Spinning A New Story Within The 'Verses of Sword Art Online and Attack on Titan

I am, for whatever reason, utterly fascinated by the choices some authors make when they decide to write spin-offs for their main (and very popular series). In particular, I've been reading Reki Kawahara's SAO light novel spin-off along with the Attack on Titan spin-off from Hajime Isayama and Ryo Kawakami. It might be comparing apples to oranges in a way, since Isayama is actually not the primary author of this particular spin-off, but ultimately the franchise origin writer chooses what stories are told in the spin-offs. And that choice is what is worth examining, especially when one spin-off explicitly marks itself as 'progressive'.

Sword Art Online Progressive (books 1-2): Kirito and Asuna are two very different people, but they both desire to fight alone. Nonetheless, they find themselves drawn together to face challenges from both within and without. Given that the entire virtual world they now live in has been created as a deathtrap, the surviving players of Sword Art Online are starting to get desperate, and desperation makes them dangerous to loners like Kirito and Asuna. As it becomes clear that solitude equals suicide, will the two be able to overcome their differences to find the strength to believe in each other, and in so doing survive?

Attack on Titan - The Harsh Mistress of the City (book 1): With Wall Maria breeched, communities within the Quinta district have been cut off from each other creating famine and chaos. A young field commander named Rita is tasked with a mission to reconnect transit across the massive district while putting her troops and residence right in the vanguard as Titans descend on her town.

Asuna on a Starless Night: Sword Art Online Progressive 1

Sword Art Online: Progressive book 1
Author: Reki Kawahara
Artist: abec
Yen Press
358 pages

One month after Akihiko Kayaba’s game of death began, the death toll continues to rise, two thousand players having already lost their lives to the ultra-difficult VRMMO world of Sword Art Online. On the day of the strategy meeting to plan out the first-floor boss battle, Kirito, a solo player who vows to fight alone to get stronger, runs into a rare, high-level female player. She gracefully dispatches powerful monsters with a single rapier that flashes like a shooting star in the night… (Source: Yen Press)

Every time I think I don't have time to write, I remember that Reki Kawahara is writing not one, but two, but three different light novel series concurrently: Accel World, Sword Art Online, and Sword Art Online: Progressive. I can only imagine what his daily writing regimen looks like. While the Progressive arm of the SAO franchise retreads familiar ground as it takes readers through the Aincrad arc a second time, the 'remix' aspects of it make it more of an alternate universe take on SAO's first arc, especially when it comes to Asuna and her relationship with Kirito as well as the Aincrad world itself.

Novel Review: Sword Art Online LN 4

Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance LN 2
Author: Reki Kawahara
Artist: abec
Yen Press
204 pages

Kirito plunges into a suspicious new VRMMORPG called ALFheim Online to rescue Asuna, who never returned from Sword Art Online. ALO offers many features to entertain players in the wake of SAO: ultra-high-end graphics, action-heavy gameplay, a choice of fairy races, and a next-generation flight engine. Playing as a spriggan, Kirito heads for the location of Asuna's prison --- the top of the World Tree, the final destination of every player in the game! (Source: Yen Press)

Here is the ultimate kicker about the Sword Art Online light novel series, for people who have watched the anime and already have an opinion on Reki Kawahara's canon. If you watched the anime and hated it, the LN will not change your mind. If you watched the anime and loved it, you will love the LN. If you watched the anime and fell anywhere in between these two groups, you will find that the LN adds a substantial amount of depth and meat to the story that the anime could not provide. Fairy Dance volume two concludes the second arc of Sword Art Online's first season story-wise, and it pretty much follows the above line of thinking to the letter.

With Fairy Dance GN 2, however, there is an additional subplot not touched upon in the anime, and somehow it makes all the difference between what made it on the screen and what stayed in the book. Perhaps if the book's opening scenes had been included in an episode, I would have warmed more to the Leafa/Kirito relationship. Plus, it's just a really great scene and I wish I had seen it animated. Deviant Gods are awesome!

Some Thoughts On The First SAO Fairy Dance Light Novel

Spoiler alert: Post contains spoilers for Sword Art Online's anime and the first Fairy Dance LN.

