Mecha Samurai Empire series

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The Mecha Samurai Empire series
  • (2018)
  • (2020)
  • (2016)
AuthorPeter Tieryas
Cover artist
Publisher

The Mecha Samurai Empire series is an alternate history science fiction series written by American author Peter Tieryas and released from 2016-2020 by Ace Books.[1][2] The stories center around an alternate America where the Nazis and Japanese Empire won World War II, focusing primarily on the Asian side of the war. The themes of the novels deal with how survivors maintain their humanity in authoritarian regimes and come to terms with the horrors of war while facing off against a government that blurs fact and fiction.[3] Though much of the story takes place within the United States of Japan, the story also jumps to other parts of the Empire, as well as the Quiet Border (the DMZ between the Nazis and Empire), and the German Americas. Each book in the series is a standalone novel, featuring new protagonists, villains, and conflicts. The series has been nominated for and won several awards, including Japan’s top SF award, the Seiun, twice.[4]

Genesis of the series[]

The series began as "a story revolving around the tragic events on the Asian side of WWII." Tieryas, who spent several years in Asia, experienced a different perspective on the war versus what he studied in schools in America.[5] The book is strongly inspired by books like The Man in the High Castle, 1984, Moby Dick, as well as the works of Hideo Kojima like Metal Gear Solid II.[6] In particular, the contrast between the way histories often “censor” the horrific elements, presenting a glorified account of them, alarmed him. He originally intended it to be one book, United States of Japan, which focused on the conflict with the terrorist organization, the George Washingtons. But he felt there were areas of the universe he wanted to explore more thoroughly. The success of the first book opened the door for the duology of Mecha Samurai Empire and Cyber Shogun Revolution, which revolved around the battle with the Nazis. His agent, Misa Morikawa, came up with the title for the series. Tieryas credits his Ace Roc editor, Anne Sowards, for helping come up with the title for Cyber Shogun Revolution (titles included Sons of Wars and The Revolution of the Bloody Mechas).[7]

Books in the series[]

The Mecha Samurai Empire series comprises three novels and several short stories. While the books can be read in any order, the author has described his intended sequence to be Mecha Samurai Empire, Cyber Shogun Revolution, and lastly United States of Japan.[8]

Art[]

Cyber Shogun Revolution art gallery in the Yurindo Bookstore in Akihabara, Japan.

Most of the covers and mecha designs are done by illustrator, John Liberto. Hokkaido graphic designer, Gen Igarashi often creates new art and was featured in the special edition of the Japanese version of Mecha Samurai Empire.[9] Director Guillermo del Toro, upon seeing the art from the series, reacted with a "Wow!" [10]

An art gallery featuring art from the entire series was showcased in Akihabara, Japan.

Reception[]

Popular Mechanics included United States of Japan as one of 16 Sci-Fi Things To Look Forward to in 2016, stating: "It's more the cyberpunk dystopia William Gibson promised us than the actual 1980s we know, with giant mechs enforcing the law and police trying to squash an underground gaming success that lets players imagine what might've happened if the allied powers won World War II. It sounds like a perfect patchwork of multiple sci-fi and anime subgenres rolled into one novel."[11] Publishers Weekly named USJ as one of the top 10 anticipated Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror books.[12] Kirkus Reviews listed it as one of "The Speculative Fiction Books You Can't Miss in March."[13] The Verge named the novel as one of the Best Books Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels of 2016.[14]

Financial Times stated, "The novel deftly portrays the horrors of oppression but also, with its giant military robots, sumo wrestlers and body-transforming technology, is a gleeful love letter to Japanese pop culture."[15] Barnes & Noble Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog said, "United States of Japan mixes alt-history with pulp-history, the plausible with the fantastical, in a vision of the 1980s with the glossy sheen and rain-slick neon of vintage cyberpunk."[16] Anthony Jones of SF Book Reviews stated: "United States of Japan is a tremendous book; it's got a wonderfully dark and rich atmosphere, great action, intelligent and twisted story and above all, not only does it pay homage to one of the finest authors of the 20th century but also continues one of his most celebrated and yet most difficult works — simply wonderful."[17] io9 reviewer wrote, "Tieryas has created a unique alternate world and populated it with fantastic characters and fixtures."[18] In a mixed review, N. Ho Sang of SF Signal writes: "United States of Japan is a smart, gut-wrenching alternative reality that blurs lines between hope with a focus on emotional truths of human nature," but "there are small moments where transitions in environment, scenes and character developments may present themselves as sudden shifts, and feel slightly jarring."[19]

United States of Japan has been translated and published in Japan, Spain,[20] Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, and Mexico. It became a Nikkei Best Seller [21] and the Japanese publication went to 7th printing in the first month,[22] receiving acclaim from Asahi Shimbun,[23] Yomiuri Shimbun,[24] and Gizmodo Japan.[25] S-F Magazine's Yearly Poll of Japan's Top Science Fiction selected United States of Japan as #2 of the best Best International Science Fiction.[26] It won the 2017 Seiun Award [27] and won 2nd Place For the Japan Booksellers' Award.[28]

