Administrator (Paperback)

~ Taku Mayumura (Author), Daniel Jackson (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Administrator, or Shiseikan in Japanese, took the Japanese SF community by storm when first published in 1974. Unlike traditional space opera, it pushed technology into the background to present a compelling portrait of colonial governors, the Administrators, trapped between the conflicting demands of Federation government, native inhabitants, and Terran colonists.This collection of four novelettes, the first volume of an extensive series of works set in the same universe, touches on key stages in the development of the Administrator system and the robots designed to support and protect it.

About the Author

Mayumura Taku (real name: Murakami Takuji). Born in 1934, he made his first appearances in professional magazines in 1961, and has won numerous awards since. Drawing on his experiences as a "salariman" (salaried worker) at a large manufacturer, he has written extensively on the depersonalization that bureaucracy forces on individuals. He is currently a professor at the Osaka University of Arts, in Osaka, Japan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Kurodahan Press (February 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4902075008
• ISBN-13: 978-4902075007
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,266,537 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rare Japanese Science Fiction in English, January 8, 2005

By	Linda L. Robinett "Sieglinde" (Ridgecrest, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I read this collection of three novelettes and one novella in anticipation of the 2007 Worldcon which will be in Japan. Japanese SF literature in English translation is hard to find. This collection is worth reading. The concepts and ideas are interesting and the central character of each story is well-developed. The aliens and robots in some of the stories are better developed than in the other stories.

The book is not a novel but uses four stories to follow the development of the Administrator system. This is a system of governing worlds being colonized by earth in a far-future Federation. The Administrator stands as the government representative who protects developing alien cultures and the needs of the human colonists.

The first novelette titled "The Flame and the Blossom" is a melancholy story about the relationship between a lonely Administrator and an intelligent alien plant. This story establishes the personality and requirements for an Administrator.

The second titled "A Distant Noon" describes the conflict that arises between colonial humans and an amphibian alien culture's attempt to advance and where the Administrator stands in the conflict.

The third "The Wind in the Ruins" introduces the training of cadet Administrators and the conflicts that occur between a working colonial Administrator and the distant Federation government on a paradisical world.

The final novella "Bound Janus" shows the final demise of the system due to a now inflexible buracracy and the changing needs of colonialists for independence from the Federation.

I have no idea how typical these stories are of Japanese SF but I found them interesting and touching. It is worth the read. I especially recommend it for those planning on attending the Worldcon in 2007. Not all Japanese SF is anime, manga or fun old monster movies.