Kirito has escaped Sword Art Online, the forbidden VRMMORPG of death, and returned to reality. He heads off to find his game partner and lover, Asuna Yuuki. But Asuna never made it back from the nightmare. Lost and desperate, Kirito’s only clue to her virtual whereabouts is a mysterious screenshot of Asuna as a fairy trapped in a giant birdcage. His conclusion: She must be trapped within the new, high-powered VRMMORPG, ALfheim Online. Now Kirito must plunge into the world of ALO, where players are fairies who fly gracefully through the air! [x]

Sometimes, seeing into a main character's thought process can really elevate their actions and give clarity to a story. In visual novels, this usually works against the story - a lot of VN main characters are either arrogant blowhards who somehow attract lots of women or blank slates lacking personalities. Even in some light novels, seeing inside a character's head can make them more distant and unliked that before; Kyon of the Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu novels comes to mind.

And yet, if the Fairy Dance arc of the Sword Art Online anime had bothered tapping into some of the more pertinent thoughts of the arc's protagonists - cousins Kazuya/Kirito and Suguha/Leafa - those episodes would have been less painful to watch. In the anime, the Fairy Dance arc is my least favorite of the first season. In the light novel series so far, it is a lot more bearable and, in fact, more interesting as it plays out on the page.

Novel Review: Sword Art Online - Aincrad LN 1 & 2

Sword Art Online: Aincrad 1 & 2
Author: Reki Kawahara
Yen Press/Yen On
200 pages approx. per volume

In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online opens its virtual doors, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in the game world by manipulating their brain waves to create a wholly realistic gaming experience. But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG-a log-out button. (Source: Yen Press)

Having just finished up the tepid, lackluster Sword Art Online manga adaptation of the Aincrad arc (my displeasure with this omnibus has already been spelled out on this blog), I went into the SAO original light novel duology for Aincrad with lowered expectations. Somehow, it managed to surprise me in a refreshing way, and does things in a way that the manga and anime never could.

In the translated words of Kawahara, Asuna gains depth, Kirito gains sympathy, and the world of SAO reveals a depth only prose can give it. The story still has some fundamental issues but in the realm of canon sources, the light novel series stands firmly alongside the popular anime and way ahead of its manga counterpart.

Cover Reveal: Wayward Ink's STRANDED

So, did I mention I'm being published next month? Because yes, I am! A short story of mine will be included in the fiction anthology Stranded, published by Wayward Ink. Below are full details about the anthology, including the reveal of the cover! I think the fujoshi of this blog will love this book: it's all m/m relationships, and the pub is super LGBT friendly. Enjoy!

Definition – Stranded

adjective

• (of a boat, sailor, or sea creature) left aground on a shore.

“a stranded whale”

• left without the means to move from somewhere.

“he offers a lift to a stranded commuter”

The boys in this collection of short stories have most definitely been left STRANDED!

They’ve been shipwrecked and abandoned.

Marooned and cast away.

And left helpless and high and dry.

But you should never underestimate the tenacity of the human heart…

The Wonderful World Of Reading Out Of Spite

THROWING YOURSELF OUT OF TRAINS
IS NOT BRAVE but whatever.

This week, I spent more time that I would have liked to reading the second book in a trilogy, the first of which I couldn't stand, all so I can watch the film version of the second book and watch Daniel Dae Kim be sexy (although you couldn't pay me enough to go see it at the cinema). For the sake of transparency, it's the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth - you can read my disgruntled review of the first Divergent book over at Goodreads. And I've already put a hold on my library's copy of Allegiant so I can finish the set.

Why am I putting myself through this if I don't like them? Because I'm a spite reader, and I'm determined to finish the series just so I can understand what everyone else is talking about, while retaining my right to complain about them. (Plus, I've already been spoiled for the Divisive Plot Twist in Allegiant, so the least I can do is see how it actually plays out in the story)

Hello, my name is Sarah and I'm a spite reader! Yes, I differentiate between hate and spite reading, but it's a thin line between 'reading out of hate' and 'reading in spite of myself and my usual reading habits'. But, to be fair, the differentiation between the two is very pedantic on my part.

Novel Review: Paprika

Paprika
Author: Yasutaka Tsutsui
Vintage
342 Pages (paperback ed.)

When prototype models of a dream-invading device go missing at the Institute for Psychiatric Research, it transpires that someone is using them to drive people insane. Threatened both personally and professionally, brilliant psychotherapist Atsuko Chiba has to journey into the world of fantasy to fight her mysterious opponents. (Source: Vintage)

Some spoilers for the novel's story are within.

Scientists are finding new ways to treat mental illnesses every day. Some treatments border on the science-fiction. So what about a device that enters the dreams of a patient, can let the person treating them directly access the other's subconscious world and alter it? When the line between reality and dreams blur, where will science stand? Paprika, the basis for the Satoshi Kon film of the same name, tackles these massive issues and somehow manages to come out on the other side intact. If anything, Paprika is a battle to control reality as we know it.

Novel Review: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

The Melancholy of Haruhi SuzumiyaAuthor: Nagaru Tanigawa
Yen Press
224 Pages (paperback ed.)

Meet Haruhi - a cute, determined girl, starting high school in a city where nothing exciting happens and absolutely no one understands her. Meet Kyon ­­- the sarcastic guy who sits behind Haruhi in homeroom and the only boy Haruhi has ever opened up to. His fate is now tied to hers. Meet the S.O.S. Brigade - an after-school club organized by Haruhi with a mission to seek out the extraordinary. Oh, and their second mission? Keeping Haruhi happy . . . because even though she doesn't know it, Haruhi has the power to destroy the universe. Seriously. (Source: Yen Press)

Find me an otaku who was around for 2006 and doesn't know the name Haruhi Suzumiya. You can't. It is impossible. Her image has become synonomous with popular anime. The 'Hare Hare Yukai' dance was a staple at conventions for years. The red armband with the SOS Brigade characters on it could be found everywhere. And yet - over seven years later, and I'm just now reading the light novel that launched a phenomena and created the fictional juggernaut that is Suzumiya-san.

It's too bad I really, really don't like Haruhi Suzumiya.

PR: Haikasoru Debuts New Title By Miyuki Miyabi

Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo (AYASHI) 

by MIYABE Miyuki

© 2000 MIYABE Miyuki

All rights reserved.

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT RELEASES AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR MIYUKI MIYABE’S APPARITIONS: THE GHOSTS OF OLD EDO

Edo, Birthplace Of Japan’s Modern Age, Is Also Home To Vengeful Ghosts Of The Past In A Gripping Horror Collection By Acclaimed Author Of BRAVE STORY And ICO: CASTLE IN THE MIST

San Francisco, CA, November 19, 2013 – VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint is proud to announce the North American release of famed Japanese author Miyuki Miyabe’s chilling collection of ghost stories – APPARITIONS: THE GHOSTS OF OLD EDO. The new release carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

An eBook edition is also available for $8.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, and the Kobo eBooks 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 old Edo, the past was never forgotten. It lived alongside the present in dark corners and in the shadows. In these tales, award-winning author Miyuki Miyabe explores the ghosts of early modern Japan and the spaces of the living world – workplaces, families, and the human soul – that they inhabit. Written with a journalistic eye and a fantasist’s heart, APPARITIONS brings the restless dead, and those who encounter them, to life.

News: Yen Press Makes Reki Kawahara Fans Happy

It feels like just a few days ago, I was gripping about the lack of Sword Art Online print material available in English - and I know that last year, I was saying the same about Accel World's source material. Funnily enough, the one manga company I didn't mention has come in and saved us from a Kawahara-lacking existence. Thank you, Yen Press! Should I start sending them Christmas cards now? Ones with Kuroyukihime on them?

Ahem. So, while at Japan Expo, Yen Press dropped a few license acquisitions onto their eager readers, including another Madoka Magica manga and - yes! - the manga for Sword Art Online as well as the light novels for Sword Art Online and Accel World. Considering that light novels aren't exactly big sellers in North America, this is truly a great sign from Yen Press that they have faith in SAO/Accel World fans to support their favorite series with their wallets.

(And speaking of Yen Press' light novels, pick up Spice & Wolf and Kieli while you're pre-ordering Reki Kawahara's works! Let Yen Press know otaku will buy light novels so they'll license more series! Hey, you do want Durarara!! light novels - right?)

You can find release dates of the SAO/Accel World books at the ANN article. Sorry, nothing is coming out until 2014!

Micro Review: Redshirts Chapters 1-4

Redshirts: Chapters 1-4
Author: John Scalzi
Tor Books
32 pages (E-book edition)

They were expendable . . . until they started comparing notes.

I'm tagging this as Star Trek because gosh darn it, it's the closest thing you can get to a Star Trek novel without actually being one. There might not be any characters named Spock or Kirk or McCoy, but you can tell who their counterparts are by the end of the prologue. If anything, Redshirts is a perfect pastiche of the Star Trek uniform, a love letter to the poor red shirt wearing security details who never survived the end of the episode.

Ensign Andrew Dahl is the latest arrival on the star ship Intrepid, and he is only starting to get settled into his new position when he realizes that life on the ship isn't as wonderful as it first seemed. Their captain is an arrogant blowhard with a melodramatic street, his lieutenant a cold-hearted non-human who is not as smart as he thinks he is. Naturally, when the shit hits the fan, it is Dahl and his fellow redshirts that get turned into cannon fodder for the sake of their superiors' well being. Sound familiar?

In four chapters, John Scalzi has already done some tremendous world-building, albeit on the back of a world meant to mirror the Trek!verse, created a diverse cast of characters, and set up the main conflict on which the rest of the novel will hang. There's a Narrative to be followed and those who don't adhere to it end up losing their lives in the process. How will Dahl escape the fate of so many redshirts before him? I'm looking forward to finding out.

The best thing about the first four chapters of Redshirts is that it is available for free, without DRM, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Tor website. So most of y'all don't have any excuse not to check this one out!

PR: Haikasoru Debuts Sci-Fi Novel SELF-REFERENCE ENGINE

THIS IS NOT A NOVEL.

THIS IS NOT A SHORT STORY COLLECTION.

THIS IS SELF-REFERENCE ENGINE

Award Winning Japanese Sci-fi Novel Has North American Debut From VIZ Media’s Haikasoru Imprint

San Francisco, CA, March 19, 2013 – VIZ Media’s literary imprint Haikasoru has announced today’s North American debut of author Toh EnJoe’s SELF-REFERENCE ENGINE, a work of hard science fiction where vignette, story, and philosophy combine to create a novel designed like a concept album. In Japan, EnJoe’s prize-winning fiction is well known for blending hardcore science fiction with bizarre surrealism.

SELF-REFERENCE ENGINE is available now and carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. An eBook edition is also available for 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.

PR: Digital Audio Version Of ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Now Available

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES A NEW AUDIOBOOK RELEASE OF THE HIT SCI-FI ACTION THRILLER 'ALL YOU NEED IS KILL' 

Acclaimed Novel Now In Production As A Major Feature Film From Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, VIZ Media Also Secures Publishing Rights To Official Movie Novel Edition

San Francisco, CA, February 20, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the digital release by Simon & Schuster Audio of an unabridged audio book version of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s science fiction thriller ALL YOU NEED IS KILL. The acclaimed novel, read and narrated by Mike Martindale, is now available for $19.95 U.S. from the Simon & Schuster website.

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL is published in North America by VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint and is currently in production as a major feature film directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) and starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The film is slated for release in the spring of 2014, to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. Liman is directing the film from a screenplay by Dante W. Harper and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and Christopher McQuarrie, based on the novel. Erwin Stoff, Gregory Jacobs, Jeffrey Silver, Jason Hoffs and Tom Lassally are the producers, with Doug Liman, Dave Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers.

Novel Review: How To Build A Golem And Terrify People

How To Build A Golem And Terrify People
Author: Alette J. Willis
Floris Books
224 books (paperback ed.)

Edda is tired of her nickname, 'Mouse', and wants to be braver. But when her house is burgled on her thirteenth birthday, Edda is more afraid than ever. That is until new boy Michael Scot starts school. There's something peculiar -- and very annoying -- about know-it-all Michael. He claims to be a great alchemist who can help Edda overcome her fears by teaching her to build a golem. But surely they can't bring a giant mud monster to life? Can they? (Source: Floris Books)

Note: I was provided a free e-copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley. No monetary compensation was involved in the development of this review.

I came into this story knowing pretty much nothing about the plot beyond the title (dang it, Goodreads, why didn't you have a summary for this?). In a way, I'm kind of glad. Despite the rather 'okay' opening, by the time after the burglary and Michael the mysterious starts to make his presence known in Edda's life I found myself irreversibly drawn into Alette Willis' story. Fans of coming-of-age novels with a supernatural bent will certainly enjoy this one. Plus, who doesn't love a good golem in their middle school lit?

Novel Review: Like A Love Comedy

Like A Love Comedy

Author: Aki Morimoto

Illustrator: Yutta Narumi

June Manga/DMP

160 pages

Biwa was a fledgling screenwriter working at an American TV drama production company. Now, he's been named to a drama production team But, before the team's first meeting, Biwa, distracted, slams into a man he doesn't know, who glares at him. It's Japan's top actor, Yamato Toyohira, the star of the drama Biwa is supposed to be his assistant, but Yamato's arrogance is driving him crazy. (Source: Goodreads)

I never thought I'd find a boys' love prose novel that would sate my love of screenwriting, rolebending seme/uke dynamics, seemingly hopeless love, and Frasier references all in one go - and yet, that is exactly what Aki Morimoto has written with Like A Love Comedy, a light novel released by Digital Manga's prose arm of publishing, June. Coupled with Yutta Narumi's quite lovely (and sometimes rather steamy!) artwork, this story really reads well for something originally published five years ago.

