How does popular fantasy/sci-fi literature in Japanese compare to English?

7 comments

1. It’s very different from a western idea of fantasy/sci-fi and you’ll probably be very confused if you walk in expecting elves.

2. My personal favourite fantasy epic – in English or Japanese – is Nausicaa. But that’s a manga so I’m not sure if you would say it counts.

3. It’s manga but I strongly recommend the works of tsutomu nihei, blame, aposimz, knights of sidonia. They have some beautiful art, especially the architecture, considering he has a degree in it

4. Japanese (high) fantasy novels:
   – 十二国記*
   – 鹿の王*
   – 獣の奏者*
   – 香君
   – 精霊の守り人
   – アルスラーン戦記
   – グイン・サーガ
   – 烏に単は似合わない
   – ロードス島戦記
   – 三国志 (originally a Chinese story, but often more than just a translation)

   Japanese science fiction novels:
   – 新世界より
   – 銀河英雄伝説

   Asterisk (i.e. *) = My personal favourites atm, having read or tried to read almost all of the books listed

   Note that most of these novels are series rather than single books. As some of the other commenters have noted, you can look to manga, light novels, anime etc. for even more choices.

5. It’s a much smaller fare, and you don’t just walk into a bookshop and see a big sci-fi/fantasy section. Though in saying that – most light novels are fantasy or science fiction of some variety.

   ハヤカワ文庫JA is a publishing imprint to pay attention to. It’s one of those borderline LN/not-LN imprints that publishes a lot of “proper” science fiction. 星界の紋章 probably counts as a “heavy hitter” – I’ve only read the first one though and it is incredibly difficult.

   Otherwise, science-fiction that I’ve read:

   [導きの星](https://bookmeter.com/books/557042) is one I’d recommend, about an alien civilisation developing over time, with a few nudges.

   I recently read [カスタム・チャイルド](https://bookmeter.com/books/572511) – nothing unfamiliar if you’ve read plenty of science fiction, but an enjoyable grimy biobunk story.

   [星へ行く船](https://bookmeter.com/books/11122675) – very retro-feeling, light mystery science fiction. I enjoyed the first one, have the next two ordered.

   [クレギオン](https://bookmeter.com/books/515046) – feels both fairly pulpy and fairly hard, based on the first book. I really liked it – pretty easy to read too.

   [紫色のクオリア](https://bookmeter.com/books/557831) – top-tier, time/reality-bending science fiction (nonsense science, but cool ideas)

   [雨の日のアイリス](https://bookmeter.com/books/3187652) – sentient robots with no rights kind of story. I highly recommend.

   [小惑星2162DSの謎](https://bookmeter.com/books/6887168) – extremely hard science fiction – ostensibly for kids, but it gets into the nitty-gritty of the science of its pretty wild ideas.

   I’m sure there’s plenty of other good stuff out there, but science fiction is pretty-much intrinsically hard to read so I haven’t gotten to much of it. Have a look at the Seiun Award too – they’re the Japanese equivalent of the Nebula/Hugo.

   There’s a lot of good fantasy too and I’ve read a lot more of that. Might make another post later.

6. Fantasy time:

   柏葉幸子 is a prolific children’s fantasy author, her best known work is [霧のむこうのふしぎな町](https://bookmeter.com/books/497818) (an inspiration behind Spirited Away), but I would like to draw attention to [竜が呼んだ娘](https://bookmeter.com/books/6605508) and [亜ノ国ヘ](https://bookmeter.com/books/18161967) – the former is a children’s book while the latter is for adults – both are about someone ending up as servants in cities full of witches and dragons, and with very different vibes.

   [僕の愛したジークフリーデ](https://bookmeter.com/books/17965606) – pulp fantasy, but fun.

   [十二国記](https://bookmeter.com/books/5134946) – probably a “heavy hitter”. Big pseudo-china portal fantasy adventure – rather violent and gritty.

   [竜の夏](https://bookmeter.com/books/27391) – weird book that gives a good feel for the setting. Has a real old-school feel to it.

   [本好きの下剋上](https://bookmeter.com/books/8966902) – a big deal in LNs at the moment. Basically (well thought-out) medieval-fantasy setting with the protagonist having our-world knowledge. Glacially slow pacing and IMO could use a stricter editor, but it’s good.

   [キーリ](https://bookmeter.com/books/559475) – fantasy/sci-fi – set on a colonised planet ruled by a theocracy in the aftermath of a war, with ghosts and immortal ex-soldiers. Highly recommended (though only read the first volume)

   [砂漠の歌姫](https://bookmeter.com/books/536607) – Children’s fantasy set in a desert city. Nothing amazing, but I liked it.

   [神さまのいない日曜日](https://bookmeter.com/books/293437) – great premise. Post-apocalyptic world where the dead won’t stay dead unless buried by this “race” of gravediggers. Doesn’t stay good imo, but worth it for the first 4-5 volumes (and the anime adaptation is excellent).

   [送り人の娘](https://bookmeter.com/books/562236) – about a girl who is apprenticed to an “送り人”, who helps people cross over into death, but are outcasts in society. Like a really bleak version of Sabriel, kinda.

7. 女神記 (The Goddess Chronicle in English) by Natsuo Kirino. Usually Kirino writes mystery and crime novels, but I cannot recommend her retelling of the creation myth of Izanami and Izanaki enough. Think mythological fantasy, secluded magical islands, and journeys to the realm of the dead.