Terminal Boredom

Name: Terminal Boredom
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781788739887
Price: 24.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

Stories

By Izumi Suzuki

Series: Verso Fiction

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Summary

Terminal Boredom is a collection of speculative short stories by Izumi Suzuki, exploring themes of alienation and societal critique in dystopian futures. Each story delves into the complexities of human relationships and identity amidst high-tech environments and cultural shifts. The book offers a blend of existential musings intertwined with dark humour and imaginative science fiction twists.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$24⁹⁹

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Terminal Boredom

$24⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate thought-provoking and unconventional stories that challenge societal norms and delve into the complexities of human relationships. With its mix of sci-fi elements and feminist themes, it offers a unique perspective that is both imaginative and reflective, making it a fascinating read for those who love exploring speculative fiction with a twist.

Terminal Boredom

The first English language publication of the work of Izumi Suzuki, a legend of Japanese science fiction and a countercultural icon.

The first English language publication of the work of Izumi Suzuki, a legend of Japanese science fiction and a countercultural icon.

Description

On a planet where men are contained in ghettoised isolation, women enjoy the fruits of a queer matriarchal utopia—until a boy escapes and a young woman's perception of the world is violently interrupted. Two old friends enjoy cocktails on a holiday resort planet where all is not as it seems. A bickering couple emigrate to a world that has worked out an innovative way to side-step the need for war, only to bring their quarrels (and something far more destructive) with them.

And in the title story, Suzuki offers readers a tragic and warped mirroring of her own final days as the tyranny of enforced screen-time and the mechanisation of labour bring about a shattering psychic collapse.

At turns nonchalantly hip and charmingly deranged, Suzuki's singular slant on speculative fiction would be echoed in countless later works, from Margaret Atwood and Harumi Murakami, to Black Mirror and Ex Machina. In these darkly playful and punky stories, the fantastical elements are always earthed by the universal pettiness of strife between the sexes, and the gritty reality of life on the lower rungs, whatever planet that ladder might be on.

Series: Verso Fiction

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki is a provocative and imaginative collection of short stories that blend elements of science fiction with social commentary. Critics praise Suzuki for her punk irreverence and poignant exploration of themes like alienation, gender mutability, and identity, drawing comparisons to celebrated authors such as Philip K. Dick and Haruki Murakami. Though rooted in the 1970s and 80s, the stories are noted for their timelessness and contemporary relevance, bringing a unique, feminist perspective to the sci-fi genre that remains cutting, insightful, and filled with dark humour. This collection is a significant addition to the science fiction canon, especially for those interested in the fusion of speculative fiction with social critique.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788739887

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 April 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Edition: Paperback original

Contributors:

Translated by Sam Bett
Translated by Polly Barton
Translated by David Boyd
Translated by Daniel Joseph
Translated by Helen O'Horan
Translated by Aiko Masubuchi
Translated by David Boyd
Translated by Polly Barton
Translated by Sam Bett

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 183g

Pages: 224

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Izumi Suzuki Literary Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction Series: Verso Fiction

About the Author

Izumi Suzuki was born in 1949. After dropping out of highschool she worked in a factory before finding success and infamy as a model and actress. Her acting credits include several classics of 1970s Japanese cinema, as well as softcore pornography. When the father of her children, the jazz musican Kaoru Abe, died of an overdose, Suzuki's creative output went into overdrive and she began producing the irreverent, punky short fiction, novels and essays that ensured her reputation would outstrip and outlast that of the men she'd been associated with in her early life. She took her own life in 1986, leaving behind a decade's worth of groundbreaking and influential writing.