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Statues in the Cloud
One day, a writer in Japan receives a letter from a young fan who is dying from a mysterious disease. The young fan, Aya, gives the writer a challenge: “Come to Nagasaki and help me find seven pieces of a statue. If you can help me do this simple thing,” she tells him, “you will have cured me.”
What the writer soon discovers is that finding the seven pieces means telling the stories of seven unique individuals: a future governor of Tokyo, an American soldier from the Second World War, a folk hero from Miami, a young dancer in a future Hiroshima, an artificial intelligence from the far future, the writer’s own story, and the story of Aya.
As the writer and Aya learn more about this group of individuals, it becomes apparent that their stories are connected and that there is more at stake than just Aya’s life. The disease afflicting her has many forms: a vengeful god, a computer virus, and a contagious illness. If they fail to unravel the secret of Aya’s mysterious disease, the very survival of humanity could be at stake.
What the writer soon discovers is that finding the seven pieces means telling the stories of seven unique individuals: a future governor of Tokyo, an American soldier from the Second World War, a folk hero from Miami, a young dancer in a future Hiroshima, an artificial intelligence from the far future, the writer’s own story, and the story of Aya.
As the writer and Aya learn more about this group of individuals, it becomes apparent that their stories are connected and that there is more at stake than just Aya’s life. The disease afflicting her has many forms: a vengeful god, a computer virus, and a contagious illness. If they fail to unravel the secret of Aya’s mysterious disease, the very survival of humanity could be at stake.
- GenresEbooks
493 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2024
11 people are currently reading
2091 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Clausen
10 books537 followersDaniel has wanted to be a writer ever since he was in elementary school. He has published stories and articles in such magazines as Slipstream, Black Petals, Ken*Again, Aphelion, Spindrift, Zygote in my Coffee, BlazeVox, Euphony Journal, and Leading Edge Science Fiction (among many others).
He has written many books: The Sage and the Scarecrow (a novel), the Lexical Funk (a short story collection), Reejecttion (short story/ essay collection), ReejecttIIon -- A Number Two, (short story /essay collection collaboration with Harry Whitewolf), Something to Stem the Diminishing (short story / essay collection), The Underground Novel (a novel / self-help book), Pure Writerly Moments (a Wattpad collection of essays and stories), They're Making it Up as They Go Along (a literary experiment with Harry Whitewolf), and the Ghosts of Nagasaki (a novel).
His novel "Statues in the Cloud" is available on Amazon Kindle and in Paperback for a very reasonable price. https://www.amazon.com/Statues-Cloud-...
He has written many books: The Sage and the Scarecrow (a novel), the Lexical Funk (a short story collection), Reejecttion (short story/ essay collection), ReejecttIIon -- A Number Two, (short story /essay collection collaboration with Harry Whitewolf), Something to Stem the Diminishing (short story / essay collection), The Underground Novel (a novel / self-help book), Pure Writerly Moments (a Wattpad collection of essays and stories), They're Making it Up as They Go Along (a literary experiment with Harry Whitewolf), and the Ghosts of Nagasaki (a novel).
His novel "Statues in the Cloud" is available on Amazon Kindle and in Paperback for a very reasonable price. https://www.amazon.com/Statues-Cloud-...
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November 16, 2025Hello everyone,
Please enjoy this book trailer. Feel free to share the video and leave comments. I appreciate the support!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXs3G...
Synopsis:
One day, a writer in Japan receives a letter from a young fan who is dying from a mysterious disease. The young fan, Aya, gives the writer a challenge: “Come to Nagasaki and help me find seven pieces of a statue. If you can help me do this simple thing,” she tells him, “you will have cured me.”
What the writer soon discovers is that finding the seven pieces means telling the stories of seven unique individuals: a future governor of Tokyo, an American soldier from the Second World War, a folk hero from Miami, a young dancer in a future Hiroshima, an artificial intelligence from the far future, the writer’s own story, and the story of Aya.
As the writer and Aya learn more about this group of individuals, it becomes apparent that their stories are connected and that there is more at stake than just Aya’s life. The disease afflicting her has many forms: a vengeful god, a computer virus, and a contagious illness. If they fail to unravel the secret of Aya’s mysterious disease, the very survival of humanity could be at stake.
