The Next Continent (Novel) [Paperback]

Issui Ogawa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2010

L to R (Western Style). Humanity is returning to the moon, but this time the mission is Japanese, and in private hands for commercial purposes. The year is 2025 and Otaba General Construction—a firm that has built structures to survive the Antarctic and the Sahara—has received its most daunting challenge yet. Sennosuke Touenji, the chairman of one of the world's largest leisure conglomerates, wants a moon base fit for civilian use, and he wants his granddaughter Tae to be his eyes and ears on the harsh lunar surface. Tae and Otaba engineer Aomine head to the moon where adventure, trouble, and perhaps romance await.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Known as one of Japan’s premier sci-fi writers. His 1996 debut, First a Letter From Popular Palace, won the Shueisha JUMP Novel Grand Prix. The Next Continent (2003, Haikasoru 2010), a garnered the 35th Seiun Prize. A collection of his short stories won the 2005 Best SF Poll, and The Drifting Man, included in that collection, was awarded the 37th Seiun Prize for domestic short stories. Other works include Land of Resurrection, Free Lunch Era, and The Lord of the Sands of Time (Haikasoru 2009). Ogawa is a principal member of the Space Authors Club (http://www.sacj.org/index.htm).

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (May 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142153441X
• ISBN-13: 978-1421534411
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,599,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Member of endangered species, September 6, 2010

By 

Mark5576 "mark5576" (Framingham, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Next Continent (Novel) (Paperback)

I frequently hear complaints (entirely justified) about lack of believable near-future science fiction, especially optimistic kind. Well, look no more: here is one. The language seems rather flat (maybe it is translator's fault), but otherwise it is a good story, and is both refreshingly optimistic about where world will go over next couple decades, and seems grounded in reality.

4.0 out of 5 stars Turning Japanese, September 2, 2011

By 

Thomas Sobieski "Phoghat" (Elmhurst, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Next Continent (Kindle Edition)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the simple reason: It Was Totally Realistic !

It's a near-future story about a consortium of Asian companies preparing to expand into space, that has already conquered the Sahara, the Antarctic, and the ocean's depths. They refused to allow the US and EU into the consortium because they thought that big corporations wouldn't display or follow their ethical ideal. Okay maybe that's a bit unrealistic, but then again, Issui Ogawa is Japanese, so maybe it's okay.

Maybe it's the language, or the money used ( yen ), or the translation from Japanese, or something else , but the book was good and could have been better

Maybe I'll learn Japanese and read the untranslated version.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Japanese Gem, February 23, 2011

By 

Tghu Verd - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Next Continent (Novel) (Paperback)

The cover is bit lurid but the content is terrific. Solid scifi about the dangers and disasters we're likely to encounter with any serious attempt to establish a moon base, played out against a backdrop of conflicted human motivations.

It grabbed me from the first paragraph, and while the language is occasionally clunky, I suspect that's more lost in translation than original writing (and I'm not intending to be critical because without the translation I'd never have read this engaging novel).

The physics and science of rocketry, low gee construction and even the presence of water in craters on the moon is very now, which just adds to the fun. And while America claims ownership of 'The Right Stuff', the masters and owners of the corporate concerns funding this effort show that concept to be truly global, right down to the wise-beyond-her-years driving force behind the whole venture. Oh yeah, and the name dropping of a veritable who's who of Japanese heavy industry is funky as well. Forget US and European companies, it's the land of the rising sun all the way, and really, why not?

Then, with a twist reminiscent of Peter F Hamilton's "The Nano Flower", the whole crazy house of cards comes together neatly at the end, with a closing plot line that's screaming for a sequel.

Heartily recommended if you like your scifi with a serious lashing of the 'sci.