The Disaster Tourist

Yun Ko-eun

Catapult Books

Synopsis

Welcome to the desert island of Mui, where a paid vacation to paradise is nothing short of a disaster in this “mordantly witty novel [that] reads like a highly literary, ultra–incisive thriller” (Refinery29).

Jungle is a cutting–edge travel agency specializing in tourism to destinations devastated by disaster and climate change. And until she found herself at the mercy of a predatory colleague, Yona was one of their top representatives. Now on the verge of losing her job, she’s given a proposition: take a paid “vacation” to the desert island of Mui and pose as a tourist to assess the company’s least profitable holiday.

When she uncovers a plan to fabricate an extravagant catastrophe, she must choose: prioritize the callous company to whom she’s dedicated her life, or embrace a fresh start in a powerful new position? An eco–thriller with a fierce feminist sensibility, The Disaster Tourist introduces a fresh new voice to the United States that engages with the global dialogue around climate activism, dark tourism, and the #MeToo movement.

Translated by Lizzie Buehler.

About the Author

Yun Ko-eun is the winner of the 2021 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation and was the first Asian writer to receive the award. Her prizewinning novel was praised as an ecothriller by English language media and received positive reviews throughout the US and UK. It was shortlisted for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Rosetta Awards, Comedy Women in Print Awards and the Dublin Literature Award. In April 2024, Yun's first short story collection Table was published in English. Yun's second novel in translation had been sold to UK publisher, Scribe, a month before it was published in South Korea. It will be published in the UK in 2025. Yun Ko-eun’s MOTIVE appearance is generously supported by WOW Culture Lab.

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