Domesday

by Kei Urahama, Mika Deguchi (Translator), John Cairns (Translator)

The Dome. It happens in an instant. Like a thunderclap it appears over the modern Japanese utopia. In one short moment the high-rise paradise is transformed into a gruesome hell. For those few who survive the initial onslaught of mysterious angels spawned by the Dome’s walls, life becomes a constant struggle in a purgatory with neither night nor day. Yuji is a hikikomori, a school drop-out who finds himself with a handful of other misfit youths as his only companions. Ohizumi, a science fiction writer, retains an active mind that may protect him from the crippling nihilism of his peers but also compels him to take ever greater risks to unlock the mysteries of the strange, new world. Ishida, the under-achieving everyman, must rise to the challenges of this harsh reality or give up and die like so many others. Mazaki, once a con artist cashing in on Japan’s religion industry, now garners a large band of followers hungry for answers to the puzzle of their existence. Mazaki may provide them with easy answers, but the cost for these answers will be beyond what any of the survivors could ever imagine. A uniquely imaginative yet shocking tale, part sci-fi, part horror and part just plain out there. Awarded the prestigious Komatsu Sakyo Prize for best new author, this is a biblically-inspired novel such as only a Japanese mind could conceive.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Zombies

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jay Traub · Rating 4 out of 5]

The atmosphere of this sci-fi novel is amazing. The dialog, characters, plot, etc are nice as well, but the author really sets a unique atmosphere and plot. I would love to see this book made into a movie. I have some criticisms of the book, but to mention them here might constitute as a spoilers. Overall, I was very happy to have read this book and enjoyed it.

[Sean O'Hara · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the main lesson of this book is, "The Bible fucks everything up."

Also, Japanese movie theaters need more emergency exits.