Here is a short excerpt from the book:
It was about a week, maybe two weeks, before the letter came.
I was writing. But I felt like my characters were numb to me. I would try to put them down on paper, but they would just sit there like lifeless clay – vague, mute...
Then, I was waiting at a train station one day in my city of Fujisawa, at one of the many train stations that dot the traditional rail line that runs along the coast from Fujisawa to the old samurai capital of Kamakura. The old trains of the Enoden had this classic green look to them that made them iconic and recognizable to locals and tourists. If you went into any tourist shop in Fujisawa you were apt to find postcards with animated drawings of them.
So, there I was, just standing in a suit, with a briefcase stuffed full of student papers and other work-related items of various importance. There were two elementary school kids, maybe eight or nine years old, playing “junken” (rock, paper, scissors). A mother with her infant in a pouch on her chest. I looked down the station platform and saw this young man. An American. He had this jacket on that looked one size too big for him. A military jacket of some kind. He was shorter than me and had this way of hunching over. Other than that, details don’t stand out clearly in my mind.
He wasn’t me, but he could’ve been me. I had this image of him in my mind. He was in some old bar in...in...Pittsburgh?...and was offering up a toast, wearing that same jacket...but now, for reasons I couldn’t understand, he was here in Fujisawa, and he had this look like the world had ended and he was about to throw himself in front of a train. I could hear very clearly the thoughts in his head. Ma, oh ma, I loved you but never told you how much.
I started walking down the train platform to get closer to him, as if I were some trout on a fishing line. I was moving toward him, but I was also being pulled toward him. And then I was close to him, and I reached out to him for a moment, and I realized that he only lived in my mind and that I was...not hallucinating, that’s not the right word...the things in my mind were real, just not real the way others think of them.
Nevertheless, I reached out to him as if he were there. I didn’t have a name to call him by. I didn’t know how to reach him. I wanted to just say “Pittsburgh” out loud. But then I became aware of where I was. I was in this little rustic train station. There were about a dozen people on the platform waiting for the train.
Try to focus on them, I told myself. Focus on the living. I found a salaryman starting to fall asleep standing up. He seemed slightly drunk. Focus on him, I told myself. But the more I tried, the more the man from Pittsburgh was there on the platform with me.
He was just behind the salaryman, and I could see he was seriously debating just throwing himself in front of the train. I could see that look of wild desperation in his eyes. The train was coming now. He was no longer just a person in my mind. He was someone I vaguely knew. I was sure if I reached out, I could touch him. And I said out loud, “No, don’t.” And before I could see what had happened to him, I found several people around me asking me if I was alright.
“Daijyobu,” I said to each of them, a salaryman, a young housewife, and some others... but I wasn’t alright. Something was wrong. I was sweating like I had a fever and I had almost toppled over.
Yes, something was wrong, but I couldn’t say exactly what.
In the height of my delirium I actually checked around the track to see if something had happened. I half expected to see the bloody remains of the ex-soldier...How did I know he was an ex-soldier?
There was nothing, though...nothing that I could see yet.
Please enjoy this book trailer. Feel free to share the video and leave comments. I appreciate the support!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXs3G...
Synopsis:
One day, a writer in Japan receives a letter from a young fan who is dying from a mysterious disease. The young fan, Aya, gives the writer a challenge: “Come to Nagasaki and help me find seven pieces of a statue. If you can help me do this simple thing,” she tells him, “you will have cured me.”
What the writer soon discovers is that finding the seven pieces means telling the stories of seven unique individuals: a future governor of Tokyo, an American soldier from the Second World War, a folk hero from Miami, a young dancer in a future Hiroshima, an artificial intelligence from the far future, the writer’s own story, and the story of Aya.
As the writer and Aya learn more about this group of individuals, it becomes apparent that their stories are connected and that there is more at stake than just Aya’s life. The disease afflicting her has many forms: a vengeful god, a computer virus, and a contagious illness. If they fail to unravel the secret of Aya’s mysterious disease, the very survival of humanity could be at stake.
Here is a short excerpt from the book:
It was about a week, maybe two weeks, before the letter came.
