tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post2873962907650724943..comments2024-03-27T06:07:20.345+01:00Comments on ボクの事件簿: What You Don't Know Can Kill YouHo-Linghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-15310406303932040272022-10-28T09:27:21.946+02:002022-10-28T09:27:21.946+02:00Oh, that reminds me of a short story I read a long...Oh, that reminds me of a short story I read a long time ago, about a space mission gone wrong and the video footage being sent back to Earth (with a seven year delay, because it takes a bit of time to mail a video file across space...). Everyone on the mission ends up dead, but the Earth researchers also learn that one or more of the crew members were actually androids (running according to Asimov's laws), and the mystery revolves around whether it was a defective android or a human killer among the crew, and who the android(s) was/were in the first place. Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-27809470956105757322022-10-27T18:23:01.704+02:002022-10-27T18:23:01.704+02:00Oh! No, no, no! I got it! A high-faring inversion ...Oh! No, no, no! I got it! A high-faring inversion of the "impostor" concept, involving a murder in a world inhabited purely by AI -- AI that has evolved to become so advanced it is (aside from a few uncompromising "Robotics Laws") indistinguishable from the humans they've practically wiped out! When murders start being committed that could only be perpetrated by a lone survivor human, the mystery involves trying to identify which of the group is *NOT* a robot, and is in fact a human.HeartfeltDesuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14992885956277891200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-27024511996546580382022-10-27T18:19:04.654+02:002022-10-27T18:19:04.654+02:00Let's see... She's done time travel, some ...Let's see... She's done time travel, some bizarre metaphysical killer, and an AI murder mystery. It's hard to imagine what she does next, but I wonder if she'll do AI with her own version of the Robotics' Laws to contest with (how can a robot commit murder when it's been programmed not to do so?). Or, even yet, AI where (to a point) AI has become so indistinguishable from humanity that part of the puzzle is in identifying who is and isn't an Artificial Intelligence! l. Stump / Heartfeltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-3994174258633118672022-10-25T12:22:12.770+02:002022-10-25T12:22:12.770+02:00She's been writing at the pace of about one ne...She's been writing at the pace of about one new novel per year, so I hope she'll announce her next one soon...Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-56751768025909873342022-10-24T22:40:02.899+02:002022-10-24T22:40:02.899+02:00This sounds great, too! From your reviews, Houjou ...This sounds great, too! From your reviews, Houjou Kie sounds like my favorite author I've never read... All her works just sound perfect...l. Stump / Heartfeltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-33109635916801554262021-01-08T20:23:31.343+01:002021-01-08T20:23:31.343+01:00Thanks for the replies. While I didn't find th...Thanks for the replies. While I didn't find the books I want at CDJapan or its proxy shopping service, it's a useful resource that I'll keep an eye on. A google search also led me to a forwarding service called Dankebox. I'll give it a try as wellAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-25171772098930139732021-01-06T08:59:34.180+01:002021-01-06T08:59:34.180+01:00I do often use CDJapan for new books, not so much ...I do often use CDJapan for new books, not so much for used books, as their used goods proxy tracking service seems to better served for music/anime/manga-related goods. I did use their proxy service once to get me a rare Laputa Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book :DHo-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-57289588679868646812021-01-05T16:46:16.980+01:002021-01-05T16:46:16.980+01:00CDJapan is good and safe! Their cheapest shipping ...CDJapan is good and safe! Their cheapest shipping option (air mail) is currently restricted because of the virus but FedEx and DHL are super fast so it makes up for it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-33279924850258091782021-01-05T09:06:01.495+01:002021-01-05T09:06:01.495+01:00To be honest, I don't think I can be of much h...To be honest, I don't think I can be of much help here! Most of my used books are bought in Japan, and the few times I bought used books through Amazon (third parties that happen to be offering international shipping), it was just one specific book I couldn't get otherwise, never larger orders. <br /><br />Perhaps some other people around here who can share some ideas?Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-71814572192257732752021-01-04T22:13:08.002+01:002021-01-04T22:13:08.002+01:00Thank you for the review. I have a question: since...Thank you for the review. I have a question: since amazon doesn't ship used books internationally, how do you usually buy used Japanese books when living outside Japan? Do you use certain vendors or is there a mail forwarding service that you're comfortable using?<br /><br />ThanksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-30865892992469994862021-01-03T08:36:43.762+01:002021-01-03T08:36:43.762+01:00Happy New Year!
I'd definitely try the first ...Happy New Year!<br /><br />I'd definitely try the first novel first, it's a bit easier to get into and there are a few minor references (nothing spoilery, but in a 'aha, I recognize that name!' manner). I believe a Taiwanese translation of the first novel is about to be released, don't know how hard that'd be to read? Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-56532915122925039272021-01-03T08:34:44.483+01:002021-01-03T08:34:44.483+01:00Happy New Year!
After the time-travel shenanigans...Happy New Year!<br /><br />After the time-travel shenanigans in the previous novel, the family motto of the Ryuuzens changed to basically "anything can happen, so whatever happens, just deal with it" so they probably have a lot of stuff happen to them :P Meister Hora from the previous novel "appears" to as the narrator in the prologue and Challenge to the Reader, and I saw mystery author Ooyama Seiichirou suggest the series name "Meister Hora" too, but it does seem like it's a deliberate choice to focus on the Ryuuzens instead...Ho-Linghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673330638260132388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-16706183572950229062021-01-03T02:09:05.747+01:002021-01-03T02:09:05.747+01:00Thanks for the review. ☺️ Following on from my gro...Thanks for the review. ☺️ Following on from my growing realisation that some of the best Golden Age style puzzle mysteries from contemporary authors come from Japanese and Chinese fiction - I've decided to try to purchase a few more Japanese and Chinese mysteries. Would you say, for this series, I should start with the earlier novel? It sounds like the second novel is better - but thought I'd check if the first book is the right place to start. 🧐Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03389512470283015279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8031063966272508587.post-30257360427456012292021-01-02T06:31:59.954+01:002021-01-02T06:31:59.954+01:00Happy new year! I'm glad that you were able to...Happy new year! I'm glad that you were able to start the year with a great novel. May it be the first of many.<br /><br />I like the idea of having to deduce the characteristics of just what exactly is committing the murders. Usually there's some legend that the killer is using as camouflage and it's more of a question of finding proof that it's <i>not</i> a werewolf/vampire/ghost/whatever, so this sounds like a nice change of pace. It kind of reminds me of the idea behind <i>Shijinsou no Satsujin</i>, where you have to pay attention to the actions of the zombies in order to deduce the rules governing their behaviour. Judging from the quote you lead with, it looks like this book has a bit of meta-commentary in it, which is always fun.<br /><br />You know, given that the series now officially follows the Ryuuzen family, it occurs to me that the curse from the first book might just be that their family tends to wind up involved in violent crimes, whether they want to or not! :DKacey Crainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13492997736737601983noreply@blogger.com