Dreaming Reed Pipe | 夢みる葦笛 Review

Title: 夢みる葦笛 [Dreaming Reed Pipe]Author: Sayuri UedaPublisher: Kobunsha (2016)English translation: None at present Hi readers, welcome to my first post of the year, where I’ll be running through the ten stories in this dreamy-looking collection: These stories were published in Japanese between 2009 and 2015 with the exception of ‘Pteros’, which is new to this …

Post-Covid SF | ポストコロナのSF Review (4/4)

Title: ポストコロナのSF [Post-Covid SF]Author: Various members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of JapanPublisher: Hayakawa (2021)English translation: None at present Cover image taken from the book's Amazon page. Hi readers,Here we are at the last four stories in Post-Covid SF. So without further ado… _ 16. Retronasal Scape [後香 Retronasal scape.] by Ryo Yoshigami …

Post-Covid SF | ポストコロナのSF Review (3/4)

Title: ポストコロナのSF [Post-Covid SF]Author: Various members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of JapanPublisher: Hayakawa (2021)English translation: None at present Cover image taken from the book's Amazon page. Hi readers, this is the third instalment of Post-Covid SF, where I’ll be covering the next five stories in the book. Minor spoilers follow! _ 11. …

‘The Fifth Horizon’ short story out in Interzone magazine

The flat, grassy plain continued as far as the eye could see, appearingto stretch away without end... Hi readers, another quick announcement from me! My translation of Nozaki Mado's short story 'The Fifth Horizon' is now out in Interzone issue 295. I was so taken with Nozaki Mado's tale of Genghis Khan and his extra-dimensional …

‘The Darwin Incident’ manga released in English

Hi readers, A quick announcement: the first volume of Shun Umezawa's manga The Darwin Incident is now out in English, translated by me. The manga is set in Missouri and revolves around ethics, animal rights/human rights, and how we treat others. It features hefty doses of action and philosophy, plus a little coming of age, …

Post-Covid SF | ポストコロナのSF Review (2/4)

Title: ポストコロナのSF [Post-Covid SF]Author: Various members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of JapanPublisher: Hayakawa (2021)English translation: None at present Cover image taken from the book's Amazon page. Hi readers, welcome back to the second instalment of Post-Covid SF, where I’m discussing the next five stories in the book. Minor spoilers follow! _ 6. …

Post-Covid SF | ポストコロナのSF Review (1/4)

Title: ポストコロナのSF [Post-Covid SF]Author: Various members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of JapanPublisher: Hayakawa (2021)English translation: None at present Cover image taken from the book's Amazon page. Hi readers, welcome back. I’m sure by now the pandemic has begun to appear in our fiction as well as our reality – after all, it …

‘The Fifth Horizon’ translation coming soon!

Hi everyone, If you've followed this blog for a while, you may remember me raving on multiple occasions about Nozaki Mado's sci-fi short story 'The Fifth Horizon', which I first reviewed back in 2019. I'm now hugely excited to share with you that my English translation of this story will be appearing later this year …

(Ei) Amrita | [映]アムリタ Review

Title: [映]アムリタ [(Ei) Amrita]Author: Mado NozakiPublisher: Ascii Media Works (2009)English translation: None at present Ai’ichi Futami is in his second year of art college when he’s asked to be the lead actor in an indie film, “Ocean of the Moon”. His interest is piqued because the film is to be directed by first-year Moyaha Saihara; …

Nova 1: Commissioned Japanese SF Collection | 書き下ろし日本ＳＦコレクション ノヴァ１ Review

Title: 書き下ろし日本ＳＦコレクション　ノヴァ１ [Nova 1: Commissioned Japanese SF Collection]Author: Various, edited by Nozomi OmoriPublisher: Kawade Shobo Shinsha (2009)English translation: some stories (e.g. 'Angel French') have appeared in translation elsewhere Hi readers, Today’s review is of Nova 1. It’s the first in a series of sci-fi anthologies helmed by Nozaki Omori, a translator and critic who, as …