Speculative Japan: Outstanding Tales of Japanese Science Fiction and Fantasy

Selected and edited by

Gene van Troyer & Grania Davis

The first book in a planned series, Speculative Japan presents a selection of outstanding works of Japanese science fiction and fantasy in English translation... and a glimpse into new worlds of the imagination.

The Dreaming God

Edited by ASAMATSU Ken

The Fourth and last of our well-received Hidden Gods series, with exciting and horrific new takes on Cthulhu Mythos, from the Japanese point of view.

In addition to short fiction, it also features a article on HPL's relationship to modern occultism, and the Mythos in film.

Straight to Darkness

Edited by ASAMATSU Ken

The third of four volumes in the superlative Hidden Gods series, presenting new vistas of horror from the Japanese perspective on the Cthulhu Mythos, by some of the leading authors in Japan today.

In addition to short fiction, it also features an article on the Mythos in music.

Beast in the Shadows

by EDOGAWA Rampo
translated by Ian HUGHES
introduction by Mark SCHREIBER

These two famous works by Japanese master of weird detective novels, available for the first time in English, offer Western readers a glimpse into the mysterious world of fictional Taisho Japan. Now you can meet the infamous Black Lizard for yourself!

Edited by ASAMATSU Ken

This massive collection of original stories and articles inspired by the 'Cthulhu Mythos' created by H.P. Lovecraft was published in Japan in 2002 as a two-volume set under the name Hishinkai. The list of contributing authors is a who's-who of Japanese horror fiction, featuring some of the finest writers in Japan today.

In addition to short fiction, it also features an article on the Mythos in gaming. Kurodahan Press will be publishing this in four volumes.

Edited by ASAMATSU Ken

Published in 2002 to rave reviews in Japanese, this anthology of horror fiction is inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft, presenting a glimpse into the Cthulhu Mythos as interpreted by some of the most respected authors in Japan. Some will strike you as old friends; others, as startling new visions of horror.

In addition to short fiction, it also features articles on the Mythos, including appearances in print, in manga, in film and in music. Kurodahan Press will be publishing this in four volumes, of which this is the first.

by James O'BRIEN

James O’Brien’s work contains translations of three short stories by Dazai Osamu – “Hear my Plea”, “Melos, Run!” and “Crackling Mountain” – as well as the following short stories by Akutagawa Ryunosuke: “The Clown’s Mask”, “The Immortal”, “Rasho Gate”, “Hell Screen”, “Within a Grove”, and “The Shadow.” The introduction interprets the short stories by these two twentieth-century Japanese authors and outlines the nature of literary adaptation in their work.

Offered in collaboration with the Arizona State University Center for Asian Studies.

by MAYUMURA Taku

translated by Daniel JACKSON

Administrator, or Shiseikan in Japanese, took the Japanese SF community by storm when first published in 1974. Unlike traditional space opera, it pushed technology into the background to present a compelling portrait of colonial governors, the Administrators, trapped between the conflicting demands of Federation government, native inhabitants, and Terran colonists. This collection of four novelettes, the first volume of an extensive series of works set in the same universe, touches on key stages in the development of the Administrator system and the robots designed to support and protect it.

Kuunmong: The Cloud Dream of the Nine

by KIM Manjung

translated by James S. GALE

Kuunmong – literally “Nine Cloud Dream” or “The Cloud Dream of the Nine” – has been an immensely popular work in Korea for centuries. Originally written in about 1689, it is hailed as one of the earliest works of literary prose fiction to emerge from the Korean cultural background. Although this classic novel remains in print in many editions in Korea, China, and Japan, it has long been out of print in the English language. We are proud to make this monumental work available again.

Aphrodite

by YAMADA Masaki
translated by Daniel JACKSON

This important work of Japanese science fiction presents the story of Yuichi, a youth who escapes the regimented world of Japanese society for the beauty and freedom of Aphrodite, a floating island city built by the visionary Mr. Caan. Excited by the seemingly limitless potential of Aphrodite and confident of his own future, Yuichi encounters a new world: friendship, responsibility, love, and growing up.
Ideal for young adult readers, but with a philosophical depth to make it a thought-provoking and rewarding book for adult readers as well.

Herbert A. Giles and China: Two Early Classics of Modern Sinology

by Herbert A. GILES

Modern sinology—the study of things Chinese—may trace its roots back centuries to Marco Polo, Byzantium and even Imperial Rome, but to a great extent it was built on foundations laid and extended by Herbert Giles, a consul for the United Kingdom in China and later a professor at Cambridge University. Two of his most important works, Chinese Sketches (1876) and The Civilization of China (1911), are now available in a single volume, revealing once again his piercing observations and a glimpse of a very different China.