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Salmonella Men on Planet Porno
This collection of marvelously off-kilter short stories – the American debut of acclaimed Japanese writer Yasutaka Tsutsui – portrays the consequences of a world where the fantastic and the mundane collide and throw the lives of ordinary men and women into disarray.
In “The Dabba Dabba Tree”, Tsutsui describes the hilarious side effects of a small conical tree that, when placed at the foot of one’s bed, creates erotic dreams that metamorphose into communal farce. In “Commuter Army” – a sly commentary on the ludicrousness of war – a weapons supplier whose rifles cease functioning after just one shot becomes an unwilling conscript in a war zone. “The World is Tilting” imagines a floating city that slowly begins to sink on one side, causing its citizens to reorient their daily lives to preserve a semblance of normality. In “Rumors About Me”, an ordinary office worker finds himself the subject of intense media scrutiny, his every action documented in the tabloids. And in the title story, we learn just how obscenely absurd the environment on Planet Porno can seem to a group of hapless research scientists.
With a sharp eye towards the insanities of contemporary life, Yasutaka Tsutsui crafts in Salmonella Men on Planet Porno an irresistible mix of imagination, satiric fantasy, and truly madcap hilarity.
Contents:
- The Dabba Dabba Tree
- Rumours About Me
- Don't Laugh
- Farmer Airlines
- Bear's Wood Main Line
- The Very Edge of Happiness
- Commuter Army
- Hello, Hello, Hello!
- The World is Tilting
- Bravo Herr Mozart!
- The Last Smoker
- Bad for the Heart
- Salmonella Men on Planet Porno
Cover illustration by Jonathan Sainsbury
In “The Dabba Dabba Tree”, Tsutsui describes the hilarious side effects of a small conical tree that, when placed at the foot of one’s bed, creates erotic dreams that metamorphose into communal farce. In “Commuter Army” – a sly commentary on the ludicrousness of war – a weapons supplier whose rifles cease functioning after just one shot becomes an unwilling conscript in a war zone. “The World is Tilting” imagines a floating city that slowly begins to sink on one side, causing its citizens to reorient their daily lives to preserve a semblance of normality. In “Rumors About Me”, an ordinary office worker finds himself the subject of intense media scrutiny, his every action documented in the tabloids. And in the title story, we learn just how obscenely absurd the environment on Planet Porno can seem to a group of hapless research scientists.
With a sharp eye towards the insanities of contemporary life, Yasutaka Tsutsui crafts in Salmonella Men on Planet Porno an irresistible mix of imagination, satiric fantasy, and truly madcap hilarity.
Contents:
- The Dabba Dabba Tree
- Rumours About Me
- Don't Laugh
- Farmer Airlines
- Bear's Wood Main Line
- The Very Edge of Happiness
- Commuter Army
- Hello, Hello, Hello!
- The World is Tilting
- Bravo Herr Mozart!
- The Last Smoker
- Bad for the Heart
- Salmonella Men on Planet Porno
Cover illustration by Jonathan Sainsbury
252 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2006
About the author
Yasutaka Tsutsui
273 books374 followersYasutaka Tsutsui (筒井康隆) is a Japanese novelist, science fiction author, and actor. Along with Shinichi Hoshi and Sakyo Komatsu, he is one of the most famous science fiction writers in Japan. His Yume no Kizaka Bunkiten won the Tanizaki Prize in 1987. He has also won the 1981 Izumi Kyoka award, the 1989 Kawabata Yasunari award, and the 1992 Nihon SF Taisho Award. In 1997, he was decorated as a Chevalier Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
His work is known for its dark humour and satirical content. He has often satirized Japanese taboos such as disabilities and the Tenno system, and has been victim to much criticism as a result. From 1993 to 1996, he went on a writing-strike to protest the excessive, self-imposed restraint of Japanese publishers.
One of his first novels, Toki o Kakeru Shōjo (1967), has been adapted into numerous media including film, television and manga. Another novel, Paprika (1993), was adapted into an animated film by the director Satoshi Kon in 2006.
His work is known for its dark humour and satirical content. He has often satirized Japanese taboos such as disabilities and the Tenno system, and has been victim to much criticism as a result. From 1993 to 1996, he went on a writing-strike to protest the excessive, self-imposed restraint of Japanese publishers.
One of his first novels, Toki o Kakeru Shōjo (1967), has been adapted into numerous media including film, television and manga. Another novel, Paprika (1993), was adapted into an animated film by the director Satoshi Kon in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
May 7, 2009
Barely hearing of Mr. Yasutaka Tsutsui, I picked this book up in Tokyo for the plane ride back to Los Angeles - basically because it was a collection of short stories and it's easier for me to put down once in awhile - but alas I had a hard time leaving my hands off this book. A really remarkable read!
In many ways his short stories remind me of Boris Vian's short fiction, and almost all of them are rather absurd. Yet the main character is always the everyman going through some frustrating extraordinary situation. Very funny, light on its toes, yet serious subject matters. Wonderful discovery for me!
In many ways his short stories remind me of Boris Vian's short fiction, and almost all of them are rather absurd. Yet the main character is always the everyman going through some frustrating extraordinary situation. Very funny, light on its toes, yet serious subject matters. Wonderful discovery for me!
April 2, 2013
I got this beautiful looking book from the library. The received stamp is dated 2008 and five years later it looks immaculate. I'm not sure there's much demand for fantastical allegories of 70s Japanese society in Western Australia. However highly regarded the author is in his native country and however rare it is to find his work translated to English.
I hate the idea of mentioning him but there really is similarity to Haruki Murakami in this collection of short stories from Tsutsui. It feels like a lazy comparison however, they're both Japanese, one is an international superstar of magical realism style fiction and the other wrote novels that were the basis for anime. It's bordering on comparing both authors to the creator of Godzilla but it's the best I can do! I do however see in them the evolution of the traditional literary fantasy story form from Akutagawa to Tsutsui, which is bordering on an academic conclusion if you stretch the definition far enough.
Tsutsui's stories are incredibly surreal, absurdist takes on contemporary Japan, originally published in the late 70s they still remain relevant commentary on 21st century western culture. Whether that is because the West has caught up with Japan or things change a lot less than we would like to credit ourselves with I cannot say.
As with about all collections of short stories there are the good, the bad and the ugly and you never know what you're going to get from one to the next. If you're interested in Japanese culture as analysed by a popular Japanese icon then this collection is well worth your time. If you're looking for titillation based on the rather bizarre title I suggest that you keep on searching for your next fix.
