice acting specialized for the mystery genre, based on his experience playing the role of the famous detective Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie audiobooks such as Murder on the Orient Express.
In addition, the first volume of the three-volume collection of Lee Young-do's handwritten notes, titled "Regret is a Longing for a Denied Self," which contains approximately 600 of Lee Young-do's sentences, has also been published.
Volume 1 contains approximately 190 exquisite sentences excerpted from the long novel 『Polaris Rhapsody』, the new work 『Lord Eartham's Death Message』, the 'Dusburn Kalparang and Sarandite Series', the 'Tir Strike Series', and 'Medium-Short Stories'.
Volume 2 is excerpted from 『Dragon Raja』 and related books, and Volume 3 is excerpted from 『The Bird That Drinks Tears』 and related books, and all three volumes are scheduled to be published in 2026.

A message from the author, reflecting his long-standing concerns about the relationship between creator and reader.

『The Death Message of Sir Earthtam』 is a 320,000-character novel, yet it is packed with various metaphors, settings, mysteries, and a maniacal worldview.
In a pre-publication reader survey, the book received rave reviews for its dense writing style, its plot that offers a fresh interpretation each time it is read, and its sentences filled with Lee Young-do's unique philosophy and wit.
In particular, most of the readers who participated in the current affairs commented that 『The Death Message of Sir Earthtam』 was like a message that author Lee Young-do sent to the readers. One participant even commented that the setting that the case can only be solved by reading the novel written in the work, and that in the process of those who try to censor and obstruct the completion of the work and those who block it confronting the author, author Lee Young-do expressed his thoughts over the past 30 years of creative activities in the form of a novel and sent it to the readers like a letter.
The author's intention to capture both fun and message by integrating the long and arduous story of how a completed work goes through various processes and reaches the reader into the genre of fantasy mystery is evident.

"I can erase writing from the world.
The writer can burn it.
The writer is the owner of the text.
no.
The writer is not the owner of the text." - From the text

"When someone says they are defending a writer, they are most likely defending some writing.
It is writing that leaves the writer's room and goes out into the world, creating allies or enemies.
The writer is a person who has decided to stay in the room and be alone." - From the text

What if Lee Young-do's uniquely sophisticated writing met the mystery genre?

Author Lee Young-do is known as a writer who has utilized the essential elements of a mystery novel better than anyone else, including a uniquely structured structure, excellent writing, captivating development, and perfectly reversible foreshadowing, in many of his long novels.
Because of this, many existing fantasy genre novels often incorporate elements of mystery and detective work. Representative examples include the central story of the first published work, 『Dragon Raja』, which focuses on the pursuit of Nexon Hurichel, the story of conspiracy and twists centered around the mysterious figure of Kagan Draka in 『The Bird Who Drinks Tears』, and the story of Sheriff Deputy Tyr Strike searching for the whereabouts of a lost luxury violin in 『Over the Horizon』.
This new book tells the story of a mysterious murder, four suspects, and the solution of a detective in a confined space.
Author Lee Young-do's meticulous composition and writing skills, combined with dense mystery and detective elements, will provide readers with a challenging and enjoyable experience.

"So, you're going to read it to kill time? And with this clever mind of yours, you're going to figure out who the culprit is that no one has been able to figure out for the past four years? Hey, listen up.
The circumstances are so unique that it may be difficult to recognize right away, but it is strong evidence of a violent crime.
"It's not a play on words, but it's so powerful that I doubt there's any precedent for it in the history of crime."

Lee Young-do, a legend in Korean fantasy literature, has become a bestseller with every published work.

Author Lee Young-do established himself as a leading Korean fantasy novelist when his serial novel "Dragon Raja", published on the PC communication service HiTel in 1997, became a million-seller.
The works he published have secured a solid fan base, with bookstore servers crashing due to open runs immediately after publication, and 『Dragon Raja』 has made a name for itself by selling over 1 million copies in Japan, Taiwan, and China. In 2022, another of his representative works, 『The Bird That Drinks Tears』, was sold at a high advance price in 17 languages ​​around the world, including English-speaking countries, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, Brazil, and Arabic, making him an author who is receiving attention worldwide.
In particular, the advance payment of over 300 million won broke the record for the highest advance payment for Korean book publishing exports.
In Germany, where the four volumes were first completed in 2024, all four volumes received favorable reviews, exceeding 4.5 reader ratings, and sold over 40,000 copies in the first year alone, prompting German editors to visit Korea during the Seoul International Book Fair to find the next Lee Young-do.
The Spanish edition was distributed in all Spanish-speaking countries in South America and even took over the shelves of major bookstores.
The French edition was published in late October 2025, and the English edition, a key language for international publishing, is scheduled for publication in the first half of 2026, translated by Anton Heo. As such, Lee Young-do is emerging as an author who is gaining attention not only in Korea but also around the world.