The Future Is Japanese

THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE CAT BANDIT sets a course for Haikasoru, a US-based publishing imprint that unleashes the most insane (and typically Japanese) futurism in readables today. VIZ Media tradebooks editor NICK MAMATAS gives her warp speed. ooks “Space opera, dark fantasy, and “Masumi Washington, Editor- hard science” screams their in-Chief of Haikasoru, reads website’s chief obsessions, widely and will commission but there’s one other clause sample translations of a few in Haikasoru’s self-signed chapters of some books,” says contract that make them Nick Mamatas, VIZ Media’s one of the most intriguing tradebooks editor. Half his publishers in sci-fi (and job is editing Haikasoru’s beyond) right now. Long titles (which is an imprint of defined by their dedication to VIZ), working closely with “bringing Japanese science translators, writing cover fiction to America and copy, and developing cover beyond,” if it ain’t from the land concepts. He also puts that eye of the rising sun, it ain’t no fun. to good use for Studio Ghibli HAIKASORA B 42 43 and the occasional manga ROBOT BUDDHA VS. CYBER novel tie-in. “We’ll go over JESUS >> If Haikasoru have them and make offers based no particular caveats in terms on what we like and think we of how far their words are can sell. What we like hasn’t prepared to go, they certainly changed much – high-concept have none when it comes material that’s intelligent and to choosing the writers who well-written – but what we go those distances – just so think can sell has changed a long as they bring some kind bit over the years. Personally, of crazy with them. This is I look for a clever point of an important point, because view, a recognisable subgenre women in sci-fi are rare. Yet (hard SF, fantasy, even magical one of Haikasoru’s best books realism), and that indescribable (says me), The Cage of Zeus, something that will really add was penned by an XX chromo to Anglophone understanding gal. of Japan.” “I’m so glad you liked The Said “something” has Cage of Zeus,” Nick beams. resulted in Haikasoru putting “Sayuri Ueda’s future is one out books about bi-gendered of my favorites. It’s neither aliens (The Cage of Zeus) and dystopian nor utopian, but invincible cyborg prostitutes does show that we as a species (Mardock Scramble), not can improve somewhat. She to mention Self-Reference was our first female hard SF ENGINE – a Lynchian head writer, and I hope to bring implosion so complex it comes over more one day. For cosmic Q&A: Toh EnJoe with a map. If this is how scope,” Nick continues, “you Meet the author of Haikasoru’s strangest book the West is to understand can’t go wrong with Ryu (that’s quite the feat), Self-Reference ENGINE. Japan, it is at the very least an Mitsuse’s Ten Billion Days and understanding that is not at all One Hundred Billion Nights. You are a qualified physicist and have a PhD in ‘mathematical surprising. To actually achieve Robot Buddha and Cyber physical study on the natural languages.’ How has this influenced that understanding, though, Jesus fight as galaxies collide!” your writing? is to have your head explode Ten Billion Days and One My work as a writer is a direct extension of the things I thought about when I was a researcher. Or it could be that I have not yet into a flock of doves. Haikasoru Hundred Billion Nights is a learned any other way of thinking. For example, I believe it is put no limits on the concepts special case among a raft possible to think of consciousness, and even love, purely as a they are willing to endorse and of special cases. Inside and property of material reality. That said, I recognise that research and publish. outside of Japanese sci-fi and fiction are two different things. Once upon a time, if I wanted to “Nope!” Nick confirms even literature circles, it is know the secret of language, I did some research. Now, if I want happily. “Really, the quirkiest regarded as one of the greatest to know something, I do some writing. It’s just another route up Nick just mentioned would book I’ve seen has been and most enduring future yarns the same mountain. So, in that sense, you could say that my past make for an awesome movie. Toh EnJoe’s Self-Reference ever spun. High praise seeing research has no impact whatsoever on my work as a writer. Ever the creative vacuum, ENGINE, and we snapped it as it was originally published Hollywood has been quick Critics have called your books “indigestible,” “sleep-inducing,” right up. We even included a in 