By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
French novelist Bernard Werber, who has a solid fan base here, said a Korean boy will be featured as a protagonist in his new book ``Cassandra's Mirror.''
Revealing his special attachment to Korean readers, Werber introduced the character named Kim Ye-bin, a computer genius, who foresees the future with Cassandra, the female protagonist. The book is to be published in France next month.
``Korea is the country that discovered and appreciated me as a writer. Korean readers were eager for my books even before I became known in France. I write something related to Korea whenever I release a new work to help the French know about Korea,'' Werber said during a press conference.
The 48-year-old author said the hero's name comes from the son of the president of Korean publishing company Open Books.
``Korea seems to be one of the most future-oriented countries in the world, probably because it suffered past tragedies,'' the writer said. ``People have an obscure fear about the future, but we can find the solution only when we confront the future. So, Korean readers who are taking a step toward the future are paying attention to my works which present various problems about the future.''
Werber is visiting Korea to mark the sale of 1 million copies of his ``Gods'' series here. It is his fourth trip after first visiting in 1994.
The recent series features deities as a central theme, with the titles ``Us, Gods'' (2004), ``The Breath of the Gods'' (2005) and ``The Mystery of the Gods'' (2007). The Korean translations, consisting of six volumes, were completed this year.
The novelist said the Gods series was important to him as it took nine years to finish.
``The series is a magnificent work in size and complexity, covering the whole story of the cosmos. It was a tough task to create a world, but at the same time it was very happy work for a writer,'' he said.
Werber also had a fan meeting at Kyobo Bookstore on Friday and will give a lecture on ``Creativity and Writing'' at Korea University on Sept. 7.
His connections with Korean readers are special as his novel, ``Empire of the Ants,'' became a huge hit in Korea rather than in France. His books have been translated into 35 languages, and 15 million copies have been sold worldwide ― 5 million of them in Korea.
He is one of the most active writers, releasing a new work every year. Born in 1961, Werber developed an interest in artificial intelligence and science fiction, which are frequently found in most of his works.
Werber's ``Paradise,'' which was published in France in October last year, will be released in Korean next year, followed by ``Cassandra's Mirror.''