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Fumio Takano

たかの ふみお

Takano Fumio

Aliases: 井上久美子
Pen Names: Fumio Takano（Pen name (real name: Kumiko Inoue)）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1966-09-14 （Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Translator, Critic
Active Years
1988-
Affiliations
Science Fiction Writers of Japan (club), Japan Writers' Association
Memberships
Science Fiction Writers of Japan (club), Japan Writers' Association
Influenced By
Trevor Horn
Nominations
42nd Japan SF Award nominee ("Do Not Mix"), 44th Japan SF Award nominee ("Graf Zeppelin: That Summer's Airship"), Sense of Gender Award nominee (2021)

Education

Ibaraki University
Faculty of Humanities
Degree: 学士
Country: Japan
Ochanomizu University Graduate School
Graduate School of Humanities / Early Modern French History (major)
Degree: 修士
Country: Japan
Master's program in early modern French history

Awards

Aoyama Round Theatre Script Contest — Honorable Mention
1988
Work: Elevation
Organization: Aoyama Round Theatre Script Contest
Result: 佳作
Edogawa Rampo Prize
2012
Work: The Sister of the Karamazov
Organization: Kodansha (Edogawa Rampo Prize)
Result: 受賞
Hosoya Masayasu Award
2021
Work: Do Not Mix
Organization: Hosoya Masayasu Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Sense of Gender Award (SF Consistency Prize)
2022
Work: Karamazov Siblings: Original Version
Organization: Sense of Gender Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Seiun Award — Japanese Long Form
2024
Work: Graf Zeppelin: That Summer's Airship
Organization: Seiun Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Musica Machina

1995 Fantasy/SF

An imaginative novel centered on music and machines. Debut full-length novel.

musicmachineryfantasy

The Sister of the Karamazov

2012 Alternate-history SF / Mystery

A long novel with alternate-history elements inspired by Dostoevsky. Winner of the Edogawa Rampo Prize.

Russian cultureliterary allusionmystery
Adaptations
  • [Audiobook (Audible)] The Sister of the Karamazov (audiobook)

Do Not Mix

2021 Short story collection / SF

A collection of short stories blending speculative ideas and literary sensibilities across varied motifs.

short storiesexperimental SFmusic and history

Graf Zeppelin: That Summer's Airship

2023 SF / Alternate history

A lyrical novel about airships, music and movement around the WWI era. Winner of the Seiun Award (Japanese Long Form).

airshipsmusicEurope

Bibliography

  • Musica Machina (1995)
  • Canto Angelico (1996)
  • Imaginary Kingdom (1997)
  • Vaslav (1998)
  • Vienna: The Rose Knight Series (2000–2001)
  • Aion (2002)
  • Ra (2004)
  • Red Star (2008)
  • The Sister of the Karamazov (2012)
  • The Gem Merchant of the Pterosaur House (2018)
  • The Archangel Smells of Mimosa (2019)
  • Do Not Mix (2021)
  • Graf Zeppelin: That Summer's Airship (2023)
  • Bibliophilia Rhapsody (2024)

Adaptations

  • The Sister of the Karamazov (audiobook: Amazon Audible)

Translations by Author

  • John Gribbin, "Big Bang and Inflation" (Japanese translation, 2016)

Translations of Works

  • "Lest You Remember" / Italian translation of "Sora wasureru hachi"
  • "Anton and Kiyohime" (English translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Alternate-history SF with a lyrical, meticulous proseIntegrates musical, theatrical and artistic motifs
Recurring Motifs
musicEurope (especially Russia and Central Europe)constructed/altered history

Legacy

Known for alternate-history SF centered on Europe and music, she has won major prizes including the Edogawa Rampo Prize and the Seiun Award, securing a distinct place in contemporary Japanese SF.

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction Writers of Japan (club)
  • Japan Writers' Association

Trivia

  • Real name is Kumiko Inoue.
  • Her husband was film scholar Toru Inoue (d. 2023-06-12).
  • A fan of Trevor Horn; she cites him as a source of inspiration for some works.
  • Served on the selection committee of the Japan SF Award from 2016 to 2018.