Taku Mayumura

Taku Mayumura ( Mayumura Taku, 20 October 1934 – 3 November 2019) was a Japanese novelist, science fiction writer and haiku poet. He won the Seiun Award for Novel twice. His novel Shiseikan (, Administrator, one story of the "Shiseikan series"), written in 1974, was translated into English by Daniel Jackson in 2004. Mayumura was also a young adult fiction writer whose works have been adapted into TV drama, film, and anime. Mayumura was an honorary member of the SFWJ (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan).

Biography Mayumura was born as Murakami Takuji , at Osaka city, Osaka prefecture in 1934.

In 1960, he joined the SF fanzine Uchūjin.

In 1979, he won the seventh Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature and the Seiun Award for his novel Shōmetsu no Kōrin,

In 2020, he was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Award in its 40th Nihon SF Taishō Awards by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of Japan (SFWJ).

Haiku poetry Mayumura was also a haiku poet. He was a member of the haiku club in his high school. He posted his haiku work to the haiku coterie magazine Ashibu which Shūōshi Mizuhara (JA) presided over. Mayumura has been a coterie membera of the haiku magazine "Uzu" . In 2009, he published a Haiku book "Kiri wo yuku" .

Style of writings As a literary theorist, he advocated the "Insider Bungaku-ron" (Theory of Literature by Insiders). Consistent with this theme, his novels frequently tackle the issues of problematic relations between individuals and the corporate or bureaucratic organizations to which they belong.

Mayumura wrote various stories. His stages of the fictions range from the ordinary life scenes of common people to the fantastic worlds hidden back in the daily life, to the inter-stellar federation of far future.

Especially, strange and fantastic aspects of the reality, adjacent to the ordinary life are the essence of his fantastic stories.

Personal life He died early in the morning (at 04:01 AM in JST) of November 3, 2019 due to aspiration pneumonia in Osaka. His family stated he had been dealing with cancer for several years, and had been hospitalized on October 8, continuing to write in his bed until his death. "Fnifmum" (The Best Japanese Science Fiction Stories, Dembner Books, 1989 / Barricade Books, 1997) "I'll Get Rid of Your Discontent" (Speculative Japan, Kurodahan Press, 2007)

Works Novels Novels and Collections of novelettes and short stories, or Collection of short short stories. Moeru Keisha 1963, Touto Shobou Gen'ei no Kōsei 1966, Hayakawa Shobou EXPO' 87 1968, Hayakawa Shobou Wa ga Sexoid 1969, Rippu Shobou Techunit 1969, San'ichi Shobou Jun B-kyū Shimin 1966, Hayakawa Publishing, Hayakawa SF Series Bankokuhaku ga Yattekuru 1968, Hayakawa Publishing, Hayakawa SF Series Niji wa Kieta 1969, Hayakawa Publishing, Hayakawa SF Series Toki no Odysseus 1971, Hayakawa Publishing, Hayakawa SF Series C-seki no Kyaku 1971, Nihon Keizai Shinbunsha, 1973, Kadokawa Bunko Karera no Naka no Umi 1973, Hayakawa Publishing Kiga Rettō 1974, Hayakawa Publishing, (collaboration with Masami Fukushima) Salon wa Owatta 1974, Hayakawa Bunko JA Shiseikan (, Administrator) 1974, Hayakawa Publishing Ano Shinju-iro no Asa wo... 1974, Kadokawa Bunko Kimyōna Tsuma 1975, Hayakawa Publishing, 1978 Kadokawa Bunko Ikyō Henge 1976, Kadokawa Bunko Nubatama no... 1978, Koudansha Shōmetsu no Kōrin 1979, Hayakawa Publishing Bokutachi no Pocket 1980, Kadokawa Bunko Nagai Akatsuki 1980, Hayakawa Publishing Pocket no ABC 1982, Kadokawa Shoten Pocket no XYZ 1982, Kadokawa Shoten Futsū no Kazoku 1984, Kadokawa Bunko Meikyū Monogatari 1986, Kadokawa Shoten Futeiki Esper 1–8, 1988–1990, Tokuma Shoten Hikishio no Toki 1–5, 1988-1995 Hayakawa Publishing Wonder Tea Room 1992, Jitsugyō no nihon Higawari Ichiwa, Book 1, Book 2 1998, Shuppan Geijutsusha Tsuma ni Sasageta 1778-wa (, 1,778 Stories dedicated to My Wife, [Tsuma ni Sasageta Sen Nana-hyaku Nana-jū Hachi-wa]) 2004 etc.

