Review—Life Ceremony, by Sayaka Murata (transl. Takemori)

Review by Tina deBellegarde Sayaka Murata’s Life Ceremony, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori, is a wildly imaginative and chilling short story collection about loners and outcasts. Once again, Murata writes about non-conformity and once again she does it in her unique subversive style. She presents us with a world turned on its head, where what More…

Excerpt—The Wedding Party, by Liu Xinwu

Set at a pivotal point after the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Liu Xinwu’s tale weaves together a rich tapestry of characters, intertwined lives, and stories within stories.

Set at a pivotal point after the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Liu Xinwu’s tale weaves together a rich tapestry of characters, intertwined lives, and stories within stories

First Book—Can Machines Bring Peace?: Hope in a Post-Apocalyptic Age

A young diplomat builds a Thinking Machine to bring peace, but instead, it discovers a plot for war.

“First Book” is a column where we ask first-time authors what inspired them to write their debut book/novel/translation. Books on Asia: What’s your book’s elevator pitch? Floor Kist: The novel is about a young diplomat who builds a Thinking Machine to bring peace, but instead, it discovers a plot for war. BOA: Can you explain More…

Translation Excerpt—Hayashi Fumiko’s “The Tryst”

About the Author Born in 1903, Hayashi Fumiko’s first notable literary work was Hōrōki (“Diary of a Vagabond”), an autobiographical novel describing her life of extreme poverty. Many of her stories focus on urban working-class life, a genre sometimes referred to as proletarian literature. Some important topics touched upon in her stories are free will, More…

E-Book Deal—Strange Weather in Tokyo, by Hiromi Kawakami

Book cover

Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Asian Literary Prize, “Strange Weather in Tokyo” is a story of loneliness and love that defies age.

Limited time only deal for US$1.99 (on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple Books) See Where to Buy links to the left. Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Asian Literary Prize, Strange Weather in Tokyo is a story of loneliness and love that defies age. Book Description: Tsukiko is in her late 30s and living More…