A Modern Classic Of Magical Realism And Political Satire That Reinvents Myths Of 20th Century Japan Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases Official Site: haikasoru.com Special Thanks to Jane Lui and Erik Jansen
San Francisco, CA, March 20, 2012 – VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint has announced the release today of author Natsuki Ikezawa’s surrealistic novel, The Navidad Incident: The Downfall of Matias Guili. The book is published by the company’s Haikasoru imprint and carries an MSRP of $24.99 U.S. / $28.99 CAN / £16.99 UK. An eBook edition is also available on the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, the Barnes & Noble’s Nook Books Store, and the Sony Reader Store. Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation. In this sweeping magical-realist epic set in the fictional south sea island Republic of Navidad, Ikezawa gives his imagination free rein to reinvent the myths of the twentieth century Japan. The story takes off as a delegation of Japanese war veterans pays an official visit to the ex-World War II colony, only to see the Japanese flag burst into flames. The following day, the tour bus and its passengers simply vanish. The locals exchange absurd rumors -- the bus was last seen attending Catholic mass, the bus must have skipped across the lagoon -- but the president suspects a covert guerrilla organization is trying to undermine his connections with Japan. Can the real answers to the mystery be found, or will the president have to be content with the surreal answers? “Natsuki Ikezawa crafts an engrossing story that combines charmingly surreal set pieces, traditional fantasy tropes such as ghosts, with a story of international politics,” says Nick Mamatas, Haikasoru Editor. “We invite readers to take the journey to the mysterious nation of Navidad and uncover the truth behind these unexplained occurrences in this newest release from Haikasoru!” Author Natsuki Ikezawa was born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1945 and was formerly enrolled at Saitama University before leaving to become a poet and author. Presently, he writes fiction and literary criticism and is also an active public speaker. Several of his works including Still Lives and A Burden of Flowers have been published in English. In 1993, The Navidad Incident: The Downfall of Matias Guili was the winner of the prestigious Tanizaki Jun’ichiro Prize. To read an excerpt of The Navidad Incident, please visit scribd.com/The-Navidad-Incident-The-Downfall-of-Matias-Guili. For more information on The Navidad Incident and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit the dedicated website at haikasoru.com.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan`s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology Shonen Jump magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at viz.com.