I really wanted to like Counterweight. Unfortunately, I found that there was a lot left to be desired, despite the novel having a lot of promise in contributing to Korean science fiction, particularly cyberpunk. I did learn that Counterweight was first conceived to be a low-budget science fiction film, and the novel certainly read like the beginning stages of one. I did find the setting interesting, as well as the question Djuna posed about the presence of artificial intelligence in society, but neither were fully developed to sate my curiosity.

I had high hopes for this one, especially as someone who is fascinated by cyberpunk, so the disappointment is real. I wish Djuna had made their novel much longer than the just over 150 pages it ended up being.