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Usurper of the Sun Kindle Edition

by Housuke Nojiri (Author), John Wunderley (Translator)

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UNDER A DIMMING SUN, EXTINCTION IS OUR FUTURE
AND A LONE SCIENTIST OUR ONLY HOPE

Aki Shiraishi is a high school student working in the astronomy club and one of the few witnesses to an amazing event--someone is building a tower on the planet Mercury. Soon, the enigmatic Builders have constructed a ring around the sun, and the ecology of Earth is threatened by its immense shadow. Aki is inspired to pursue a career in science, and the truth. She must determine the purpose of the ring and the plans of its creators, as the survival of both species—humanity and the alien Builders—hangs in the balance.

“A tightly focused narrative line that marches us relentlessly through 35 years of future history, and [with] a genuinely engaging heroine” —Locus Magazine

“A philosophical take on the nature of aliens and what a first-contact scenario might be like...and about a beautiful, brilliant female student who is humanity's last hope for salvation...”—National Geographic’s Breaking Orbit blog

“A compellingly poetic first contact story, gleaming with digital savvy, appealing human detail, and alien peril. Think Arthur C. Clarke meets Haruki Murakami, and gaze at Mercury in the sunset and sunrise with new awe.”—Paul Levinson, author of The Plot to Save Socrates

About the author:
Housuke Nojiri was born in Mie, Japan, in 1961. After working in instrumentation control, CAD programming, and video game design, he published his first work, The Blind Spot of Veis, based on the video game Creguian, in 1992. He gained popularity with his subsequent works the Creguian series and the Rocket Girls series. In 2002, he published Usurper of the Sun (Haikasoru 2009), ushering in a new era of space science fiction in Japan. After first appearing as a series of short stories, Usurper won the Seiun Award for best Japanese science fiction novel of 2002. His other works include Pendulum of Pinieru and Fuwa-Fuwa no Izumi.

Length: 276 pages

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Product Details

File Size: 490 KB
Print Length: 276 pages
Publisher: Haikasoru/VIZ Media (November 4, 2010)
Publication Date: November 4, 2010
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B004AYCS9S
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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Not Enabled

Word Wise: Not Enabled
Lending: Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Not Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,750 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #6393 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction
- #9042 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Suspense
- #9758 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure

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4.5 out of 5 stars

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Rendezvous with Ramen (or Blob the Builder)

By Keris Nine on February 22, 2010

Format: Paperback

Very much in the realms of a hard science-fiction first contact context, particularly reminiscent at times of Arthur C Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, Housuke Nojiri's 2002 Seiun award winning novel for best Japanese science fiction novel considers a scenario where intelligent life originating outside our solar system is discovered and the impact it could have on our society.

The discovery in 2006 of a large tower protruding from the planet Mercury is the first sign that something unusual is happening (although it would seem from the prologue that preparations for what is to occur start back as far as 1424). It's first spotted by a young Japanese high-school student Aki Shiraishi as part of her astronomy studies, but fascinated speculation about its origins turn to fear as a vast ring is created around the planet that threatens to block out light from the sun. As disaster beckons in the subsequent years, Aki's long interest in the construct created by what become known as the 'Builders' takes her on the first manned probe in 2022 to investigate the phenomenon and, if possible, destroy it before it destroys the earth...

The huge amounts of speculation given over to scientific concepts can make Usurper of the Sun a little bit heavy and dry reading for certain passages of the novel, but only because Housuke Nojiri takes the time to consider the matter deeply, from a scientific as well as a from a human viewpoint. It takes in the nature of intelligence and communication - and how artificial intelligence may provide us with the means to communicate, and more importantly, 'think' about the universe around us on another level if we are to make any significant breakthroughs in how to reach beyond. What is marvellous is that the author is able to consider these ideas within the context of what remains a fascinating and often thrilling science-fiction adventure.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Wow! Interesting first contact

By Amazon Customer on July 12, 2010

Format: Paperback

This book didn't grab me right away...in fact I put it down twice, but once I got past first 50 or so pages, it didn't matter.

The book tells the story of the ambitious Aki, the first person to see the construction of the ring around the sun. As the story unfolds, we see her great desire to make first contact and how this desire is channeled. The story shows a woman who continues to follow her earliest ambitions to the end. However, this ambition seems to come at a great cost to her, personally. I've read some Japanese horror/sci fi in the past and have come to expect characters that aren't as developed as they could be...there isn't a lot of writing with a great depth and breadth of emotions. Maybe it was the limitations of the short story format (as the three parts were originally short stories) but I wanted more about Aki.