Shiseikan series The Shiseikan (Administrator) series is summarized as follows: In the distant future, the humans of Earth constitute the Terrestrial Federation; the Terrestrial humans have spread far across outer space and colonized numerous planets and solar systems. The Federation established local governments on those planets to establish law and order among the human settlers, and to mediate between Terrestrials and the sapient aliens who had been originally born, evolved and lived on certain of these planets before the settlers arrived. In the early period, the planets had been ruled by Federation-aligned military juntas; however, the Federation has begun to recall the military administrations and send civilian administrators to govern on their behalf. The troubles faced by these administrators constitute the stories of Shiseikan. Shiseikan (}, Administrators) 1974, Hayakawa Publishing Shōmesu no Kourin (, The Corona of the Extinction) 1979, Hayakawa Publishing, Seiun Award 1979 Nagai Akatsuki (, Long Dawn) 1980, Hayakawa Publishing Hikishio no Toki (, The Time at Low Tide) 1996, Hayakawa Publishing, Seiun Award 1996

Young adult fiction Tensai wa Tsukurareru 1968 Maboroshi no Pen Friend 1970, 2006 Nazo no Tenkōsei 1972, 2004 Nejireta Machi 1974, 2005 Sangyō Shikan Kōhosei 1974 Jigoku no Sainō 1975 Nerawareta Gakuen 1976, 2003 Omoiagari no Natsu 1977, Kadokawa Bunko (including Nagori no Yuki ) Tozasareta Jikanwari 1977 Naitara Shi ga Kuru 1977 Shiroi Futōshiki 1978 Tsukurareta Asu 1980 Toraerareta School Bus ) 1981-1983 Kadokawa Bunko, (New title: Toki no Tabibito Shiirareta Henshin 1988

Historical story Cartago no Unmei 1998, Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha

Others or uncertain Chikyū e no Tōi Michi 1970, Mainichi Shinbunsha Nijū-Yo-Jikan no Sinnyūsha 1974, Akimoto Waru-nori Ryokō 1975, Kadokawa Bunko Shin'ya Hōsō no Happening 1977, Akimoto Mōretsu Kyōshi 1977 Shiroi Kobako 1977, Jitsugyou no Nihon Tōrisugita Yatsu 1977, Ruppu Shobo Henna Otoko 1978, Kadokawa Bunko Oshaberi Meiro 1979, Kadokawa Shoten Gekkō no Sasu Basho 1980 Katamuita Chiheisen 1981, Kadokawa Bunko Sorezore no Magarikado 1986, Kadokawa Bunko Yūyake no Kaiten Mokuba 1986, Kadokawa Bunko Niji no Uragawa 1994, Shuppan Geijutsusha etc.

Essays Giyaman to Kikai (, Glass and Machine) 1977, PHP Kenkyusho Teri-kageri no Fūkei - Kessaku Essay 1981.12, Kosaido shuppan Osaka no Machikado - Mayumura Taku Semba Essay 1995.11 San'itsu shobo

Haiku poetry Kiri wo Yuku 2009

Works adapted into TV drama Maboroshi no Pen Friend 1974, 2001 Nazo no Tenkōsei 1975、2014 Nerawareta Gakuen 1977, 1982, 1987, 1997 Jigoku no Sainō 1977 Nagori no Yuki 1977, 1994

Works adapted into cinema film Nerawareta Gakuen 1981 (Director: ), 1997 (Director: ) Nazo no Tenkōsei 1998 (Director: ) Boku to Tsuma no 1778 no Monogatari based on his life episode and short stories.

Works adapted into anime film Toki no Tabibito 1986 (Director: Mori Masaki) Neo Tokyo (Meikyuu Monogatari) 1987 (Directors: Rintaro, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Katsuhiro Ōtomo) Nerawareta Gakuen 2012 (Director: Ryosuke Nakamura)

Notes and references