I hate the idea of mentioning him but there really is similarity to Haruki Murakami in this collection of short stories from Tsutsui. It feels like a lazy comparison however, they're both Japanese, one is an international superstar of magical realism style fiction and the other wrote novels that were the basis for anime. It's bordering on comparing both authors to the creator of Godzilla but it's the best I can do! I do however see in them the evolution of the traditional literary fantasy story form from Akutagawa to Tsutsui, which is bordering on an academic conclusion if you stretch the definition far enough.
Tsutsui's stories are incredibly surreal, absurdist takes on contemporary Japan, originally published in the late 70s they still remain relevant commentary on 21st century western culture. Whether that is because the West has caught up with Japan or things change a lot less than we would like to credit ourselves with I cannot say.
As with about all collections of short stories there are the good, the bad and the ugly and you never know what you're going to get from one to the next. If you're interested in Japanese culture as analysed by a popular Japanese icon then this collection is well worth your time. If you're looking for titillation based on the rather bizarre title I suggest that you keep on searching for your next fix.
December 30, 2008
Well, this was weird. I really liked some of the stories in this collection—and I deeply loathed others. “The Very Edge of Happiness,” for example, is a brilliant and chilling piece of social commentary; “The World Is Tilting,” however, is one of the most misogynistic pieces of crap I’ve suffered through all year. What am I supposed to do with that?
You know, I really hate that I’m even in the position to have to review half of what I read from the perspective of my angry ovaries; I start to feel like the girl who cried sexism. On the other hand… THERE ARE WOLVES EVERYWHERE. HIDE YOUR SONS! ARM YOUR DAUGHTERS! I’m just going to keep beating on this thing until it goes away.
You know, I really hate that I’m even in the position to have to review half of what I read from the perspective of my angry ovaries; I start to feel like the girl who cried sexism. On the other hand… THERE ARE WOLVES EVERYWHERE. HIDE YOUR SONS! ARM YOUR DAUGHTERS! I’m just going to keep beating on this thing until it goes away.
May 31, 2015
If you like stories that are slightly off-centre, quirky but coherent, interesting and humourous then you'll like this. This is how the first story begins:
The Dabba Dabba Tree
My father came up from the country carrying a curiously shaped bonsai tree.
“This here’s a Dabba Dabba Tree,” he announced, showing it to me and my wife. “It’s a special kind of cedar, see.”
“My, what an odd-looking thing,” said my wife, examining it with a look of puzzlement.
The tree was about eight inches tall. It was thicker at the base but tapered off towards the top, where the foliage was more sparse. Standing upright, the trunk formed a perfect cone.
“Yes, and what an odd name,” I added, watching my father’s expression. Perhaps it would shed some light on his reason for bringing the tree.
“Well, it’s not just the name that’s odd,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “If you put this Dabba Dabba Tree in your bedroom at night, you’ll have fruity dreams till morning comes!”
“Gosh! I wonder what he means,” said my wife.
I whispered in her ear. “Erotic dreams, of course.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, blushing.
My father gave her a lewd look and continued. “You’ve been married five years but still ain’t had kids. That’s why I brought you the tree. Put it in your bedroom tonight – you’re sure to have some cracking dreams. Go on, have it! It’s no good for an old codger like me! Kekekekekeh!” he chuckled like some weird bird, before setting off back to the country
That night, we took the Dabba Dabba Tree into our bedroom and placed it at the foot of our double bed. Yes, we were still using a double bed even after five years of marriage. Well, our bedroom was rather small. There wasn’t enough room for two beds.
“Goodnight, then.”
“Yes, goodnight.”
We dived under the sheets, excitedly turned our backs on each other, and concentrated on getting to sleep. At times like this, you want to be the first to drop off. Otherwise, the sound of your partner’s breathing gets on your nerves and keeps you awake. So much the worse if you know she’s having an erotic dream. And worse still if she starts talking in her sleep. Luckily, I nodded off immediately. And I started dreaming. I dreamt I was in my bedroom, sleeping in my double bed with my wife.
“Yes! A dream!”
I sat up. My wife was slumbering peacefully next to me, completely naked. She can’t sleep any other way. I turned my head in puzzlement.
“Great. What’s erotic about that?!”
If I made love to her after all this time, there wouldn’t be anything erotic about it at all. It would just be dull old reality whether she was naked or not.
“Well, if this is an erotic dream, I’d better do something erotic!”
I got out of bed and put my shirt and trousers on. Then I slipped on some sandals and went outside. To find a woman worthy of sharing my erotic dream, I’d have to go to the nightlife district. I walked along a dark side-road, then turned into a major thoroughfare. The street shone as bright as day, thanks to the bars and restaurants on either side. There were people everywhere.
“Where are all the tasty women then?” I grumbled. I was feeling rather tired after walking two or three blocks. Having an erotic dream clearly demanded a certain amount of perseverance.....................
The Dabba Dabba Tree
My father came up from the country carrying a curiously shaped bonsai tree.
“This here’s a Dabba Dabba Tree,” he announced, showing it to me and my wife. “It’s a special kind of cedar, see.”
“My, what an odd-looking thing,” said my wife, examining it with a look of puzzlement.
The tree was about eight inches tall. It was thicker at the base but tapered off towards the top, where the foliage was more sparse. Standing upright, the trunk formed a perfect cone.
“Yes, and what an odd name,” I added, watching my father’s expression. Perhaps it would shed some light on his reason for bringing the tree.
“Well, it’s not just the name that’s odd,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “If you put this Dabba Dabba Tree in your bedroom at night, you’ll have fruity dreams till morning comes!”
“Gosh! I wonder what he means,” said my wife.
I whispered in her ear. “Erotic dreams, of course.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, blushing.
My father gave her a lewd look and continued. “You’ve been married five years but still ain’t had kids. That’s why I brought you the tree. Put it in your bedroom tonight – you’re sure to have some cracking dreams. Go on, have it! It’s no good for an old codger like me! Kekekekekeh!” he chuckled like some weird bird, before setting off back to the country
That night, we took the Dabba Dabba Tree into our bedroom and placed it at the foot of our double bed. Yes, we were still using a double bed even after five years of marriage. Well, our bedroom was rather small. There wasn’t enough room for two beds.
“Goodnight, then.”
“Yes, goodnight.”
We dived under the sheets, excitedly turned our backs on each other, and concentrated on getting to sleep. At times like this, you want to be the first to drop off. Otherwise, the sound of your partner’s breathing gets on your nerves and keeps you awake. So much the worse if you know she’s having an erotic dream. And worse still if she starts talking in her sleep. Luckily, I nodded off immediately. And I started dreaming. I dreamt I was in my bedroom, sleeping in my double bed with my wife.