However, the actual contact at the end is interesting and worth the read. It literally took my breath away as I read the descriptions of the aliens and the way they acted when confronted by the humans. It really took the whole idea of first contact and turned it upside down--actually imagining something completely alien is something that not only takes guts--your aliens could be so alien that the reader doesn't see them as "real characters" (ala Aliens in Aliens) or they become too much like humans--but also real skill on the part of the writer. And while I love Schismatrix, Bruce Sterling's aliens,seemed parodies of aliens, while these aliens truly seemed alien in a good, interesting, yet strange way. This was great balancing act on the part Nojiri. We got aliens that were really alien and yet managed to be human as well. This is really what saved the whole book for me.

If you haven't read Japanese fiction before, you might want to try something else first, but if you want a great first contact book, this might be it.

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Brilliant but dry

By Amazon Customer on March 8, 2012

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

I was looking for a book along the lines of Rendezvous with Rama, and decided to try some of the Haikasoru line since I'd heard the style of some of their novels hearkens back to older sf. Whoever said that was right, in both good and bad ways.

Bad: The characterization was a bit thin. The reading could get a bit dry.

Good: The reading was a bit dry because the author used Science! and Engineering! and discussed Ideas!

Seriously, I get happy when there's one brilliant idea in a sf novel. This book was full of them. I feel that it truly reflected what the nature of an encounter with aliens would be like. It opened my mind up to difficulties and ideas I'd not even considered, which I'm still pondering off and on thoughout the day. And best yet, that encounter was a reflection of humanity more than anything, of us at our best and worst.

I do recommend this novel, bearing in mind that it is hard sf. It does get easier to read about a quarter of the way in though, and I found the concepts within made the dry parts (which are skimmable after all) more than worth it.

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Sparse, but I loved it.

By Ghanima on September 13, 2012

Format: Paperback

I wanted this book, finally bought it at the used book store. First, I have to say, so believable. SF with aliens tends to feel a little outlandish. It's not a bad thing, but the very real, sparse sort if gravity this novel has was refreshing and kind of brilliant. I appreciate that it was not a love story, and I appreciate the stoic focus of Aki, the main character. I felt like the timeline developed in the chapters was stable, I never felt like I may have missed anything important. For a book that was a quick read (between those 4 and up book series so common in SF Lit.) it was awesome. Recommended it to my husband, and he liked it as well. If you're even a little on the fence about it, take a chance. it's pretty amazing.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Great read

Couldn't put this one down. Really interesting take on first contact, but also some other concepts like xenobiology and xenopsychology.

Published 4 months ago by Mac J.

great way of proposing a different form of travelling of ...

great way of proposing a different form of travelling of this outsiders. same goes for the structure this aliens form, as a colony.

Published 7 months ago by Nicolas

Interesting perspective

I appreciated the unique perspective of a female protagonist, but she seemed under developed as she was over-shadowed by much of the hard-science or need to just move the plot... Read more

Published 7 months ago by CAH

A light but thoughtful character-driven tale

This novel was a very pleasant read. A restrained, thoughtful, character-focused hard science fiction yarn with a maddening yet tantalizing mystery all throughout - Why won't they... Read more

Published 14 months ago by Hecatoncheire

Like Carl Sagans "Contact"

Just finished reading this incredible novel called. I give it 5 stars, 10 out of 10, or whatever propels your spaceship. Read more

Published 17 months ago by OrionKaelin

Explore the big questions of first contact with an alien race

A good first contact novel that explores the questions and potential solutions and pitfalls of Humanity crossing paths with another race. Read more

Published 17 months ago by Joe E.

master piece of hard sci-fi

Harkening back to Isaac Asimov stories. This is a brilliant if a little disjointed story along the lines of 2001, Rama and 3001. All scifi masterpieces. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Rohon Nag

Another great read.

Housuke Nojiri is simply a master at what he does. Books like usurper and "all you need is kill" are great for quick reads and both are well written.

Published 19 months ago by Jeffery Wilson

Seems to be less fiction then I like

Great book. One of those you hate to put down and go to sleep at night. It accurately captures the give and take of the small bellicose reptilian minds that are only interested in... Read more

Published on September 20, 2013 by Gary

Doesn't live up to the other reviews, almost no human interest

The other reviews are glowing, which is why I bought this book, but it doesn't live up to the ratings. Read more

Published on April 29, 2013 by Sitting in Seattle

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