Kisotengai SF New Writer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1978) honorable mention
Hiroshi Yamamoto
やまもと ひろし
Yamamoto Hiroshi
Pen Names:
Hiroshi Yamamoto（Pen name used as author）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1956-01-01 （Kyoto Prefecture, Japan）
- Died
- 2024-03-29 age 68
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- SF writer, Fantasy writer, Game designer, Manga original author, Editor
- Active Years
- 1978-2024
- Affiliations
- Group SNE (founding member), Mystery Writers of Japan (member), Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (former member)
- Memberships
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan, Mystery Writers of Japan, ASIOS (member)
- Nominations
- 28th Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award (The Stories of Ai), 29th Japan SF Award nominee (MM9), Honkaku Mystery Award nominee (My Radiant World)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto Municipal Rakuyo Technical High School | — | Electronics | — | — | Japan |
Kyoto Municipal Rakuyo Technical High School
Electronics
Country:
Japan
Highest formal education: technical high school (electronics)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Seiun Award (Japanese Long Form) | It Will Probably Be a Good Year | 日本長編部門 | Seiun Award Committee | Winner |
| 2016 | Seiun Award (Japanese Short Form) | Tatarajima Again | 日本短編部門 | Seiun Award Committee | Winner |
| 2025 | Japan SF Award (Achievement Award) | — | 功績賞 | Japan SF Award Committee | Winner |
| 1986 | SF Fangine Award (Creative Work) | Schrödinger's Chocolate Parfait | 創作部門 | SF Fanzine Association | Winner |
| 2006 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award (nominee) | The Stories of Ai | — | Yoshikawa Eiji Newcomer Award Committee | Nominee |
| 2015 | Honkaku Mystery Award (nominee) | My Radiant World | — | Honkaku Mystery Award Committee | Nominee |
Seiun Award (Japanese Long Form)
2011
Work:
It Will Probably Be a Good Year
Category:
日本長編部門
Organization:
Seiun Award Committee
Result:
Winner
Seiun Award (Japanese Short Form)
2016
Work:
Tatarajima Again
Category:
日本短編部門
Organization:
Seiun Award Committee
Result:
Winner
Japan SF Award (Achievement Award)
2025
Category:
功績賞
Organization:
Japan SF Award Committee
Result:
Winner
SF Fangine Award (Creative Work)
1986
Work:
Schrödinger's Chocolate Parfait
Category:
創作部門
Organization:
SF Fanzine Association
Result:
Winner
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award (nominee)
2006
Work:
The Stories of Ai
Organization:
Yoshikawa Eiji Newcomer Award Committee
Result:
Nominee
Honkaku Mystery Award (nominee)
2015
Work:
My Radiant World
Organization:
Honkaku Mystery Award Committee
Result:
Nominee
Awards & Nominations
Seiun Award
2 appearances
-
Edition 42 (2011) award
-
Edition 47 (2016) award
Nihon SF Grand Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 45 (2024) achievement award
Works
Major Works
February at the End of Time
1989 Science fiction (hard-SF elements)A novel using a redshift-shifted world premise; blends scientific speculation with a humorous sensibility.
hard SFtime and cosmos
The Stories of Ai
2006 Science fiction (linked short stories)A linked short-story collection exploring humans and artificial beings (AI), often in allegorical fashion.
artificial intelligencehumanity
Translations
- English translation available
MM9
2007 Science fiction (kaiju/monster fiction)A serial novel about kaiju disasters, treating tokusatsu/monster themes with SF-style examination. Adapted as a TV drama in 2010.
kaijusociety and media
Adaptations
- [TV drama] MM9 (TV drama) / 樋口真嗣 (2010)
Translations
- English edition published (BizMedia et al.)
It Will Probably Be a Good Year
2010 Science fiction (novel)A novel constructed with multilayered SF premises; won the 2011 Seiun Award for Japanese Long Form.
social changeSF imagination
Bibliography
- February at the End of Time
- Laplace's Demon
- The Stories of Ai
- MM9
- It Will Probably Be a Good Year
- My Radiant World
- Operation Move the Earth
Adaptations
- MM9 (TV drama)
Translations of Works
- MM9 (English translation)
- The Stories of Ai (English translation available)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- hard-SF orientedhumorous narrative voicefrequent references to popular culture
- Recurring Motifs
- scientific skepticismmedia criticismdebunking pseudoscience
Health
-
cerebral infarction (stroke)2018-05-10 to 2018-09-04Hospitalized and rehabilitated; reported persistent deficits in memory and calculation, making highly mathematical SF work difficult.
-
aspiration pneumonia2024-03Died of aspiration pneumonia in March 2024 (age 68).
Legacy
An author active across hard SF, light novels, and skeptical critique of pseudoscience. A Seiun Award winner, he also made notable contributions to TRPGs and game design, and promoted scientific skepticism and media literacy.
Academic Societies
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (former member)
- Mystery Writers of Japan
In Popular Culture
- Interface with tokusatsu/kaiju culture, e.g. MM9 TV adaptation
Quotes
-
The essence of SF is foolishness (the foolishness & the seriousness).
Source: Interview/essay
Trivia
- He used to say his heart is always 15 years old.
- Founding chairman of Togakkai (society for debunking pseudoscience).
- MM9 was adapted into a TV drama (2010).
- Suffered a stroke later in life and continued rehabilitation.
- Some works and remarks provoked controversy and debate.