Kotaro Isaka graduated from Tohoku University, School of Law.
Formerly a systems engineer, he debuted as a writer with Audubon's
Prayer. His novels and short-story collections have been nominated
for the Naoki Prize - Japan's most prestigious award for popular
fiction - and many have been made into movies, including Remote
Control, which was released in 2010 under the book's original
title, Golden Slumber.
Stephen Snyder is the acclaimed translator of Natsuo Kirino's Out,
Ryu Murakami's Coin Locker Babies, and Yoko Ogawa's The Diving
Pool, The Housekeeper and the Professor, and Hotel Iris. He teaches
Japanese literature at Middlebury College in Vermont.
"Set in a near-future Japan, Isaka’s remarkable thriller adroitly
shifts between the extended pursuit of handsome Masaharu Aoyagi, a
former deliveryman accused of killing Prime Minister Sakayoshi
Kaneda by dropping a bomb from a remote-control toy helicopter onto
the official motorcade, and several other characters associated
with Aoyagi, who’s been mercilessly set up by high-placed persons
unknown. . . . Isaka cuts perilously close to the bone of today’s
politics in this elegant, intricate, enormously satisfying parable
of good and evil." – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Winner of the Sugoro Yamamoto Prize and the Japan Bookseller’s
Prize, this dynamic and complex political thriller is set in a
near-future Japan, where high-tech security pods monitor every
move. When the new prime minister is assassinated in a complicated
conspiracy involving a remote-control helicopter, the perfect patsy
is Masaharu Aoyagi, a flawed hero who gained notoriety after saving
an actress from a robbery. . . . VERDICT: With a plot that
parallels the JFK assassination and the feverish hunt for Lee
Harvey Oswald, this is sure to appeal to fans of conspiracy
mysteries." – Library Journal
". . . plot twists and turns keep the narrative riveting and
surprising, right until the end. In this character-driven work,
dialogue supersedes action, yet the pacing will keep readers
interested throughout. Remote Contro is a complicated story, but a
quick read. . . . Translating from Japanese to English under any
circumstances isn’t easy, but maintaining the author’s style, wit,
and subtle humor when performing that translation is a herculean
effort. Stephen Snyder pulled it off flawlessly." – ForeWord
Reviews
"A bestseller in Japan, Isaka's near-future thriller is a complex
crime story inspired by the Kennedy assassination but set in a
futuristic Japanese city where everything is monitored by security
pods on every street corner. The newly elected prime minister is
killed when his motorcade is attacked by a bomb-carrying,
remote-controlled helicopter, setting off a media frenzy. The
initial story is told from the point of view of a hospital patient
watching the news coverage, followed by a 20-years-later overview
of the case, which was never really solved. The remainder of the
story is told from the alternating points of view of the main
characters. . . . Isaka's manipulation of these narrative devices
keeps the pace fast and allows for lots of character development. .
. ." -- Booklist
"Both a comment on contemporary social disconnection and a warning
about what can happen when a complacent public welcomes the loss of
privacy with open arms, Isaka’s Remote Control is a timely
thriller. And a rare one that takes an ordinary guy, throws him
into the fire, and doesn’t make him into some kind of "Sendai’s
Bravest" hero at the end. Rather, he gets by, with a little help
from his friends." – Mystery Scene
"Remote Control by Kotaro Isaka is an exciting, riveting mystery. .
. . Recommended!" – J!-ENT
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
