Sayuri Ueno - The Cage of Zeus
I found The Cage of Zeus to be an interesting reading. It dealt with some themes that I was definitely not expecting such as terrorism and the evolution of the Human race into intersex chimera's (I think that's the right term?). Although, to be honest I did find this piece to be easy to read but also quite simplistic. It represented a future where humanity left earth to life extremely precarious lives in space and definitely deals strongly with the theme of progress leading to a loss of what truly matter. Overall it was an enjoyable read but I do not have much to say about it.
Mai Ishizawa - The Place of Shells
Although not my favorite story I did appreciate the atmospheric style of Ishizawa and the way in which she let the reader discover the story and the meaning alongside the main character. I also found it interesting how she consistently used metaphors that seemed out of place at the time to describe later events, such as the truffle dog finding the truffles potentially being an allusion to the bodies washing up and the people having to be found. This is definitely a story that deserves multiple readings.
Toh Enjoe - Self-reference Engine
I found this story very interesting although very confusing as well. A good mix in my opinion. The story itself takes the reader on a sort of journey through possibility by slowly revealing the how, what I can only assume to be ai enhanced humans or something of the sort, were fighting on a dimensional plane above that of Human perception. This story, in my opinion seems like a direct warning at how technology can not only stop aiding people and researchers but can actually reach such a pinnacle that it is beyond our biological comprehension. and once we reach that point we have lost all control over our reality, even though we have very little already.
Matsuda Aoko - The Missing One and On High
These short stories were both quite fun to read and engaging. I especially liked how they tied into each other with the whole story of the 9 plates and the need to say 10 emphatically to break the curse. Although the actual moral or motive for writing the two stories is somewhat unclear to me I can definitely see how they again reflect this idea of normalcy and change as a marker of growth. How things that we might see as encumbering are actually what have helped to build us up in a way that elevates us and brings others to us.
Sayaka Murata - First Rate Material
This story was maybe my favorite because it exemplifies how our morals, ideas, and philosophies are oftentimes born less from logic and more from feeling and environment. I have always found the idea of burial to be quite interesting as it definitely comes from a hygienic evolutionary trait around hygiene and disease, therefore also causing the effect that we call uncanny valley, yet with our current medical and technological advancements changing these traditions would make perfect sense. It very much made me question where my morals and ideals come from and how were formed in the first place.
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