1967. and “reader-unfriendly.” How do you respond? Maybe your work to realise this. Speaking of map of the table of contents, “I think the cosmic scale and is just too smart. strange creatures, upcoming called A Map Mapping Maps, the combination of religious You’re probably right about that. I think there will be improvement Tom Cruise vehicle Edge to help make the book’s cosmologies and scientific in the future. We just have to wait. Of course, I would like to make of Tomorrow was originally puzzle structure more understanding of infinity and my work easier to read. called All You Need Is Kill – the comprehensible.” eternity is what makes the As far as “sleep-inducing” is concerned, I’m happy if my readers exact same title as the Hiroshi Their newest arrival is Noble book work – it’s mind-blowing,” are reading my work as a means of helping them sleep. Actually, I Sakurazaka book it’s based on, V: Greylancer, written by a guy Nick says. “It’s definitely along understand why not many people enjoy this kind of story. But those and Haikasoru’s prodigal son. fans of VHS-era anime (i.e. the lines of classics by Arthur few are the people I am writing for. Some of my acquaintances say “My involvement was limited The best anime) will recognise C. Clarke. Science fiction at its there is “something lacking,” but to them I say, “Knock it off. What if I were to sell even fewer copies, what would you do then?” instantly: Hideyuki Kikuchi. best can simultaneously remind The truth of the matter is, there are many things I do not WHENEVER I’D GET A NEW Kikuchi is the fevered mind readers of the universe’s understand. For example, if the phrase ‘Dow-Jones stock index’ behind the light novels both vastness and humanity’s turns up in a book, my eyes glaze over, but I understand there are chaPTER From thE transLator Wicked City and the Vampire seeming uniqueness, and people who like that sort of thing. If there are people who want Hunter D films are based on. Mitsuse’s book does that very to read a book about étale cohomology, what are they supposed I’D crack UP BEcaUSE LITEraLLY “He’s an interesting fellow,” well. Not a lot of science fiction to do? says Nick. “He’s incredibly can manage cosmic scales in EVERY scENE Got craZIER prolific and has been for years. both time and space. I also Self-Reference ENGINE has been described to me as both great and ooks He doesn’t quite write a book love Housuke Nojiri’s Usurper awful. Wow. Where did this novel come from inside your head? It’s to being a part of meetings a month anymore, but Kikuchi of the Sun – a great hard like some kind of anti-book. with our VIZ Productions Thank you. I am grateful for that acknowledgment of the book’s is still very busy. His raw pulp SF look at first contact and duality. Self-Reference ENGINE was the first book I ever wrote. I people about the books we sensibility works very well for interstellar travel,” he adds. “I’m wrote it not knowing if anybody would ever read it. In that sense, were bringing over, writing American audiences as well. a huge fan of MM9 by Hiroshi it is something I wrote for my own pleasure. I wanted to write the little summaries of books Noble V: Greylancer is a spin- Yamamoto as well, which looks kind of book I wanted to read that did not exist yet. If such a book including Kill, and generally off of the very popular Vampire at the giant monsters of Japan had existed, I would not have had to write it. Therefore, this is the offering support – answering Hunter D series and is just as – kaiju (‘strange creature’) book that emerged from the environment of my life at that time: questions, taking phone calls, wild as those books. Whenever – from pulp, hard science, and isolation, hunger, laughter, everyday jokes, stuff like that. doing a little brainstorming, I’d get a new chapter from the metaphysical physical points of that sort of thing,” Nick says. translator I’d crack up because view all at once.” Toh EnJoe, what makes a great story? “All You Need Is Kill is very literally every scene got crazier Here’s where Haikasoru’s One must remain sane. Even to write about craziness, one must filmable—it’s ‘high concept’ in remain sane, but sanity is easy to let go of. How wonderful it is to be and crazier.” wares go from being niche to able to write about anything and everything and remain sane! that it is about an armoured being international: everything warrior who is trapped in a HAIKASORA B 44 45 time-loop and has to refight he wrote the Guns novel.

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