For Mecha Samurai Empire, Amazon Book Reviews listed it as one of the top Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of September 2018, stating, "Readers of alternate history will enjoy the details of the Japanese culture enfolded into the US and the ongoing tensions with the Nazis, while the plot itself packs a punch."[29] Financial Times included Mecha Samurai Empire as one of the best science fiction books of 2018, describing it as "action-packed and rousing."[30] Syfy Wire said the book was "an adrenalized fusion of Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle and Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim as rampaging robots prowl a very different America."[31]

Hideo Kojima praised the book, stating it intermixes "the experience of cinema, literature, anime, comics, and gaming" and "is the new generation of Science Fiction we’ve been waiting for!” [32]

It won the 2019 Seiun Award and was the first consecutive book in a series to win in over twenty years.[33]

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/1/16934424/peter-tieryas-mecha-samurai-empire-alternate-history-science-fiction-book-q-and-a
  2. ^ https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/75013-book-deals-week-of-october-9-2017.html
  3. ^ https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/exclusive-peter-tieryas-interview-and-mecha-samurai-empire-excerpt
  4. ^ https://locusmag.com/2019/07/2019-seiun-awards-winners/
  5. ^ https://io9.gizmodo.com/explore-alternate-histories-with-peter-tieryas-giant-me-1761632257
  6. ^ https://kotaku.com/the-brutal-lessons-gaming-taught-me-about-revolutions-1841522139
  7. ^ https://jp.ign.com/death-stranding/43370/feature/sf
  8. ^ https://jp.ign.com/death-stranding/43370/feature/sf
  9. ^ https://kotaku.com/fight-fight-fight-1825341328
  10. ^ @RealGDT (5 April 2018). "Wow!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Wenz, John (1 January 2016). "16 Sci-Fi Things To Look Forward To in 2016". Popular Mechanics.
  12. ^ Fox, Rose (December 18, 2015). "Spring 2016 Announcements: SF, Fantasy & Horror: Worlds Turned Upside Down". Publishers Weekly.
  13. ^ "The Speculative Fiction Books You Can't Miss in March". Kirkus Reviews.
  14. ^ Liptak, Andrew (28 December 2016). "The 11 best science fiction and fantasy novels of 2016". The Verge.
  15. ^ "'United States of Japan', by Peter Tieryas". Financial Times.
  16. ^ "United States of Japan Is a Sobering Alt-History Spun from the Dark Threads of the Past". barnesandnoble.com. 2 March 2016.
  17. ^ "The United States of Japan, a book by Peter Tieryas - Book review". sfbook.com.
  18. ^ Liptak, Andrew. "The United States of Japan Shows What Happens When Ideology Crumbles". io9.
  19. ^ Sang, Narelle Ho (8 March 2016). "[GUEST REVIEW] Narelle Ho Sang Reviews UNITED STATES OF JAPAN by Peter Tieryas Liu". sfsignal.com.
  20. ^ Alós, Ernest (21 February 2017). "Peter Tieryas: "Es más plausible 'Un mundo feliz' que '1984'"". elperiodico.
  21. ^ 日本経済新聞社・日経BP社. "ベストセラー 文庫ランキング （10月23日～29日）｜エンタメ！｜NIKKEI STYLE". NIKKEI STYLE.
  22. ^ "SF小説「ユナイテッド・ステイツ・オブ・ジャパン」累計4万部突破 日本統治下のアメリカを描く". アニメ！アニメ！.
  23. ^ "（売れてる本）『ユナイテッド・ステイツ・オブ・ジャパン』（上・下）：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル.
  24. ^ "Yomiuri Shimbun". yomiuri.co.jp.
  25. ^ Inc, mediagene; 岡本玄介 (9 August 2016). "巨大ロボを持つ日本がアメリカを支配する小説｢ユナイテッド・ステイツ・オブ・ジャパン｣の邦訳版が発売決定". www.gizmodo.jp.
  26. ^ "ＳＦが読みたい！２０１７年版". ハヤカワ・オンライン.
  27. ^ "2017年 第48回星雲賞". www.sf-fan.gr.jp.
  28. ^ Glyer, Mike (16 April 2017). "2017 Seiun Award Nominees". file770.com.
  29. ^ Liang, Adrian. "Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of September: 6 Top Picks". Amazon Book Reviews.
  30. ^ Lovegrove, James (23 November 2018). "Best science fiction books of 2018". Financial Times.
  31. ^ Spry, Jeff. "Exclusive: Mecha Samurai Empire". Syfy Wire.
  32. ^ @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN (3 April 2018). "I was fortunate to read @TieryasXu 's new novel Mecha Samurai Empire in advance. Making his devastating debut with…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  33. ^ "2019 Seiun Award Winners". Anime News Network.
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