The original Korean novel's title could be:

• A World at a Dead End

• The Dead-End World

• A World with No Way Out

• The World at the End of the Road

Translators, including myself, our editor, and the author gave it a months-long thinking. The world itself represents the core fantasy element in this beautiful story. And certainly the glass beads are the other element that the Suhoon and Ju-eun are supposed to carry to make the six nights' (or days' in the Maktharon World). The world, powered by the glass bead, could be a dead-end, not exactly one in this fantasy. And the door to the world opens for them or closes for them as well - the door closing doesn't mean another dead-end world here either.

However the meaning of this world, where we all go when we leave this world, had to be retained - thus, the title was created with the action verb "to open." And the dead-end in Korean, makdareun, is creatively transformed into Maktharon, a world of obvilion.

Unlike usual fantasies, readers are led to the victory by use of the superpower, which they can't imagine to have in real world. In Opening the Door to Maktharon, human experiences and lived Korean culture are combined with fantasy adventure.

Jungsook Kim