“Yes! A dream!”
I sat up. My wife was slumbering peacefully next to me, completely naked. She can’t sleep any other way. I turned my head in puzzlement.
“Great. What’s erotic about that?!”
If I made love to her after all this time, there wouldn’t be anything erotic about it at all. It would just be dull old reality whether she was naked or not.
“Well, if this is an erotic dream, I’d better do something erotic!”
I got out of bed and put my shirt and trousers on. Then I slipped on some sandals and went outside. To find a woman worthy of sharing my erotic dream, I’d have to go to the nightlife district. I walked along a dark side-road, then turned into a major thoroughfare. The street shone as bright as day, thanks to the bars and restaurants on either side. There were people everywhere.
“Where are all the tasty women then?” I grumbled. I was feeling rather tired after walking two or three blocks. Having an erotic dream clearly demanded a certain amount of perseverance.....................
December 24, 2008
Occasionally gruesome and sometimes (though not as often as you might expect from the title) sexually graphic, this is not a book for kids. It is a beautiful package, though. As called out by BoingBoing, this book has one of the best covers of 2008, with photographic collages front and back designed by Jonathan Sainsbury.
Translator Andrew Driver also deserves recognition for his deft work in general, and for particular choices which must have been difficult - Tsutsui's characters and locations are often named with punning, idiomatic neologisms.
But none of this would matter if the stories themselves weren't worthy of the effort. Fortunately, the contents stand up to the packaging. No two stories are alike, but in all of them Tsutsui's strongly-drawn characters face absurd situations. American authors like Kurt Vonnegut or Philip José Farmer might do justice to some of them, but others could only have come from Japan. From the wry irony of the first tale, "The Dabba-Dabba Tree," in which the tree of the title brings erotic dreams to husband and wife, through the bewildered protagonist of "Commuter Army," to the exuberant nomenclature and fleshly excesses of the concluding title story, Tsutsui shows us his versatility. It's no wonder he's won multiple awards in his own country... it may well be that this book is a breakthrough for him in the States as well. It's certainly worth checking out.
Translator Andrew Driver also deserves recognition for his deft work in general, and for particular choices which must have been difficult - Tsutsui's characters and locations are often named with punning, idiomatic neologisms.
But none of this would matter if the stories themselves weren't worthy of the effort. Fortunately, the contents stand up to the packaging. No two stories are alike, but in all of them Tsutsui's strongly-drawn characters face absurd situations. American authors like Kurt Vonnegut or Philip José Farmer might do justice to some of them, but others could only have come from Japan. From the wry irony of the first tale, "The Dabba-Dabba Tree," in which the tree of the title brings erotic dreams to husband and wife, through the bewildered protagonist of "Commuter Army," to the exuberant nomenclature and fleshly excesses of the concluding title story, Tsutsui shows us his versatility. It's no wonder he's won multiple awards in his own country... it may well be that this book is a breakthrough for him in the States as well. It's certainly worth checking out.
July 2, 2018
Overall funny, weird and really rather insightful into society at the moment.
1st story - it's so weird it's funny, after reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo it's nice to not have to think to hard about what I'm reading. A solid start to a book of short stories.
2nd story - just as weird as the first one. I haven't had a proper giggle at a book in a while. Good book for that.
3rd story - short, sweet and really funny.
4th story - I can't stop laughing, you know when you laugh at dark humor and you know you should but it's just funny. I think this story is the best one so far about "human folly"
5th story - it was a bit odd but didn't really catch me much.
6th story - I think it's the perfect depiction of the modern consumer. Terrifyingly accurate in my opinion.
7th Story - I didn't really understand what it meant. like it was a bit funny but I didn't understand the moral behind it.
8th story - Funny as hell, another one that has done well in illustrating the modern society we live in
9th story - just haha, weird and funny as ever
10th story - Mozart, using facts then adding a twist making it short and sweet.
11th story - as a smoker I found this funny and a real page turner. Not sure what a non-smoker would think of it...
12th story - yet another brilliant short that well describes society, we miss the beautiful things in life for a high...
13th story - well I must admit the most inappropriate and by FAR the most weird (and I'd thought we'd surpassed weird a while ago.)
1st story - it's so weird it's funny, after reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo it's nice to not have to think to hard about what I'm reading. A solid start to a book of short stories.
2nd story - just as weird as the first one. I haven't had a proper giggle at a book in a while. Good book for that.
3rd story - short, sweet and really funny.
4th story - I can't stop laughing, you know when you laugh at dark humor and you know you should but it's just funny. I think this story is the best one so far about "human folly"
5th story - it was a bit odd but didn't really catch me much.
6th story - I think it's the perfect depiction of the modern consumer. Terrifyingly accurate in my opinion.
7th Story - I didn't really understand what it meant. like it was a bit funny but I didn't understand the moral behind it.
8th story - Funny as hell, another one that has done well in illustrating the modern society we live in
9th story - just haha, weird and funny as ever
10th story - Mozart, using facts then adding a twist making it short and sweet.
11th story - as a smoker I found this funny and a real page turner. Not sure what a non-smoker would think of it...
12th story - yet another brilliant short that well describes society, we miss the beautiful things in life for a high...
13th story - well I must admit the most inappropriate and by FAR the most weird (and I'd thought we'd surpassed weird a while ago.)
May 18, 2022
Yep. One story really is about a porno planet. A planet where ever large animal wants to have sex with every other animal. Even some of the plants want to sex you up. The story doesn't make lots of sense, but it is just as bizarre and horrifying as Junji Ito manga. The rest of the stories are a mixed bag. (Other reviewers say they come from different periods in this prolific authors work. The book doesn't identify the original publication dates.)
Characters are never very fully formed, and the female characters are the worst. But there are some interesting stories. No idea how I decided to read this. Maybe because the author wrote the book that the anime movie Paprika is based on.
Characters are never very fully formed, and the female characters are the worst. But there are some interesting stories. No idea how I decided to read this. Maybe because the author wrote the book that the anime movie Paprika is based on.
