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134 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2021
"What a terribly thoughtless death sentence."It's wild that this wonderfully out there story was written sometime in the 1930s or 40s. Jūza Unno is apparently considered the "father of Japanese science fiction" and that's also wild. The story reads as if it were written by a drunk middle-school kid obsessed with mind control, post-apocalyptic dystopias, sexy lady androids, trans ideology, soap operas, and William S. Burroughs. All of that and so much more. "Eighteen O'Clock Music Bath" is about the end of post-apocalyptic Japan, now greatly reduced in population, living underground and under the thumb of its authoritarian yet very wussy president. All citizens must submit to a "music bath" at precisely 18 o'clock each day, which renders them both productive and patriotic for the busy hour following that painful infusion. The rest of the day is spent in aimless, lethargically horny discontent.
"Hey Paul. You'd better be careful about Bara. She was making a big fuss about how you were a scrap battery. If she gets wind of your big secret, it's not going to be pretty."Don't worry, romance fans: Penn eventually gets over his unseemly transphobia and settles down with Paul. And Bara gets her own sex change, after realizing that turning into a man will help her get past the boredom she has with life.
"Penn, Bara is your wife. As long as you don't screw up, there's no fear of her finding out."
"Yeah, but that woman is as shrewd as any man. I can't tell her what to do."
"Penn, for a husband you sure whine miserably."
"Actually, I'm considering giving up being a husband. Being married to a woman like that completely sucks out the life from me."
"Really, are you serious? If you got divorced I'm sure you'd just find another wife. Do you have someone in mind?"
"Are you kidding? There aren't any nice girls out there who are right for me. Hey Paul, to be honest... I think it would be great if you weren't my guy friend, but my girl friend."
"Girl friend?" Paul blinked his eyes, mouth agape. "Penn, do you really mean that?"
"Do I mean it? Of course I do. Why would you ask that sort of thing?"
Paul grabbed Penn's hand and silently led him behind a dividing partition in the corner of the room.
There was the sound of clothes shuffling. Paul's shirt appeared, draped over the top of the partition. There was a clang as a belt was drooped over the partition.
At that moment, a startled yell came from behind the partition; Penn's screams drowned out the voice of Paul trying to calm him down.
"Oh... That's what she meant by the rumor you were doing dissections on your own body. This is some surgery you've done. You disgust me!"