Abstract

The Machine “Zero” is a revolutionary device that allows offenders to experience their victims' memories firsthand. Conceived as a humane alternative to the death penalty, the system proves deeply flawed, as the psychological condition of each subject affects the outcome. When its creator, Professor Sada, is expelled from the research institute, his protégé Enami inherits the project, only to uncover consequences far beyond anyone's expectations. A chilling and thought-provoking vision of a near-future society.

Author’s Information

Naka Saijo was born in Hokkaido in 1964 and graduated from an English-language vocational college in Tokyo. She made her literary debut after winning the Japan Fantasy Novel Award in 2005 for Konparuya Gomez. Her subsequent honors include the Yoshihide Nakayama Literary Award for Nehan no Yuki (2012), the Eiji Yoshikawa Prize for New Writers for Marumaru no Mari (2015), and the prestigious Naoki Prize for Shinashigawa (2021).