Biogenesis and Other Stories - Softcover

Ishiguro; Tatsuaki

Softcover

ISBN 10: 193428730X ISBN 13: 9781934287309

Publisher: VERTICAL, 2009

Synopsis

Each of the five stories featured in this collection explores in allegorical tones the precariousness of life presented a documentary summaries, scientific reports on rare endangered species. Beautiful in their simplicity, the stories exert an uncanny impact, leaving the reader haunted and unsettled. The title story recounts research findings on a species of winged mice unable to fly, that whilst breeding shed tears but then die leading to extinction - eerily the scientists who are conducting the research both die from incurable diseases in the process.

About this title

Review:

"If you like stories that explore our often strange and beautiful relationship to the natural world, or stories about dedicated scientists, or even mysteries and detective novels, you'll thoroughly enjoy BIOGENESIS." -- SF Signal

"A metaphor of perdition, on the level of all of humanity, is concretized as a small, imaginary animal via the mediating factor of incurable diseases that bring death to two doctors of medicine. In our nation, such excellent conceptions used to belong to Kobo Abe." --Kenzaburo Oe, Nobel Laureate in Literature

"The work's novel form and style will be remembered as a turning point in Japanese literature. Moreover, the exploration of the enigma of 'the winged mouse's extinction' can also easily be enjoyed as the finest of mysteries." --Koji Suzuki, author of Ring and Dark Water

"Why does such dry writing in the format of a report touch me so? Why is it so beautiful? No matter how many times I read it, the tears keep flowing. This is no 'fusion of science and literature.' It is the overwhelming reality of animate 'life' itself." --Hideaki Sena, author of Parasite Eve

About the Author:

Born in Hokkaido in 1961, Tatsuaki Ishiguro has served as a lecturer at Tokyo University and as an assistant professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and currently practices at a clinic in Tokyo. As the author of a unique brand of science fiction, he has been nominated for the Akutagawa Award, the Yukio Mishima Award, and the Seiun (Nebula) Award. Biogenesis is his first work to appear in English.

About this edition

• Publisher: VERTICAL
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 193428730X
• ISBN 13: 9781934287309
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240