Synopsis

In 1919, Korean patriots established the Korean Provisional Government to resist Japanese occupation. History tells us this government-in-exile dissolved after World War II, leading to the Korean War and the divided peninsula we know today. But what if it never disbanded? What if the KPG continued operating in secret, working toward Korean reunification by harnessing the power of a massive technology corporation? Same Bed Different Dreams spins this audacious premise into a kaleidoscopic narrative that blends three distinct voices with an archive of mysterious images. At its center is Soon Sheen, an employee at the international tech giant GLOAT, who discovers an unfinished manuscript revealing the KPG's hidden history. This revisionist text connects architect-poet Yi Sang, Jack London, Marilyn Monroe, M*A*S*H, the Moonies, and a legacy of violence spanning from President McKinley's assassination to the downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007. Among the novel's dreamers are Parker Jotter, a Korean War veteran who witnessed something inexplicable over North Korea; Nora You, a nail salon empire builder; and Monk Zingapan, a game designer turned writing guru. Their interconnected stories gradually reveal how foreign powers have projected their desires onto Korea—and how the dreamers themselves remain unaware of their links to one another.