Bernard Werber, the French novelist beloved by Korean readers, met with his Korean audience with a new full-length novel, "Waltz of the Souls." The new work traces the secrets of human civilization across 120,000 years, from prehistoric times to ancient civilizations.
Werber held a press conference Thursday at the France Guest of Honor Pavilion at COEX in Seoul's Gangnam District, where the "2026 Seoul International Book Fair" was held. "'Waltz of the Souls' is a work that tells the story of the past to better predict the future," he said. Werber is a bestselling author whose works, including his debut "Empire of the Ants" (1991), as well as "The Thanatonauts," "We, the Gods," "Papillon," and "The Prophecy of the Bees," have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
In "Waltz of the Souls," the protagonist hears a warning from his mother that the end of the world is approaching and enters his past lives to prevent the catastrophe. The first past life begins as a Neanderthal. The Neanderthals were smarter than Homo sapiens but were destroyed by an attack from the numerically superior sapiens. "Just because a civilization lost a war and disappeared does not mean that civilization was inferior," Werber said. "Rather, it perished because it was less violent." He added, "There can be a gap between the history we learn from books and what actually happened in the past."
Werber said he conceived the novel while experiencing past lives. "I have long been immersed in past-life experiences through regression meditation, and a medium told me that I had passed through 111 past lives," he explained. "I cannot know whether it is true, but it is certainly excellent material for a novel."
The conflict between enlightenment and obscurantism (anti-intellectualism) is a central theme running through the novel. "In history, the struggle between forces that seek to subjugate and enslave humans and forces that seek to liberate them has been repeated," Werber said. "We can see this in today's news as well." He stressed, "Currently, a few countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea, along with fanatical religions, are showing movements to enslave and subjugate humans. Democratic forces must unite against the expanding totalitarian and dictatorial forces."
He also shared his views on artificial intelligence (AI). "I have been saying since the 1980s that AI would change the world," Werber said. "For me, AI is already a topic of the past." He stressed, "There is no need to fear AI. AI is just a tool without good or evil, like fire. Just as you can grill meat with fire but it can also cause a blaze, what matters with AI is how humans use it."
As an author who frequently visits Korea, he also revealed a special affection for the country. "The very fact that Korea exists as it does today, despite countless invasions from Japan, China, and others in the past, feels like a miracle," he said. "Korea is a country with a strong desire to develop in a future-oriented way precisely because of its painful and difficult past." He added, "Korea must build up its strength to protect itself from the powerful nations around it. The advancement of technology and AI will become a powerful force for Korea."