September 21, 2012
This is a very interesting collection of short stories -- and, after the leaden, unreadable novel Paprika, a welcome change. I had a feeling Tsutsui could write and would be enjoyable in a better translation. Ironically, the same translator worked on this one too. Perhaps the novel was just taxing. In any event, I enjoyed most of the work in this book very much, although I think some of the stories work better than others, often mixing surrealism, humor, and lacerating satire. My favorite by far was "The World Is Tilting," in which a city built (shoddily) on an artificial island is damaged and begins to (surprise) tilt, at first comically and later, dangerously. "The Commuter Army" and "Rumours about Me" are also quite strong, following the same goofy-on-the-surface formula into darker realms. The repetitive title story bored me and I gave up on it, and there were a couple that didn't quite blaze as bright as these stronger pieces. Even so, this is a book well worth tracking down and reading. It's a far cry from much of the short fiction being published in the US and is a lovely reminder why I like contemporary Japanese writing so much.
July 25, 2021
If Kilgore Trout were Japanese, he could’ve written half of these stories. If Woody Allen were Japanese he could’ve written the other half. These are decidedly un-PC stories that are for the most part pretty funny, in an unexpected sort of way.
I still have no idea where the book came from. It showed up on my Kindle. How could I pass up a book with the title SALMONELLA MEN ON PLANET PORNO?
Would I recommend this collection of stories? Maybe to my brother, whose sense of humor is similar to mine, both forged while watching Bugs Bunny, Benny Hill and Monty Python. I probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else, though.
P.S. I know Kilgore Trout is a fictional writer created by Kurt Vonnegut and used as a pen name by Philip Jose Farmer.
I still have no idea where the book came from. It showed up on my Kindle. How could I pass up a book with the title SALMONELLA MEN ON PLANET PORNO?
Would I recommend this collection of stories? Maybe to my brother, whose sense of humor is similar to mine, both forged while watching Bugs Bunny, Benny Hill and Monty Python. I probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else, though.
P.S. I know Kilgore Trout is a fictional writer created by Kurt Vonnegut and used as a pen name by Philip Jose Farmer.
January 9, 2017
When I started reading this book, I thought maybe it was not the book for me at this moment. But there are some pretty great highlights here, and there is more to the absurd, when you look at more things these stories speak about, like the absurd idea of war, corruption, consumerism , lack of freedom.
There is one thing though, and I can't help mentioning it. What is up with the women in this book? The only nice
Ones are the younger, sweet girls. While all other women are just interested in their husbands money, they're mean, and corrupt. Maybe he needs a little psychoanalysis?
There is one thing though, and I can't help mentioning it. What is up with the women in this book? The only nice
Ones are the younger, sweet girls. While all other women are just interested in their husbands money, they're mean, and corrupt. Maybe he needs a little psychoanalysis?
August 26, 2009
I've often thought that if I placed my left foot forward first instead of my right or sneezed 3 times in a row and held in the 4th or hiccuped and coughed just right, reality would probably shift a little to the side revealing a parallel reality, a reality that would at first appear slightly screwed and skewed but then would feel just like any another humdrum reality. I often think of such silly things. I often get the hiccups.
Tsutsui evidently hiccuped and coughed just right. This book of stories may at first seem absurd but when you stop and think about it, they could be the real thing. Isn't our reality absurd? Some of the stories though totally outlandish seemed familiar. Like any book of short stories some fall flat and some are just brilliant. The title story falls in between.
And now as my little fingers peck at this keyboard creating symbols that appear as insults to a tribe of people living in the remote jungles of Borneo I'm thinking I should have released that 4th sneeze.
Tsutsui evidently hiccuped and coughed just right. This book of stories may at first seem absurd but when you stop and think about it, they could be the real thing. Isn't our reality absurd? Some of the stories though totally outlandish seemed familiar. Like any book of short stories some fall flat and some are just brilliant. The title story falls in between.
And now as my little fingers peck at this keyboard creating symbols that appear as insults to a tribe of people living in the remote jungles of Borneo I'm thinking I should have released that 4th sneeze.
January 10, 2025
Hm. Mixed feelings about this one. I generally don’t like to play morality police with characters when I’m reading, but the misogyny that at first felt satirical becomes so rampant that you start cringing, which I think definitely tainted the experience. Also having given the author a quick google his characters really seem to reflect his outlook.
I liked the absurdism- many of the stories were just SO weird, and some of them were very funny- I liked the fact that you never really knew where you stood with them and even if you did find your feet with one the last page would completely pull the rug from under you. Bravo Herr Mozart! Was brilliant and quite Joe Lycett / Bob Mortimer esque in style. I’d actually recommend not reading them all in one go but reading them between other books, as the style can start feeling a bit exhausting, espesh with the frequent philosophical abstractions.
Overall I mostly enjoyed but was also rarely completely sure whether I was enjoying, so… mixed feelings.
I liked the absurdism- many of the stories were just SO weird, and some of them were very funny- I liked the fact that you never really knew where you stood with them and even if you did find your feet with one the last page would completely pull the rug from under you. Bravo Herr Mozart! Was brilliant and quite Joe Lycett / Bob Mortimer esque in style. I’d actually recommend not reading them all in one go but reading them between other books, as the style can start feeling a bit exhausting, espesh with the frequent philosophical abstractions.
Overall I mostly enjoyed but was also rarely completely sure whether I was enjoying, so… mixed feelings.
August 10, 2014
A gallery of fascinating obscenity and reality-bending tales that I am sure to reread. Kafkaesque in execution, there is much of the truly strange observable in the mundane, serving as obvious metaphors for humanity's borderline-insanity. While the narrators are all of a similar waylaid or powerless and cuckolded variety, the stories are surprisingly different in content with many strong and distinguishing moments. This was very unlike anything I've ever read, and explores themes of sexuality, corporate militarism, reality media fever, the hilarity of time travel, cultural taboos, and reluctant adventurism.
January 26, 2017
Stories range from 3* to 5* (cannot finish The World Is Tilting though).
It's been a very long time since I last watched or read something that is truly "weird Japan", and moreover, all the weird stuff here makes perfect sense and has their purpose. Tsutsui's story-building is remarkably dramatic and sometimes the ending makes you go "eh that's it?", but surprisingly, it's not disappointing. Most stories are so vividly comical that I can see them in manga form, and despite being not grotesque and much deeper, they remind me of Kago Shintaro's works.
The Very Edge of Happiness is pure gold, it's the 2nd short story to daze me that much (1st one being Patriotism by Mishima).
It's been a very long time since I last watched or read something that is truly "weird Japan", and moreover, all the weird stuff here makes perfect sense and has their purpose. Tsutsui's story-building is remarkably dramatic and sometimes the ending makes you go "eh that's it?", but surprisingly, it's not disappointing. Most stories are so vividly comical that I can see them in manga form, and despite being not grotesque and much deeper, they remind me of Kago Shintaro's works.
The Very Edge of Happiness is pure gold, it's the 2nd short story to daze me that much (1st one being Patriotism by Mishima).