I was writing. But I felt like my characters were numb to me. I would try to put them down on paper, but they would just sit there like lifeless clay – vague, mute...
Then, I was waiting at a train station one day in my city of Fujisawa, at one of the many train stations that dot the traditional rail line that runs along the coast from Fujisawa to the old samurai capital of Kamakura. The old trains of the Enoden had this classic green look to them that made them iconic and recognizable to locals and tourists. If you went into any tourist shop in Fujisawa you were apt to find postcards with animated drawings of them.
So, there I was, just standing in a suit, with a briefcase stuffed full of student papers and other work-related items of various importance. There were two elementary school kids, maybe eight or nine years old, playing “junken” (rock, paper, scissors). A mother with her infant in a pouch on her chest. I looked down the station platform and saw this young man. An American. He had this jacket on that looked one size too big for him. A military jacket of some kind. He was shorter than me and had this way of hunching over. Other than that, details don’t stand out clearly in my mind.
He wasn’t me, but he could’ve been me. I had this image of him in my mind. He was in some old bar in...in...Pittsburgh?...and was offering up a toast, wearing that same jacket...but now, for reasons I couldn’t understand, he was here in Fujisawa, and he had this look like the world had ended and he was about to throw himself in front of a train. I could hear very clearly the thoughts in his head. Ma, oh ma, I loved you but never told you how much.
I started walking down the train platform to get closer to him, as if I were some trout on a fishing line. I was moving toward him, but I was also being pulled toward him. And then I was close to him, and I reached out to him for a moment, and I realized that he only lived in my mind and that I was...not hallucinating, that’s not the right word...the things in my mind were real, just not real the way others think of them.
Nevertheless, I reached out to him as if he were there. I didn’t have a name to call him by. I didn’t know how to reach him. I wanted to just say “Pittsburgh” out loud. But then I became aware of where I was. I was in this little rustic train station. There were about a dozen people on the platform waiting for the train.
Try to focus on them, I told myself. Focus on the living. I found a salaryman starting to fall asleep standing up. He seemed slightly drunk. Focus on him, I told myself. But the more I tried, the more the man from Pittsburgh was there on the platform with me.
He was just behind the salaryman, and I could see he was seriously debating just throwing himself in front of the train. I could see that look of wild desperation in his eyes. The train was coming now. He was no longer just a person in my mind. He was someone I vaguely knew. I was sure if I reached out, I could touch him. And I said out loud, “No, don’t.” And before I could see what had happened to him, I found several people around me asking me if I was alright.
“Daijyobu,” I said to each of them, a salaryman, a young housewife, and some others... but I wasn’t alright. Something was wrong. I was sweating like I had a fever and I had almost toppled over.
Yes, something was wrong, but I couldn’t say exactly what.
In the height of my delirium I actually checked around the track to see if something had happened. I half expected to see the bloody remains of the ex-soldier...How did I know he was an ex-soldier?
There was nothing, though...nothing that I could see yet.
June 15, 2024
Daniel Clausen is definitely becoming one of my favourite authors. I’ve really liked everything he’s written and this, much like some of his previous works, I absolutely loved.
Starting with a central protagonist called only ‘the writer’ (a fictionalised version of Clausen himself, I’m sure) we soon encounter the other characters that ultimately make up a fantastic ensemble cast who are great fun to spend a few days with.
Thematically and tonally this story is personal, allegorical, science fictional, magical realismical, philosophical, political, deeply emotional, whimsical, fantastical, realistical, heroic questical, multi-facetical and, above all, humanical. (I should probably trademark some of those words… or not.)
I suppose, for me, the aspect I loved most was that I saw myself in many of the characters and found the book deeply moving as a result. I’m not going to spoil the ending but, ultimately, it gave me hope for the future; something I’m often in short supply of.
‘Statues in the Cloud’ gets my highest recommendation. I can’t wait for Mr. Clausen’s next book.
Starting with a central protagonist called only ‘the writer’ (a fictionalised version of Clausen himself, I’m sure) we soon encounter the other characters that ultimately make up a fantastic ensemble cast who are great fun to spend a few days with.
Thematically and tonally this story is personal, allegorical, science fictional, magical realismical, philosophical, political, deeply emotional, whimsical, fantastical, realistical, heroic questical, multi-facetical and, above all, humanical. (I should probably trademark some of those words… or not.)
I suppose, for me, the aspect I loved most was that I saw myself in many of the characters and found the book deeply moving as a result. I’m not going to spoil the ending but, ultimately, it gave me hope for the future; something I’m often in short supply of.
‘Statues in the Cloud’ gets my highest recommendation. I can’t wait for Mr. Clausen’s next book.
April 30, 2024
Statues in the Cloud is an ambitious novel about fear, courage, and the power of story telling.
It opens with a demon shrouded in a black fog menacing a small village by spoiling their crops, making them sick, and turning them against each other.
This short intro gives way to an American-born writer living in Japan. He’s not very successful, and he finds his work life and love life neither terrible nor fulfilling. He gets a letter from a young girl who says her organs are slowly hardening and asks him to come visit her in Nagasaki and “Bring all [his] story-telling powers with [him]” and “learn all we can about good and evil.” When he goes, the girl, Aya, shows him a piece of a statue which she believes to have magical properties. She is convinced her recovery depends on their finding the other pieces of the broken statue, and thus begins their adventure.
The writer begins writing a new story —a series of vignettes: an unapologetic governor in near-future Tokyo, a troubled young man who has just returned home from WWII, a young boy and his father who has pancreatic cancer, Aya’s as-yet-unborn younger sister, and an AI from a post-organic humanity future.
Each character’s story is compelling and told in a distinct voice, even as the line between the writer’s story and Clausen’s story becomes blurred (and Clausen’s story seems to wear it’s autobiographical elements on its sleeve so much that I couldn’t help but wonder where the line between the frame story and his real life was). It’s such an amalgamation of genres (magical realism, science fiction, etc.) and feelings (introspection, humor, etc.) that it is impressive how cohesive it remains throughout.
I liked each storyline so much that, actually, I was disappointed that they weren’t longer (especially the parts with the boy from the village climbing the mountain to confront the demon. Clausen uses them essentially just as introductions for each chapter, but I wanted to see more of that world). I also felt that the writer’s story got interrupted to show what was going on with Aya and the writer at that moment too much. I know this was meant to show how the reality and fictions were paralleled, but it also took me out of the mood of that particular storyline.
Regardless, it was a fantastic journey. Definitely Clausen’s best work since (and maybe even including) The Ghosts of Nagasaki.
It opens with a demon shrouded in a black fog menacing a small village by spoiling their crops, making them sick, and turning them against each other.
This short intro gives way to an American-born writer living in Japan. He’s not very successful, and he finds his work life and love life neither terrible nor fulfilling. He gets a letter from a young girl who says her organs are slowly hardening and asks him to come visit her in Nagasaki and “Bring all [his] story-telling powers with [him]” and “learn all we can about good and evil.” When he goes, the girl, Aya, shows him a piece of a statue which she believes to have magical properties. She is convinced her recovery depends on their finding the other pieces of the broken statue, and thus begins their adventure.
The writer begins writing a new story —a series of vignettes: an unapologetic governor in near-future Tokyo, a troubled young man who has just returned home from WWII, a young boy and his father who has pancreatic cancer, Aya’s as-yet-unborn younger sister, and an AI from a post-organic humanity future.
Each character’s story is compelling and told in a distinct voice, even as the line between the writer’s story and Clausen’s story becomes blurred (and Clausen’s story seems to wear it’s autobiographical elements on its sleeve so much that I couldn’t help but wonder where the line between the frame story and his real life was). It’s such an amalgamation of genres (magical realism, science fiction, etc.) and feelings (introspection, humor, etc.) that it is impressive how cohesive it remains throughout.
I liked each storyline so much that, actually, I was disappointed that they weren’t longer (especially the parts with the boy from the village climbing the mountain to confront the demon. Clausen uses them essentially just as introductions for each chapter, but I wanted to see more of that world). I also felt that the writer’s story got interrupted to show what was going on with Aya and the writer at that moment too much. I know this was meant to show how the reality and fictions were paralleled, but it also took me out of the mood of that particular storyline.
Regardless, it was a fantastic journey. Definitely Clausen’s best work since (and maybe even including) The Ghosts of Nagasaki.
November 22, 2024
I loved it! I was drawn into the story, and felt each character in his and her own way. Not every adult male author can write a teenage girl authentically, but Daniel Clausen nailed it. With a unique story line, I turned every page wanting more. This is a book that I won’t soon forget. Well done, writer!
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
September 28, 2024
Review to follow
May 26, 2025
Statues in the Cloud is one of the more unusual books I’ve read. Starting with a dark fairy tale and turning into a blend of fiction, science fiction, magical realism, and politics, I wasn’t sure what to make of it for a good while.
The story features a motley crew of characters from different times and places that seemingly have no connection to each other but are ultimately brought together in a very clever and unusual way. Each character has something they need to overcome and I found myself empathetic to each one’s hardships (even the politician).
Themes of good vs evil, dehumanization of political opponents and other cultures, loneliness, intrusion of technology, the impacts of war on health, and family connections are prevalent throughout. I found myself comparing the future Tokyo governor and his followers/opponents to current politicians.
The character stories were all very unique with the LISA AI character being the most challenging for me to accept and relate to. I loved the man from Chicago character and wanted more from the villager character. I was sorry I didn’t read this one with my book club. There is so much to analyze and discuss.
I was a Goodreads giveaway winner.
The story features a motley crew of characters from different times and places that seemingly have no connection to each other but are ultimately brought together in a very clever and unusual way. Each character has something they need to overcome and I found myself empathetic to each one’s hardships (even the politician).
Themes of good vs evil, dehumanization of political opponents and other cultures, loneliness, intrusion of technology, the impacts of war on health, and family connections are prevalent throughout. I found myself comparing the future Tokyo governor and his followers/opponents to current politicians.
The character stories were all very unique with the LISA AI character being the most challenging for me to accept and relate to. I loved the man from Chicago character and wanted more from the villager character. I was sorry I didn’t read this one with my book club. There is so much to analyze and discuss.
I was a Goodreads giveaway winner.
April 27, 2024
When a novel really comes together, it really comes together. And just like the seven pieces of a statue that the protagonist writer must find in Nagasaki (or actually - slightly beyond; as the way to finding the pieces is through the protagonist’s storytelling) to help cure a dying girl called Aya, the pieces of this novel all work remarkably well by themselves and also come together holistically to make a wondrous and absorbing whole.
Honestly, this latest novel of Clausen’s is hands-down one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time – and it is the author’s best since his phenomenal Ghosts of Nagasaki novel.
Each wonderfully-drawn character and varied story are so well-presented and engaging – whether it’s the governor of Tokyo in the near future or a lost WWII soldier – and they unite perfectly to form a modern magical realism parable that gives a nod to ancient Eastern myths and yet stands out as something completely unique.
Beautifully written, utterly compelling, funny, sad and moving… Quite simply, this is a masterpiece that deserves widespread attention. You can tell Clausen has been carefully crafting this book for years.
The book is also packed full of wisdom. I particularly liked: “Maybe the thing that keeps people away from you is also the thing that makes people near you love you the most.”
Those who keep away from the Statues in the Cloud won’t know what they’re missing. Those who get up close will be emerged in a world they’re sure to love. They might even contribute to saving the world!
Honestly, this latest novel of Clausen’s is hands-down one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time – and it is the author’s best since his phenomenal Ghosts of Nagasaki novel.
Each wonderfully-drawn character and varied story are so well-presented and engaging – whether it’s the governor of Tokyo in the near future or a lost WWII soldier – and they unite perfectly to form a modern magical realism parable that gives a nod to ancient Eastern myths and yet stands out as something completely unique.
Beautifully written, utterly compelling, funny, sad and moving… Quite simply, this is a masterpiece that deserves widespread attention. You can tell Clausen has been carefully crafting this book for years.
The book is also packed full of wisdom. I particularly liked: “Maybe the thing that keeps people away from you is also the thing that makes people near you love you the most.”
Those who keep away from the Statues in the Cloud won’t know what they’re missing. Those who get up close will be emerged in a world they’re sure to love. They might even contribute to saving the world!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews