Compared to other professors, Professor Doyeol Ahn is unique. Maybe, you really want to ask ‘Why?’ or ‘What is the reason?’ The answer is simple. He writes novels. Actually, he is both a writer and a professor at the UOS now. He writes a novel whenever he has spare moments. And finally, he completed his first book ¡AImperial Korea¡B with weaving plots in his intervals. His work was motivated by the presupposition that whoever can get a question about our history.
And nowadays, Korea is in a state of disorder. He added, through this novel, that there is the need of leadership in our society. “It’s about ten years ago. When I used the ‘HITEL’, which a program that we used to connect to the Internet, I began to publish a novel serially. How would the history go if the past had been changed? Above all, I had the image of changing the peasants’ uprising at that time and following that. It was the start of ¡AEncyclopedia Coreana¡B.
The idea just popped up from the modern Sci-Fi movies like the ¡AStar track¡B, ¡ABack to the Future¡B, ¡A2009 Lost in Memories¡B, and ¡ATimeline¡B. These movies show a war history coexisting with time and history. They helped me to develop a novel in detail.”
In those days, even these imaginary historical novels that had a great vogue were not smooth in all the process of publication. He started to write this book in the early 1990. However, the novel was discontinued for almost 10 years, because he was so busy studying.
Anyway thanks to the netizens who read my novel on the Internet and asked me to publish a novel serially, it can finally issue out. When the novel came out, he was glad just like a baby was born. “As it is considered as MY first work, I am so satisfied.” 10 copies of the first edition have been published. I gave my first novel to my dear hearts.
I bestowed the book as a gift to the president, my mother, my best friends and lastly one student who got a good grade on the Engineering Mathematics’ term quiz. He looked confusing at first, however, liked it very much soon,” He smiled.
His literary style has something special.
Probably, once you read his novel, you can find the style somewhat similar to other books. Both Raymond Carver and especially Murakami Haruki had an effect on his literary style. Most of Raymond’s stories are the third person style. However, ¡AGod’s children dance¡B which influenced Dr. Ahn is the first person style. In latter case, Murakami Haruki, the subordinate culture had an effect on him.
“Hmm... usually, what is called, the frequent contacts and the interactions among people communicating with each other make a quality of customs and youth. He is known as a writer who changed a novel paradigm with Japan. Like this, his literary style that is affirmative, clear, and concise was made to imitate.
And Raymond Carver was a writer who has written only short stories or medium-length stories for 50 years. In my shallow view, the realm of his literary was excessively realistic. Thus, at the outset, I had no trouble to read his novels for it was easy to understand and also it had been related to my major.
If I make a long story short, as I was mentioned, both former and latter might influence my style.
Merits or Demerits of the Writing
Writing a novel as a doctor of Engineering, I have gotten merits rather than demerits. In my case, the inspiration for a novel moved in my laboratory.
It is just one of those common things. For instance, two times calculations of two dimensions simply turn into one time calculation from three dimensions. That is only possible in a fictional world. However, now this idea has become the basic principle to realize the quantum computing.
But, it’s not always good. It has both bright and seamy sides. The harder I write, I can’t throw the decreased interpersonal relationships away. Anyway, each follows its own kind. However, I never regret what I has chosen as I could find the worth.
If you give a message to people who want to open a new field, what advice do you give to them?
“In ¡AEncyclopedia Coreana¡B I like to write a composition constitutionally. Even me, I started it without knowing how it would end. So to say, I embarked in this job with nothing. Only for interest! You know, if you do something with deep interest, you can do anything.
‘What do I really want to do?’ is the very significant question. It is natural for people to enjoy doing things they like rather than things they dislike.”
Final question, about his scheme and some words he wants to ask the UOSians for.
“I wish you visit my site at http://cafe.daum.net/encyclopcorea or Ujoa.com. And try to write a novel in your own style.”
“The UOS is excellent and UOSians are distinguished from other university students in the proportion of professors to students, and also different in leadership. To begin with, you must know yourself about what you want to be.” He expressed feeling at a loss. “Plan ahead! I really like this sentence personally.
Taking it as my motto, I constantly do my best under any circumstances. For this reason, whenever I write a novel I’m dreaming of taking the rostrum. Enjoy the present, the UOSians!”
Who is he?
1988 -He graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. (During the period of attendance at the university, he was chosen as a Grand for Teaching Excellence (GTE) fellow, and also he was prized with both Ross J. Martin Award and Robert T. Chien Memorial Award) 1988~1989 -At a research laboratory of IBM Thomas J Watson Lab, he was a researcher in New York.
1989~1992 -He became an assistant professor at the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the PoHang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH).
1992~1996 -He was the chief researcher at the LG research institute. 1996~ -He became a professor at the University of Seoul (UOS).
1998~ up to now -He is a professor of the UOS at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Also, he is the head of the project, Creative Research Initiatives of Quantum Information Processing.
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