Showing results by narrator "Brian Nishii" in All Categories

Caribbean born novelist Tobias Buckell established himself as a gifted new voice in science fiction with his stunning first novel, Crystal Rain. Now, in his first collection, Buckell demonstrates his strengths in the short form, offering readers a collection of stories that are compelling, smart, wonderfully imagined, and entertaining. Tides from the New Worlds contains 19 stories that range from multicultural science fiction to magical realism, some in print for the first time.

Okano, a convenience store employee with a troubled past, is but one of the many unforgettable characters found in this collection of four stories. Among the others are three boys facing a frightening lesson in mortality, a woman using garbage to fill a hole in her heart, and a nurse struggling to cope with the oft-brutal cycle of birth, life, and death. Remaining constant even as it fades in and out of view is the great Mount Fuji, one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains. It serves as the anchor for these characters’ lives, and for Randy Taguchi’s Fujisan, an exploration of redemption, discovery, loss, and remembrance.

DR. JESSICA CORAN A brilliant and determined FBI medical examiner, she was an expert student of the criminal mind who thought she could face anything. That was before Wisconsin. Before she saw one of his victims... THE VAMPIRE KILLER The FBI agent had a special code name for his unusual method of torture: Tort 9, the draining of the victims blood. The newspapers called him the Vampire-Killer. But his own twisted love letters were signed "Teach"... and were addressed to the one woman he wanted most of all: His hunter, his prey, Dr. Jessica Coran.

A stray kitty gets a job in a sumo stable, chasing mice in exchange for food. But when eating like a sumo wrestler slows our feline hero down, he realizes he must train like a wrestler, too. Through hard work and perseverance - and with a little help from a big buddy - SumoKitty is born! A funny and heartwarming story inspired by the Japanese saying, "Fall down seven times, stand up eight."

Ryo is the golden boy, the playboy prince, until his uncle betrays him and everything falls apart. Minor nobles Dagney and Grigfen are suddenly forced to fight for their lives after their father is branded a traitor. McKenna, queen of the enemy realm, has been given a mission of conquest, though she isn’t sure she’s fit for the task. But things are not always what they seem...all of these teens are actually players in the newest, most immersive virtual reality game, competing against each other for a highly coveted internship.

Fiona Barnes has a secret. One so big she's afraid it will destroy everything she holds dear. Not even her beloved music can save her. Li Wu has fought prejudice his entire life. But he's always felt safe and protected within the fierce love of the Barnes family. If only the object of his desire were free to be his, all would be well. Will he risk everything to be with the one he loves or will societal pressures keep them apart?

After losing multiple contracts, Shuichi must make restitution to his company. Faced with this large, unanticipated debt, the trip to Paris he and his wife have been planning for a year must be canceled. Traveling to Europe was more than a vacation; it offered the hope of reaching their teenage daughter who has stopped going to school and will not leave her room. Feeling despondent and directionless, Shuichi believes he’s the unluckiest person in Japan.

When Toru Narazaki's girlfriend, Ryoko, disappears, he tries to track her down, despite the warnings of a private detective he's hired to find her. Ryoko's past is shrouded in mystery, but the one concrete clue leads him to a compound in the heart of Tokyo, with a group that seems to be a cult led by a charismatic guru. Narazaki plunges into the secretive world of the cult, ready to expose himself to any of the guru's brainwashing tactics if it means he can learn the truth about Ryoko. But the cult isn't what he expected, and he has no idea of the bubbling violence beneath its surface.

In the secluded paradise of the Valley, life is eternal. Guarded by unbreachable mists and ruled by a reclusive Emperor, this floating world of salt and lilies brims with beauty, ritual, and endless rebirth. And then prince Soh’shoro discovers his power to kill. Stolen from the courts, trained in martial and magical arts by enigmatic warrior monks, Soh’shoro is reborn as an assassin, ready to defend against the mythical Outside. But echoes of his lost mother and the ethereal allure of a doomed princess lead him on a path to discover the Valley’s dark secrets …

You will not believe what you are reading - even though it all feels so real. Only a man like Smilin’ Jack could monetize civil war. After the infamous business tycoon launches a hit TV show that pits American and Confederate gladiators in brutal battles, his grisly spectacle draws the attention of psychopaths across the nation.

A sweeping and suspenseful novel of love and war, set in Japan during the final days of World War II, with a shocking historical premise: three atomic bombs were actually delivered to the Pacific—not two—and when one of them falls into the hands of the Japanese, the fate of a couple that has been separated from one another becomes entangled with the fate of this strange new device.

How does witnessing a crime change a person? This powerful collection of stories by a star-studded roster of contributors examines this very question.

The Tides of March weaves a tale of espionage, as ancient Samurai legacies and a nation’s struggle with an unseen enemy are revealed, against a backdrop of a series of apocalyptic events that draw in the bewitched descendants of a Samurai family serving as elite agents. Tasked with the surveillance of activities within the murky world of high-level corruption and its connections with international adversaries, events begin to spiral out of control as they seek to confront a Korean spy ring’s deadly mission to draw a lethal advantage from the heart of chaos.

Like many American boys, Tony Barnette yearned to one day make it to “The Show,” playing baseball professionally. The Arizona State pitcher was drafted in 2006 by the in-state Diamondbacks. Gradually ascending the minor-league ladder, it looked like this was the beginning of a blessed life, where he could play the game he loved on the grandest of stages. But things don’t always work out the way we want. On the verge of achieving his lifelong dream after notching a league-high 14 wins in Triple A, Tony looked ahead to 2010 with optimism. That’s when Japan came calling.

When the empire finally gets a foothold in the North, it intends to destroy all the clans and take their valuable resources for itself. Yet all is not lost. The clans of the North are spread apart and don't work well together. But under a common threat, they will find a way to fight back against the invasion. The question is, can Owen grow strong while keeping his deadly secret from being revealed?