Shigeru has finally awakened from the coma he's been in since Seiko pushed him off the cliff—but he remembers nothing of the incident, nor does he even recognize his assailant. Rather than setting Seiko's mind at ease, however, this only serves to disturb her further.
Meanwhile, Seiichi is determined to keep his promise to his mother—with devastating consequences for everyone around him.
Beset by mental images of his mother, Seiichi flees from Fukiishi's embrace and returns home. Safety and reconciliation aren't the only things that await him there, however. The Osabes have become one big happy family again...but at what cost?
Shuzo Oshimi's masterfully nuanced tale of familial horror continues to tighten its grip on the minds of its characters and readers alike.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang is a collection of nine profoundly original, provocative, and poignant stories. Some of these tales, including two published for the first time, offer a stunning exploration of humanity's oldest questions and new quandaries that could only be examined by Chiang's imaginative mind.
In "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate", we encounter a time-traveling portal that confronts a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad with his past mistakes and the possibility of second chances. The titular story, "Exhalation", presents an alien scientist faced with a universe-altering discovery. "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom" challenges our understanding of choice and free will through the lens of alternate universes.
These stories navigate the essence of the universe and what it means to be human, each in its own unique and beautifully crafted manner. Chiang's second collection of short fiction is a testament to the power of science fiction to investigate the beauty, meaning, and compassion of the human condition.
Midnight in Chernobyl is the definitive account of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, a story that is more complex, more human, and more terrifying than the Soviet myth. Journalist Adam Higginbotham uses his extensive research, including hundreds of hours of interviews, letters, unpublished memoirs, and documents from recently-declassified archives to bring the disaster to life through the eyes of those who witnessed it firsthand.
The explosion of Reactor Number Four on April 26, 1986, triggered one of the twentieth century's greatest disasters. For thirty years, Chernobyl has been a symbol of the horrors of radiation poisoning and the risks of dangerous technology. The true story of the accident, obscured by secrecy, propaganda, and misinformation, has long remained in dispute.
This masterful nonfiction thriller is an indelible portrait of human resilience and ingenuity, and the lessons learned when mankind seeks to bend the natural world to his will—lessons that, in the face of climate change and other threats, remain not just vital but necessary. Midnight in Chernobyl brings us closer to the truth behind this colossal tragedy and is a powerful investigation into how much can go wrong when a dishonest and careless state endangers its citizens and the entire world.