August 14, 2016
Not very good. I tried to like it 2 years ago. Didn't work. I tried again, last year. Still nothing. Last night, was the final straw, after I read the short story, "Don't Laugh." Absurd just for the sake of being absurd. There's literally no substance--unless it is all ((whoosh)) completely going over my head? There just isn't enough time in this life to be reading everything, or something I don't want to read (anymore). I think I am going to try and sell my copy. Let me know if you are interested.
January 15, 2024
4.5⭐️
Just my kind of unhinged
Just my kind of unhinged
January 15, 2019
Rather surprisingly, this collection represents the first appearance in English of the amazingly prolific Japanese author of some 30+ novels and 40+ short story collections. According to his web site, Tsutsu's major influences are Darwin, Freud, and the Marx Brothers -- all of which are well in evidence in the somewhat uneven mix of thirteen short stories.
The mix of surreal and slapstick can be exceedingly successful, such as "Rumors About Me," in which a typical salaryman wakes up one morning to discover he is the topic of a TV news report. As the week goes on, his daily life becomes the subject of a rapidly escalating wave of media hype, in a sly poke at shallow celebrity culture. Another fine story with a touch of cultural critique is "Commuter Army," in which a salesman for a Japanese weapons manufacturer is forced to go to the front lines of a decades-long border war between two fictional small Asian countries. The war has dragged on to the point where the army is trying to entice people to commute to the front on a daily basis and there's an especially funny scene in which the Japanese man is trying to catch the train to the front so he won't be late his first day. Easily the best story in the collection is "Hello, Hello, Hello", which features a mysterious customer service rep from a bank, who pops (literally) in and out of the life of a financially strapped couple, to dictate what they shouldn't buy. It's a hilarious and scathing attack on consumerism.
However the uneven nature of the collection is such that other stories with similar sensibilities are somewhat less successful. For example, in "The Dabba Dabba Tree," a houseplant/tree blurs the line between sexy dreams and reality, resulting in mounting social chaos. It's a somewhat funny conceit, but is never taken anywhere beyond the obvious. Another blah one is "The Very Edge of Happiness" in which an unhappily married couple attempt to head to the beach one weekend morning only to see their trip slowly morph into a surreal mimicry of lemming behavior. Here the social commentary is so obvious and overt that it reads like something from a freshman writing class. "The Last Smoker" is another rather clunky and unsubtle piece, taking the rise of the anti-smoking movement to it's extreme end, as smokers are beaten to death on the streets by mobs, and a lone writer survives as the titular character. "The World is Tilting" is an equally clunky tale, and it's hard to know if some of this might have seemed much sharper when it was originally written and published 25 years ago.
In the end, like most short story collections, there are some gems, some duds, and a lot in between. It's definitely worth checking out by anyone interested in modern Japanese fiction, and it definitely makes me curious to sample some of his other work, especially his novels. Kudos to Alma Books for giving the English-reading world a taste of Tsutsui, and it's worth mentioning that Andrew Driver's translation is exceedingly smooth and readable.
The mix of surreal and slapstick can be exceedingly successful, such as "Rumors About Me," in which a typical salaryman wakes up one morning to discover he is the topic of a TV news report. As the week goes on, his daily life becomes the subject of a rapidly escalating wave of media hype, in a sly poke at shallow celebrity culture. Another fine story with a touch of cultural critique is "Commuter Army," in which a salesman for a Japanese weapons manufacturer is forced to go to the front lines of a decades-long border war between two fictional small Asian countries. The war has dragged on to the point where the army is trying to entice people to commute to the front on a daily basis and there's an especially funny scene in which the Japanese man is trying to catch the train to the front so he won't be late his first day. Easily the best story in the collection is "Hello, Hello, Hello", which features a mysterious customer service rep from a bank, who pops (literally) in and out of the life of a financially strapped couple, to dictate what they shouldn't buy. It's a hilarious and scathing attack on consumerism.
However the uneven nature of the collection is such that other stories with similar sensibilities are somewhat less successful. For example, in "The Dabba Dabba Tree," a houseplant/tree blurs the line between sexy dreams and reality, resulting in mounting social chaos. It's a somewhat funny conceit, but is never taken anywhere beyond the obvious. Another blah one is "The Very Edge of Happiness" in which an unhappily married couple attempt to head to the beach one weekend morning only to see their trip slowly morph into a surreal mimicry of lemming behavior. Here the social commentary is so obvious and overt that it reads like something from a freshman writing class. "The Last Smoker" is another rather clunky and unsubtle piece, taking the rise of the anti-smoking movement to it's extreme end, as smokers are beaten to death on the streets by mobs, and a lone writer survives as the titular character. "The World is Tilting" is an equally clunky tale, and it's hard to know if some of this might have seemed much sharper when it was originally written and published 25 years ago.
In the end, like most short story collections, there are some gems, some duds, and a lot in between. It's definitely worth checking out by anyone interested in modern Japanese fiction, and it definitely makes me curious to sample some of his other work, especially his novels. Kudos to Alma Books for giving the English-reading world a taste of Tsutsui, and it's worth mentioning that Andrew Driver's translation is exceedingly smooth and readable.
March 26, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, but I feel somewhat torn about trying to give it a rating (I'd say 2.5 ish?). There's a decidedly male voice throughout the stories; I think I might go so far as to say that "maleness"/masculinity is a characteristic of nearly every story. Tsutsui's characters cannot be called heroes--so I can't just say that this book is full of pumped up male characters. That's not the case. It's quite the opposite, really...most of the characters are depraved, desperate, or transformed into automatons by their daily struggles. But while the men in these stories seem to "suffer" in existentially varied ways, I noticed that the women seemed...flat. They are angry housewives, faceless pregnant women, stuck-up rule followers. They are tyrannical. Their "suffering" is limited to the pain of having a husband who doesn't make enough money, or who doesn't have sex with them as often as they'd please. This characterization got old pretty fast, and I kept hoping for a female character (at least one!) with some depth, some intelligence, some sense of humanity (not just "woman-ness"). But that never happened.
Hands down my least favorite story was "The World is Tilting." It's about a feminist society, on an island, that begins to tilt into the sea due to some faulty engineering. Rather than evacuating the city the mayor decides it would be better not to tell anyone. The devout feminist followers of the mayor stick around, going so far as to shoot anyone who tries to leave. I don't want to spoil it (heh), but ultimately this story seemed to be a pretty harsh and strangely constructed jab at feminism. Although the society is described a number of times within the story as "feminist", I saw no indication of it, or the characters, exhibiting any feminist characteristics or values (broadly construed) whatsoever. Aside from having a female mayor, the society in this story seems pretty similar to the reality presented in Tsutsui's other stories. Needless to say, I was confused. Maybe it was a weird translation error, since the term "feminist" seems so arbitrarily inserted into the story; maybe I'm missing something, or maybe this completely non-representative depiction and criticism of feminism was totally intentional (in which case...I'm still confused).
