
The Emissary, one of the strangest and most inventive stories that I’ve read, follows a day in the lives of a Japanese grandfather and grandson after an unnamed environmental catastrophe. In this dystopian world, children are born frail and sickly while the elderly remain healthy and strong. Due to the pollution, most animals and plants have gone extinct, everyone changes sex at least once in their lives, and old holidays have been replaced with new ones like “Being Alive is Enough Day”. Translated from its original Japanese, this short novel pushes the boundary of both language and visions of the future.
Justin, Writer in Residence for Adults