All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced,
or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system,
without permission in writing form the Publisher.
Martian Railroad 19 by Kosyu Tani
Copyright (C) 1986 by Kosyu Tani
First published 1986 in Japan by HAYAKAWA PUBLISHING,INC.
English translation copyright (C) 1993 by Mitsuhiro Toma (JINGAIKYO)
Mitsuhiro Toma
Kosyu Tani is a writer of medium standing who made his debut 21 years ago.
To talk about his way of story writing, it is better to begin with the introduction of his typical future chronicle series ; "Aerospace Force Chronicle" rather than by picking up abstract adjectives.
The time and space range encompassed in Aerospace Force Chronicle (AFC hereafter) world is vast, covering the time span when most human descendants became "Pan Galaxy Humans" and Earth's location is unknown anymore, then the original humankind had to survive, make a living, but live severely.
Main theme written in AFC is the sight regarding wars, but his way of looking at war is completely clear and equivalent to that of generals and even down to the lower grade soldiers.
"The First Outer Planets Turmoil" is set about one hundred years in the future. He did not ask for the help of super science in order to build up worlds till this time point. Energy sources were limited to the nuclear fusion, there is no inertia control or gravity control, there is no faster-than-light navigation nor communications. You don't see any evidence of gene reconstruct- tion or cyborg technology which has progressed enough to change the social structure fundamentally.
Even in such worlds, there was still a room for the sense of wonder. This was given from pursuing the classic dynamics that the classic science fiction once possessed its conquest with imaginary super technology and neglected later, then the modern science fiction abandoned due to its lack of fashion nature or only because it was too much to accept.
Please do not expect the world of Star Wars in the First Outer Planets Turmoil. It seems that Kosyu struggles to create the kind of scenes that could not be expressed in typical comic strip type battles. Kosyu's unique view is also seen in the strategic background.
He looks quiet but on the evidence of his world with his hidden dreadful power, Kosyu Tani can be regarded as one of the fore- most writers in the science fiction world of this planet.
Kosyu Tani was born in March, 1951. After graduating from Osaka Institute of Technology, he started working for a construction firm in 1973.
He quit the company 4 years later and went to Nepal as a member of the Japanese Peace Corps. He made his debut as a writer when he sent his novel from Nepal to "Kisoh Tengai" magazine and it gained the New Face Award of the magazine in 1979.
He worked in Nepal for 3 years and then he traveled southern Asia and went on a walk around Eastern Africa. Then he found a job in PR magazine editing in Japan.
He taught at Manila Technical Institute in the Philippines as a supervisor of the Japan International Cooperative Organization for 3 years in 1980s. Since coming back to Japan, he has been a full time writer living with wife and daughters in Komatu.
I would like to thank Mr. Robert J. Clifford. He kindly checked my translation and corrected errors. This booklet was made voluntarily by Japanese SF fan group. We hope you to be interested in Japanese SF.
All right reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the Publisher.