Interestingly, "The World is Tilting" is far from the most ridiculous story in this collection (maybe that's part of why it fails). Most of the stories are surreal, gritty, and disturbing--my favorite kinds of stories. The title story (really more a novella), is pretty excellent. The very short story "Bravo Herr Mozart!" was also one of my favorites.
If you grit your teeth and try to ignore all the troubling, heartless housewives, then you'll find some dark, humorous, and bizarre stories in this collection. Or, if you think all women are evil, then you'll get a kick out of it too.
Hands down my least favorite story was "The World is Tilting." It's about a feminist society, on an island, that begins to tilt into the sea due to some faulty engineering. Rather than evacuating the city the mayor decides it would be better not to tell anyone. The devout feminist followers of the mayor stick around, going so far as to shoot anyone who tries to leave. I don't want to spoil it (heh), but ultimately this story seemed to be a pretty harsh and strangely constructed jab at feminism. Although the society is described a number of times within the story as "feminist", I saw no indication of it, or the characters, exhibiting any feminist characteristics or values (broadly construed) whatsoever. Aside from having a female mayor, the society in this story seems pretty similar to the reality presented in Tsutsui's other stories. Needless to say, I was confused. Maybe it was a weird translation error, since the term "feminist" seems so arbitrarily inserted into the story; maybe I'm missing something, or maybe this completely non-representative depiction and criticism of feminism was totally intentional (in which case...I'm still confused).
Interestingly, "The World is Tilting" is far from the most ridiculous story in this collection (maybe that's part of why it fails). Most of the stories are surreal, gritty, and disturbing--my favorite kinds of stories. The title story (really more a novella), is pretty excellent. The very short story "Bravo Herr Mozart!" was also one of my favorites.
If you grit your teeth and try to ignore all the troubling, heartless housewives, then you'll find some dark, humorous, and bizarre stories in this collection. Or, if you think all women are evil, then you'll get a kick out of it too.
August 25, 2009
This time of year, the weather in Tokyo, Japan is about ten degrees warmer than here in New York City. But for all its coolness and class—the art, the food, that sexy language—the cultural climate in Tokyo can be as kooky as anywhere in the Unites States if looking through the eyes of Japanese writer Yasutaka Tsutsui’s collection Salmonella Men on Planet Porno. This surprising group of odd short stories is Tsutsui’s multi-angled example of a world in which our smallest, most taken for granted activities and habits—smoking, fighting, dreaming—become the scary centers of man’s existence.
In “Rumors about Me”, an office drone becomes the headlining story in a paparazzi marriage to The Truman Show. In the novella and title story, we learn the true meaning and value of the environment to the irresponsible great minds of Planet Porno. “Commuter Army” is Tsutsui’s critique of war, and in “The Dabba Dabba Tree” he provides an erotic (re-)definition of the Thinking Tree.
The piece that grabs me is Tsutsui’s politically apocalyptic “The Last Smoker” near the collection’s end. An internationally acclaimed writer is also a nationally known smoker who, once a crackdown on his nasty habit takes place, is willing to simply be paid in his cigarette of choice. While he’s not alone in his vice, help for his problem—extinction—only exists in the fairy tale heroes of advertising:
Eventually, the god of tobacco could no longer bear to see our plight, and sent assistants to help us in our hour of need. But they were only the dove of ‘Peace’, the bat of ‘Golden Bat’, the camel of ‘Camel’, and the penguin of ‘Cool’ – none of which were of much use to us. The last that came to assist us was a young superhero with gleaming white teeth, sent by ‘Smoker Toothpaste’. At first we thought he might serve some purpose. But soon we realized there was nothing behind his façade either.
By way of siege and fire, the wordsmith’s kind is gradually whittled down until he is the last smoker left in Japan. The future that awaits him is far more frightening and cautionary than those NYC subway ads of the amputated, Bronx-bred grandma we only glance at these days.
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno is Tsutsui’s English-language debut and casts a stern look upon issues of contemporary life—questions of bettering oneself, one’s world, and what “better” really is—while maintaining a sense of humor about current solutions and their alternatives. And as is, laughter is the best medicine for this sick, sad world.
In “Rumors about Me”, an office drone becomes the headlining story in a paparazzi marriage to The Truman Show. In the novella and title story, we learn the true meaning and value of the environment to the irresponsible great minds of Planet Porno. “Commuter Army” is Tsutsui’s critique of war, and in “The Dabba Dabba Tree” he provides an erotic (re-)definition of the Thinking Tree.
The piece that grabs me is Tsutsui’s politically apocalyptic “The Last Smoker” near the collection’s end. An internationally acclaimed writer is also a nationally known smoker who, once a crackdown on his nasty habit takes place, is willing to simply be paid in his cigarette of choice. While he’s not alone in his vice, help for his problem—extinction—only exists in the fairy tale heroes of advertising:
Eventually, the god of tobacco could no longer bear to see our plight, and sent assistants to help us in our hour of need. But they were only the dove of ‘Peace’, the bat of ‘Golden Bat’, the camel of ‘Camel’, and the penguin of ‘Cool’ – none of which were of much use to us. The last that came to assist us was a young superhero with gleaming white teeth, sent by ‘Smoker Toothpaste’. At first we thought he might serve some purpose. But soon we realized there was nothing behind his façade either.
By way of siege and fire, the wordsmith’s kind is gradually whittled down until he is the last smoker left in Japan. The future that awaits him is far more frightening and cautionary than those NYC subway ads of the amputated, Bronx-bred grandma we only glance at these days.
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno is Tsutsui’s English-language debut and casts a stern look upon issues of contemporary life—questions of bettering oneself, one’s world, and what “better” really is—while maintaining a sense of humor about current solutions and their alternatives. And as is, laughter is the best medicine for this sick, sad world.
June 10, 2011
a collection of short stories. I not even sure how I ended up with this book. I can't remember if someone recommended this to me, or if I picked it up because the title was just so wild. What this book is, is a collection of short stories. I'm on the fence with this book.
