Author: Mariela Pappas
Pages: 110
Format: American 23x15
ISBN: 978-956-6106-46-3
Genre: Science Fiction / CyberPunk
Publication: September 2023
One rainy night, a holographic Ukyo-e artist named Takeshi Torres rescues Shinobu, a samurai apprentice who only desires a glorious death.
The artificial samurai Sukekata finds he can no longer fulfill his duty when he falls in love with his lover Chikayori, a synthetic onnagata whose glory days on stage are behind him.
These two stories intertwine in New Edo, the post-modern capital of a Japan that has decided to emulate the cultural isolation of the Edo period, and where artificial intelligence coexists with humans.
In this setting, where political tensions between samurai and artisans recur, and where humanity sinks into ruthless consumerism, the four characters struggle between hedonism and sacrifice, between rebellion and obedience, as they ask themselves: what is beauty, life, death?
What does it mean to be human?
