Books by Minsoo Kang
Minsoo Kang is a professor in European history at the University of Missouri-St Louis. He is the author of the award-winning novel The Melancholy of Untold History, and Invincible and Righteous Outlaw: The Korean Hero Hong Gildong in Literature, History, and Culture. He also translated The Story of Hong Gildong for Penguin Classics.
“He’s a righteous bandit who keeps humiliating authority figures like the police, and even tricks the king a couple of times.” Read more...
The Best Korean Mythology and Classic Fantasy Books
Minsoo Kang, Historian
“The novel is deeply concerned with the myth-making aims of a society’s history, in ways that are woven into both plot and form. Kang teaches a course called Historical Myth, looking at exactly these themes, and this is a really intelligent novel – as well as being a lot of fun. We follow three separate layers: a myth-like tale of gods, the life of a storyteller from the ancient past, and the life of a contemporary historian.” Read more...
Interviews with Minsoo Kang
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1
Myths and Legends from Korea: An Annotated Compendium of Ancient and Modern Materials
by James H. Grayson -
2
The Korean Myths: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes and Legends
by Bella Myong-wol Dalton-Fenkl & Heinz Insu Fenkl -
3
Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea
by Ilyon -
4
The Story of Hong Gildong
by Minsoo Kang (editor and translator) -
5
The Nine Cloud Dream
by Kim Man-Jung and Heinz Insu Fenkl (editor and translator)
The Best Korean Mythology and Classic Fantasy Books, recommended by Minsoo Kang
The Best Korean Mythology and Classic Fantasy Books, recommended by Minsoo Kang
Popular Korean fantasy today features characters and themes from a rich tradition. Author, historian and translator Minsoo Kang introduces five key texts available in English, from founding myths to fantastical novels, and explains the history that shaped these stories – and, just as importantly, shaped the desires of their modern readers.
Interviews where books by Minsoo Kang were recommended
Award-Winning Fantasy Novels of 2025, recommended by Sylvia Bishop
The award-winning fantasy novels of 2025 are notable for spanning the breadth of the genre: murder mysteries and legal thrillers have been honoured alongside monsters, mythologies and folk tales. Our fantasy editor Sylvia Bishop introduces the five books that took the top spots, and the immersive worlds they offer readers.
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1
Myths and Legends from Korea: An Annotated Compendium of Ancient and Modern Materials
by James H. Grayson -
2
The Korean Myths: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes and Legends
by Bella Myong-wol Dalton-Fenkl & Heinz Insu Fenkl -
3
Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea
by Ilyon -
4
The Story of Hong Gildong
by Minsoo Kang (editor and translator) -
5
The Nine Cloud Dream
by Kim Man-Jung and Heinz Insu Fenkl (editor and translator)
The Best Korean Mythology and Classic Fantasy Books, recommended by Minsoo Kang
The Best Korean Mythology and Classic Fantasy Books, recommended by Minsoo Kang
Popular Korean fantasy today features characters and themes from a rich tradition. Author, historian and translator Minsoo Kang introduces five key texts available in English, from founding myths to fantastical novels, and explains the history that shaped these stories – and, just as importantly, shaped the desires of their modern readers.
