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Mu Legendary Novel Grand Award

むーでんきのべるたいしょう

A public newcomer literary award for genre fiction, hosted by the magazine Mu (Gakken).

Established
2001
Organizer
Gakken (formerly Gakushū Kenkyūsha)
Category
Genre Fiction
Selection Method
Open call
Target
Newcomer
Frequency
1 per year
Application Deadline
around October
Announcement Period
around March–April
Status
Ended

Description

A newcomer literary award run by Gakken's magazine Mu from 2001 to 2005, open to horror, fantasy, psycho-suspense, and legendary-mystery fiction. Winning works were published in book form by Gakken.

Prize

Main Prize
Winning works are published by Gakken Kenkyusha in B6 hardcover, or Wolf Novels, or Gakken M Bunko.

Past Winners

No winner
No winner
葉越晶 best award

Ouma no Toshi is Akira Hagoshi's legendary fantasy novel. Argentos, an intelligence gatherer attached to the temple of the ancient city Ravataar, investigates a missing priest and murdered citizens, entering a city haunted by dreams of the dead and lingering resentment.

In a city where the dreams of the dead wander, a hidden disturbance behind the oracle is pursued.

375 pages
legendary fantasyancient cityoraclecursefantasy
浅永マキ excellence award

A supernatural horror novel set around an old house in a mountain village and the taboos handed down within it. In a mansion cut off from the outside world, youthful desire and family secrets converge toward a ritual-like tragedy.

A taboo sleeping in an old mountain household turns desire in a closed world into a blood-tinged supernatural tale.

213 pages
old mountain householdtaboosupernatural horrorblood ties and desire
Makiko Nagashima excellence award

A supernatural novel that combines a traveling theater troupe with the atmosphere of ghost stories. Scenes advance like spaces on a sugoroku board, linking itinerant performance, local entanglements, and the fears people carry within them.

Each time the traveling stage opens, the ghost story advances another square and the place reveals its old entanglements.

364 pages
traveling theaterghost storiesitinerancylocal entanglement
Kaoru Shigisawa excellence award

Sakon Shima, retainer to the young Yamato lord Junkei Tsutsui, captures the female ninja Shino and sets out to assassinate his lord's enemy, Hisahide Matsunaga. This Sengoku-period fantasy follows Sakon as he battles the sorcery of the Tsuchigumo clan while dealing with his lord's growth and Shino.

A Sengoku-period fantasy in which Sakon Shima attempts to assassinate Hisahide Matsunaga and battles the sorcery of the Tsuchigumo clan.

408 pages
Sengoku periodninjassorcerylord and retainerconflict
Tetsuya Honda excellence award

In Ikebukuro, a corpse is found with a throat torn as if by a beast. As the police investigate a case resembling a series of gang-leader murders three years earlier, a supernatural mystery unfolds around Benisuzu, an enigmatic sex worker, and Yoshiki, a gigolo she rescues.

A mystery links a beast-torn corpse to an alluring and enigmatic woman.

394 pages
supernatural fictionvampirespolice investigationTokyocrimenonhuman beings
Kokuzo Sawada excellence award

After returning to his home in Oshu, Sokuta is attacked by ninjas from the Date clan's Black Hood group. A female ninja tells him of a legendary temple made of solid gold and of his late father's knowledge of its location, setting off his adventure.

A ninja fantasy in which Sokuta returns to Oshu and pursues the secret of a golden temple connected to his father.

381 pages
ninjasSengoku periodgolden templeadventurefather and son
Sazare Kutsuna best award

ダブル is a work by 久綱さざれ. It was selected for the ムー伝奇ノベル大賞 in 2001 and was recognized within the literary culture of its time.

A work by 久綱さざれ recognized by the ムー伝奇ノベル大賞.

327 pages
literary awardhuman experiencenarrative
Ko Haisaki excellence award

想師 Explorer in the visionary world is a work by 灰崎抗. It was selected for the ムー伝奇ノベル大賞 in 2001 and was recognized within the literary culture of its time.

A work by 灰崎抗 recognized by the ムー伝奇ノベル大賞.

375 pages
literary awardhuman experiencenarrative
南家礼子 honorable mention

センチメンタル・ゴースト・ペイン is a work by 南家礼子. It was selected for the ムー伝奇ノベル大賞 in 2001 and was recognized within the literary culture of its time.

A work by 南家礼子 recognized by the ムー伝奇ノベル大賞.

193 pages
literary awardhuman experiencenarrative