1Q84 takes its name from one of the greatest SF novels of all time and is premised on the existence of parallel universes. Not solely science fiction - Hard-boiled Wonderland name-checks one of the key genre influences in the title - but there are enough SF elements to permit at least partial shelter under the umbrella. Haruki Murakami: 1Q84 and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Don’t treat it as encyclopedic but rather a gateway to a new world for Japanese sci-fi virgins and a place to exchange tips in the comments below the line. With amazing writers like Cixin Liu and Ken Liu, Chinese science fiction is making huge inroads into the public consciousness, so in the interests of friendly, neighborly competition, it feels like the time to put the spotlight on some classic and contemporary Japanese science fiction.Īs always with these columns, these are merely my favorites and a small slice of what’s out there. This is a shame, as great Japanese writers have explored the full gamut beneath the SF umbrella from “soft” speculative fiction to “hard” science, via space operas, military SF and dystopias. Gundam, Atom Boy and Battle Royale are all high on international SF-awareness radar but when it comes to fiction, the responses get a little more vague: “ Battle Royale was a book first, wasn’t it?” “Is Murakami sometimes sci-fi?” When people think about Japanese science fiction, thoughts tend to swing towards manga, anime and live action movies.
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