光媒の花

by Shusuke Michio, 道尾 秀介

一匹の白い蝶がそっと見守るのは、光と影に満ちた人間の世界――。認知症の母とひっそり暮らす男の、遠い夏の秘密。幼い兄弟が、小さな手で犯した闇夜の罪。心通わせた少女のため、少年が口にした淡い約束……。心の奥に押し込めた、冷たい哀しみの風景を、やがて暖かな光が包み込んでいく。すべてが繋がり合うような、儚くも美しい世界を描いた全６章の連作群像劇。第23回山本周五郎賞受賞作。

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2010

About the author

Associated Names:
* Shusuke Michio
* 道尾秀介 (Japanese Profile)


Shūsuke Michio (1975–)  takes his pen name from the mystery writer Michio Tsuzuki, one of his idols. Michio first became interested in reading in high school, when he was inspired by the works of Yasunari Kawabata and Osamu Dazai. He began writing short-shorts in college and continued producing fiction after graduation in his time away from work. His first break as an author came when he received the Horror and Suspense Special Prize for Se no me (Eyes in the Back) in 2004; the following year he quit his job to write full-time. In 2009 his novel Karasu no oyayubi (By Rule of Crow’s Thumb) earned the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in addition to a Naoki Prize nomination; in a testament to the consistently high quality of his work, he was nominated for the biannual prize four more times on his way to winning it in 2011 withTsuki to kani (Moon and Crab). Other honors include the 2010 Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize for Kōbai no hana (Flowers of Light), a collection of linked short stories. With his knack for easily crossing over genres such as horror and the mystery, Michio is a promising hitmaker among the new generation of writers.

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