A few of the stories are funny and tongue-in-cheek, such as the Dabba Dabba Tree, a story about a conical bonsai tree which, if placed at the foot of the bed, gave the occupants erotic dreams somehow spliced with reality, or Rumors About Me, a story about an unsuspecting salaryman who suddenly becomes the center of media attention, and Salmonella Men on Planet Porno, a story of scientists who try to study a different and seemingly obscene environment of animals, insects and people. Farmer Airlines and The Last Smoker were, I thought, the wittiest stories in the book.
But there are a few satirical stories of the Japanese culture which I found rather disturbing, not so much because they painted the Japanese in an unflattering light, but more than the scenarios he chose to portray them in. Bad for the Heart, is a story of a man whose heart medication becomes the central focus of his life, and The Very Edge of Happiness, a story that subtly points to the results of stress on repressed individuals and the need to conform over individuality.
There were a couple of stories I just didn't get.
So on reflection, I think I'll give this 3.2 stars. I think it will appeal to readers who enjoy surrealism, satire and witticism. However, for the amazing imagination of the author, I'm going to give 5 stars.
A few of the stories are funny and tongue-in-cheek, such as the Dabba Dabba Tree, a story about a conical bonsai tree which, if placed at the foot of the bed, gave the occupants erotic dreams somehow spliced with reality, or Rumors About Me, a story about an unsuspecting salaryman who suddenly becomes the center of media attention, and Salmonella Men on Planet Porno, a story of scientists who try to study a different and seemingly obscene environment of animals, insects and people. Farmer Airlines and The Last Smoker were, I thought, the wittiest stories in the book.
But there are a few satirical stories of the Japanese culture which I found rather disturbing, not so much because they painted the Japanese in an unflattering light, but more than the scenarios he chose to portray them in. Bad for the Heart, is a story of a man whose heart medication becomes the central focus of his life, and The Very Edge of Happiness, a story that subtly points to the results of stress on repressed individuals and the need to conform over individuality.
There were a couple of stories I just didn't get.
So on reflection, I think I'll give this 3.2 stars. I think it will appeal to readers who enjoy surrealism, satire and witticism. However, for the amazing imagination of the author, I'm going to give 5 stars.
March 11, 2016
This was a different and interesting book. As I said several times before, I am enjoying a lot reading book from Japanese writers, or about Japan, as they are so different from ourselves and our culture that sometimes it doesn’t even seem we live on the same planet. And that’s why I feel we cannot appreciate these short story on the same frame of values as our occidental culture, we have to be more open minded.
We can immediately see that on an opening line of the first short story:
Yes, we were still using a double bed even after five years of marriage. Well, our bedroom was rather small. There wasn’t enough room for two beds.
This already hinted me that I was in for a treat.
Some of the stories were amazing, like the Daba Daba Tree, Rumours About Me, The Edge of Happiness, The Last Smoker, and the one that gives the title to this book. They had this surrealness about them, but at the same time we can see our day to day life being unfolded, and it’s amazing how they also have this timeless quality, as if they could apply to humanity as a whole on any given time of History.
It is a book well worth reading and discovering. You need to like reading short stories, and you need to be prepared for some awkwardness, but if you pass all that, prepare to be amazed.
“We lived through the horrors of war, survived post war austerity, and for what?” Asked Kusakabe. “The richer the world becomes, the more laws and regulations are imposed on us and the more discrimination grows. And now we are not free at all.”
We can immediately see that on an opening line of the first short story:
Yes, we were still using a double bed even after five years of marriage. Well, our bedroom was rather small. There wasn’t enough room for two beds.
This already hinted me that I was in for a treat.
Some of the stories were amazing, like the Daba Daba Tree, Rumours About Me, The Edge of Happiness, The Last Smoker, and the one that gives the title to this book. They had this surrealness about them, but at the same time we can see our day to day life being unfolded, and it’s amazing how they also have this timeless quality, as if they could apply to humanity as a whole on any given time of History.
It is a book well worth reading and discovering. You need to like reading short stories, and you need to be prepared for some awkwardness, but if you pass all that, prepare to be amazed.
“We lived through the horrors of war, survived post war austerity, and for what?” Asked Kusakabe. “The richer the world becomes, the more laws and regulations are imposed on us and the more discrimination grows. And now we are not free at all.”
December 23, 2019
Interesting name. Dull stories.
This book gets two and a half stars. I've heard Tsutsui's novel work is excellent, and I might still check them out one of these days. But the stories in this book don't inspire confidence. Rife with obvious metaphors and shocking imagery for shock's sake, these stories are the first thoughts that appear in someone's head when they hear the words 'postmodern magic realism'.
The one about Mozart was really enjoyable in the beginning. I thought it had something interesting to say about how we stack legend upon legend on those we deem 'geniuses'. But the story went on long after it had made its point, repeating the same joke over and over again.
Speaking of jokes, some of these stories are clearly going for dark humor, but they fall flat in the delivery. 'Don't Laugh' attempts to be a surrealistic stab at such comedy, but ends up feeling bland and hollow.
The story I liked the least was the one about smokers. Using smokers vs. non-smokers as a metaphor for prejudice and oppression shows the writing of someone who understands neither of those topics. I smoke on-and-off, and even I understand that smoking isn't as harmless to yourself and those around you as, say, having a darker tone of skin. The story reeked of privilege.
If you read this, I hope you'll like it better than I did.
This book gets two and a half stars. I've heard Tsutsui's novel work is excellent, and I might still check them out one of these days. But the stories in this book don't inspire confidence. Rife with obvious metaphors and shocking imagery for shock's sake, these stories are the first thoughts that appear in someone's head when they hear the words 'postmodern magic realism'.
The one about Mozart was really enjoyable in the beginning. I thought it had something interesting to say about how we stack legend upon legend on those we deem 'geniuses'. But the story went on long after it had made its point, repeating the same joke over and over again.
Speaking of jokes, some of these stories are clearly going for dark humor, but they fall flat in the delivery. 'Don't Laugh' attempts to be a surrealistic stab at such comedy, but ends up feeling bland and hollow.
The story I liked the least was the one about smokers. Using smokers vs. non-smokers as a metaphor for prejudice and oppression shows the writing of someone who understands neither of those topics. I smoke on-and-off, and even I understand that smoking isn't as harmless to yourself and those around you as, say, having a darker tone of skin. The story reeked of privilege.
If you read this, I hope you'll like it better than I did.
December 30, 2008
I saw this book in the new books seciton of the library and was intrigued. I am immediately drawn to make comparisons (and contrasts) with Haruki Murakami, though Tsutsui is not on Murakmai's level. The collection of stories arefun, and does make me exicted to read anything new by him. Appearently, he is a prolific author in Japan. Not much has been translated however. he also appreently dabbles in Manga. Neat.
