Hayakawa SF Contest
1 appearances
-
Edition 11 (1985) reference work
Norio Nakai
なかい のりお
Norio Nakai
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1952-11-20
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Iidabashi, Tokyo, Japan (runs bar 'decoya')
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, SF critic, Pianist, Bar owner
- Active Years
- 1985-
- Affiliations
- Japan SF Writers Club
- Memberships
- Japan SF Writers Club
- Influenced By
- Jorge Luis Borges, Italo Calvino, Magic realism (Latin American)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Musashi University | Faculty of Humanities | — | 学士 | — | Japan |
Musashi University
Faculty of Humanities
Degree:
学士
Country:
Japan
Graduated from Musashi University, Faculty of Humanities
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Seiun Award (Japanese Short Story) | Symphony on the Mountain | 日本短編部門 | Seiun Awards Committee | 受賞 |
Seiun Award (Japanese Short Story)
1988
Work:
Symphony on the Mountain
Category:
日本短編部門
Organization:
Seiun Awards Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Symphony on the Mountain
1989 Short story collection (SF)A collection of short stories combining SF elements and a peculiar tone. One of Nakai's notable works; won the 1988 Seiun Award (Japanese short story).
peculiar/strange tonemagic realismhuman solitude
The Gunman Who Came from the South
1987 Novel (western-style SF / 'Nohnashi Wani' series)A volume in the 'Nohnashi Wani' series. Set on the colony planet Naingack, it combines western motifs with a world where most inhabitants have subtle or overt psychic powers.
western motifspsychic powersoutlaw protagonists
Legend of the Unborn
1990 Novel (otherworld fantasy / 'Tarkas' series)The first volume of the 'Tarkas' series. An otherworldly epic depicting the tumultuous nation of Guyu, the rebellion of Amnesia, and the birth of the ultimate destroyer 'Tarkas'.
otherworldepic narrativeviolence and power
The Town Where I Walk with Dolphins
2001 NovelA novel published in 2001. After this publication, Nakai produced fewer long-form works and concentrated more on short fiction.
city and naturehuman relationships
Bibliography
- The Gunman Who Came from the South
- Gunman of the Betrayed Fort
- Love and the Wandering Gunman
- Wani, Take Up the Gun
- Wani, Take Up the Gun (continued)
- Wilderness Lizard Riders
- The Distant Grand Canyon
- Legend of the Unborn
- Born from the Sea of Flame
- Take Up the Sword and Call the Flame
- Awaken, Mountain of Fire
- Beyond the Mountain of Fire
- Robogod City
- Maze of Darkness
- Mutant Planet
- Annabel Crescent Moon
- Gate of Residual Echoes - Silent Gate -
- Mosaic -The Trembling Wilderness of Boys-
- The Town Where I Walk with Dolphins
- Symphony on the Mountain
- Briefs, Shirts, Fukujinzuke
- Yamanote Line's Cat's Cradle Girl
- Street Corner Where the Grim Reaper Stands
Adaptations
- Yonimo Kimyō na Monogatari (TV tie-in / original author & novelizations)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- peculiar/strange tonal narrationSF with elements of magic realismallegorical and fantastical descriptions
- Recurring Motifs
- psychic/psi powers (including subtle abilities)western-style settingsshamanistic elementsloneliness and journey
Legacy
Norio Nakai is a writer known for SF works with a distinctive 'peculiar' tone, active mainly in the 1980s–90s; he won a Seiun Award and is respected in Japanese SF circles for his short stories and series. He is also known for novelizations related to the TV series Yonimo Kimyō na Monogatari.
Academic Societies
- Japan SF Writers Club
In Popular Culture
- Yonimo Kimyō na Monogatari (involvement as source author / novelist)
Trivia
- Since November 2010 he has been running the bar 'decoya' in Iidabashi, Tokyo.
- Graduated from Musashi University Faculty of Humanities and has been active as a piano performer.
- Won the 1988 Seiun Award (Japanese Short Story) for 'Symphony on the Mountain'.