The drama of working on a tight deadline for a risky television pilot mixes with the unlikely romance between a fledgling screenwriter and a Japanese actor looking for his American debut on the small screen to create quite an enjoyable and quick experience.

You can read the rest of my review after the jump!

Novel Review: The Future Is Japanese

The Future Is Japanese: Stories From and About The Land Of The Rising Sun

Authors: Ekaterina Sedia, Bruce Sterling, Rachel Swirsky, TOBI Hirotaka, Catherynne M. Valente, Pat Cadigan, Toh EnJoe , Project Itoh, Hideyuki Kikuchi, Ken Liu, David Moles, Issui Ogawa, Felicity Savage

Haikasoru/Viz Media

350 pages

A web browser that threatens to conquer the world. The longest, loneliest railroad on Earth. A North Korean nuke hitting Tokyo, a hollow asteroid full of automated rice paddies, and a specialist in breaking up “virtual” marriages. And yes, giant robots. These thirteen stories from and about the Land of the Rising Sun run the gamut from fantasy to cyberpunk, and will leave you knowing that the future is Japanese! (Source: Goodreads)

I don't do anthologies. Well, short story anthologies at least; I've no problem when it's poetry or non-fiction pieces. The problem with (short story) anthologies and myself is that I get too attached to the characters and the setting of one story, only to have it end too soon and leave me wanting for more although I know full well there won't be. Plus, with so many authors in the pot, the likelihood of several bad apples spoiling the bunch climbs higher and higher.

But I felt obligated to pick up Haikasoru's collection of sci-fi/fantasy stories from and about Japan, mostly because it is Haikasoru and they are known for quality fiction of those genres (and typing that makes me wish I had picked up the paperback of Battle Royale I'd seen in a new and used book shop today, whoops). And this is a decision I do not regret, and neither will anyone else who follows suit.

Novel Review: Spice & Wolf Book 3

Spice & Wolf book 3

Author: Isuna Hasekura

Illustrator: Jyuu Ayakuya

Yen Press

256 pages

Review warning: Post contains spoilers for the third light novel in the Spice & Wolf series. Read with caution!

Having narrowly escaped financial ruin, Lawrence turns his attention to helping Holo find her ancient homeland in the North. But how long can a traveling merchant afford to wander the countryside looking for a village that he suspects may have ceased to exist long ago? When a rival merchant sets his sights on Lawrence's beautiful companion, though, can Lawrence truly be confident that Holo will remain by his side? Has the time come when Lawrence must ask himself whether his relationship with the Wisewolf is business or pleasure?

You would think that after squeaking out a victory in Ruvinheigen with the armor racket that Lawrence would think twice about getting into a risky financial maneuver – but this is Lawrence we're talking about, and the stakes aren't just for financial gain but for the hand of his own traveling companion.

Yes, for the first time, Lawrence is in serious jeopardy of losing Horo’s companionship forever. But what is Horo to him, actually? It’s this question that dominates this volume of Spice & Wolf and makes it a memorable one.

PR: Viz's Haikasoru Imprint Releases Sci-Fi/Fantasy Anthology

THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE
© 2012 VIZ Media

NEW FROM VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT,

A STIRRING NEW ANTHOLOGY OF FANTASY, SCIENCE FICTION AND CYBERPUNK SHOWS WHY THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE

New Literary Release Features 13 Innovative Stories From And About Japan By An International Collection Of Some Of Sci-Fi Fiction’s Most Acclaimed Authors

San Francisco, CA, May 16, 2012 – VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint announces the release of THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE, a new fiction anthology featuring science fiction and fantasy stories from some of today’s greatest writers from both Japan and the English-speaking world. The book is now available from the company’s Haikasoru imprint and has a MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN. An eBook edition will also be available for 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.

Novel Review: The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero

Author: Rick Riordan

Hyperion Books For Children

557 pages (hardcover ed.)

Spoiler note: This review contains spoilers for this novel as well as the original Percy Jackson And The Olympians book series. Read on with caution!

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?  Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out. Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.

Read my review of this YA novel after the jump!