The translation is good, but I sense that the book would carry more resonance in Japanese. Murakami's work is translated, but as he has a good command of English, I feel that his translations are a lot more faithful. Perhaps the use of British idions and colloquialisms seems somehow out of place and that is whas feels awkward.
He won sci-fi awards and tends to be lumped into that category. This is something I grapple with: why is it that Borges and Calvino, for example, who play with reality in their stories are not lumped into the sci-fi or fantasy categories and this guy is? I am instinctively avert to stright out sci-fi and fantasy books with their lurid covers of dragons, spaceships and so forth, but also attracted to sotries where everythign from the place to the characters are caefully imagined.
The translation is good, but I sense that the book would carry more resonance in Japanese. Murakami's work is translated, but as he has a good command of English, I feel that his translations are a lot more faithful. Perhaps the use of British idions and colloquialisms seems somehow out of place and that is whas feels awkward.
He won sci-fi awards and tends to be lumped into that category. This is something I grapple with: why is it that Borges and Calvino, for example, who play with reality in their stories are not lumped into the sci-fi or fantasy categories and this guy is? I am instinctively avert to stright out sci-fi and fantasy books with their lurid covers of dragons, spaceships and so forth, but also attracted to sotries where everythign from the place to the characters are caefully imagined.
Read
January 14, 2014Am redescoperit vara asta realismul magic cu nume noi, pe care nu le asociam curentului. Unul dintre acestea este japonezul Yasutaka Tsutsui, scriitor japonez de SF și metaficțiune, din care rezultă un hibrid literar tare bizar.
Se întâmplă rar să intru în contact cu vreo expresie artistică japoneză (film, artă plastică ori literatură sau chiar muzică) fără să exclam în sinea mea – ori admirativ, ori cu oareșce aversiune – wtf, Japan, seriously?
La fel mi s-a întâmplat și citind colecția de nuvele Salmonella Men on Planet Porno, unul dintre puținele titluri traduse in limba engleză dintre cele multe ale prolificului Yasutaka Tsutsui.
“Convențional” este tot ce ar putea fi mai departe de a caracteriza lumea fictivă din poveștile lui Tsutsui. Cu excepția nuvelei omonime, care se întâmplă pe o altă planetă, Porno, mai precis, singura ceva mai “SF”, celelalte istorisiri au loc pe planeta pe care trăiește și autorul și vom cădea de acord că e mai ușor să îi spunem Pământ, ca să nu ducem discuția în alte direcții. (recenzie: http://bookaholic.ro/salmonella-men-o...)
Se întâmplă rar să intru în contact cu vreo expresie artistică japoneză (film, artă plastică ori literatură sau chiar muzică) fără să exclam în sinea mea – ori admirativ, ori cu oareșce aversiune – wtf, Japan, seriously?
La fel mi s-a întâmplat și citind colecția de nuvele Salmonella Men on Planet Porno, unul dintre puținele titluri traduse in limba engleză dintre cele multe ale prolificului Yasutaka Tsutsui.
“Convențional” este tot ce ar putea fi mai departe de a caracteriza lumea fictivă din poveștile lui Tsutsui. Cu excepția nuvelei omonime, care se întâmplă pe o altă planetă, Porno, mai precis, singura ceva mai “SF”, celelalte istorisiri au loc pe planeta pe care trăiește și autorul și vom cădea de acord că e mai ușor să îi spunem Pământ, ca să nu ducem discuția în alte direcții. (recenzie: http://bookaholic.ro/salmonella-men-o...)
February 5, 2009
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno introduces American readers to Yasutaka Tsutsui's entertaining approach to social criticism. Tsutsui is more concerned with concepts and cultural analysis than plotlines and characterization; his satirical stories camouflage a scathing condemnation of modern-day society. Despite the gravity of Tsutsui's arguments, his work remains engaging and often hilarious. Critics noted some uneven stories, clumsy language in the translation to English, and disconcerting undercurrents of violence and misogyny, but these complaints did not overwhelm the originality of Tsutsui's visions, the power of his insights, or the enjoyment offered by his plot twists and slapstick humor. Tsutsui may not achieve the Western popularity of fellow Japanese author Haruki Murakami, but his debut American collection is a start.
This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
November 11, 2012
The title novella is the real attraction here--it was a funny, strange, inventive look at a planet where everything essentially survives by fucking everything else, with some in-depth looks at its genetics, ecosystems, evolution (which, of course, turns into a great meditation on obscenity and science as well). Other than that, I skipped through the stories, but all of the ones I read were just okay. Tsutsui has been called "the guru of Japanese metafiction", but all of them felt bland in comparison to the title story which was really just a lot better.
April 26, 2017
I am afraid this book of short stories was not for me. To suggest he is akin to J G Ballard in anyway was highly flippant of Nicholas Lezard.
Most of the stories I found to be dull and end up abruptly. Their subjects and focus were often hazy and confusing. His characters were all mad and not in an interesting way. I feel he doesn't like women very much for they often appear to be hysterical creatures with no grasp of logic.
The only ones where I cracked a smile or curiously turned the page were his humorous Bravo Herr Mozart! and his political The Last Smoker.
Most of the stories I found to be dull and end up abruptly. Their subjects and focus were often hazy and confusing. His characters were all mad and not in an interesting way. I feel he doesn't like women very much for they often appear to be hysterical creatures with no grasp of logic.
The only ones where I cracked a smile or curiously turned the page were his humorous Bravo Herr Mozart! and his political The Last Smoker.
February 13, 2015
Changed my rating. There are some stories that are still making me laugh a week later. I don't think I'm ever going to come across the genius of the title story anywhere: an entire planet that has perfected the art of ripping bodices...yes, plants and animals. Transgressive, dark and hilarious.
January 24, 2016
so weird. terrific translation work! this is a really natural read, unlike some other japanese works in translation i've found. but seriously, the title story - probably my least favorite but almost certainly the most memorable of a bunch of quirky little "what if?" tales.
August 3, 2023
My favourite stories were:
Rumours About Me — A man’s daily life becomes Japan’s hottest news.
The World Is Tilting — A floating city begins to tip, but the people deny it.
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno — Scientists explore the obscene creatures and life cycles of an alien planet.
Rumours About Me — A man’s daily life becomes Japan’s hottest news.
The World Is Tilting — A floating city begins to tip, but the people deny it.
Salmonella Men on Planet Porno — Scientists explore the obscene creatures and life cycles of an alien planet.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews