Vanishing World is a thought-provoking dystopian novel set in an alternative Japan, where societal norms around love, marriage, and procreation have radically changed. The story follows Amane, navigating a sexless marriage in a world where men can become pregnant, offering a unique and bold narrative that challenges identity and societal expectations.

I have been wanting to read one of these Japanese authors that are so popular right now for a good while but I’ve been somewhat nervous and unsure where to start. I finally decided to start with this one, as that blurb sounded appealing, and the book was not especially long, so it would not be some thing that I had to spend an excessive amount of time reading if I wound up, not liking it.

In the end, I finally settled on a three star rating, but I think my enjoyment was more like a 2.5. There was a lot here that I did enjoy, things like certain concepts and issues that I find particularly interesting, and I thought the way The author chose to leave these larger issues into a somewhat smaller and sillier style of book wise at times very interesting and readable. But there were other times that the juxtaposition between the weirdness of the book, and the seriousness of the matter, felt a bit too jarring and it was hard to take anything that was going on seriously, which is sad When there are real issues being discussed, that mean a lot to people. This is one of the books biggest failings, I think, as there was a lot of room or developing something meaningful, instead of just silly. The thing that I think ruined my overall feelings of the book, is that the silliness often felt pointless, and was now meaning attached to the silly things going on, and it was just being silly and outlandish for the sake of being silly and outlandish. It’s like as if an author like Terry Pratchett tried to bring very serious matters into his book. It would seem very ions with the style of the book. Kerry Patchett actually manages to write absurdism in a way that still tackles a larger issue but it does so by making fun of it rather than putting serious matters alongside bizarrely outlandish nonsensical weirdness.

I wanted to like this why don’t need to add and whenever that happens I tend to find myself wondering if maybe I am not smart enough for that book but just didn’t give me the feeling that there was a lot going on and I’m actually but rather the opposite that there was a bunch of stuff going on for absolutely no reason at all. I’m bummed that this was my first foray into this style and genre of writing, but I plan to try other books and authors before giving up all together..

In Vanishing World, we follow Amane from childhood to adulthood as she navigates a world that is rapidly changing. Sex is disappearing from the world, as sex between married couples is considered incest, artificial insemination is the only way to have kids, and anime characters only exist for people to project their sexual desires onto.

It took me a while to get invested in the story because the writing is a little sterile, and the book can get uncomfortable at times, but once I got used to it, I was hooked. I enjoyed the commentary on sexuality, parasocial relationships, capitalism, and nature vs. nurture. And I liked how absurdly funny it got at times. It did get repetitive occasionally, and I do wish we had delved deeper into some of the topics discussed, but overall, this book was a quick, easy read that still gave me a lot to think about.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Science Fiction + Literary Fiction + Dystopia

Vanishing World is a dystopian story set in an alternative Japan where love, marriage, sex, and procreation have totally transformed into something different from our current world and definitions of all these things.

The story follows a woman called Amane, who now lives in this world where sex between married couples is something prohibited and considered like an assault! She is shocked when she knows that her parents conceived her the natural way for our world, but not for the main character’s world!

Not only that, but Amane and her husband, Saku, have a sexless marriage where the wife also can date other men openly! As we follow Amane, we get to see the conflicts inside her, whether those are related to her personal identity or to the norms of the society. In a society where men can also get pregnant, Amane as well as the other characters have many challenges to face.

This was a crazy read! Of course I mean it in a good way. I’m sure the original Japanese version must be better because, no matter what, some sentences and meanings change during translation. But even if this version was the original version that was written, it still has a lot to offer.

The book is atmospheric and has many ideas, some of which can be considered bizarre. And I guess that was one of the main things that made me enjoy reading this dystopian story. The concept is bold and quite unique, making this book a very original work of art. The author's beautifully blended themes will make you pause and think. I love it when stories provoke my thoughts in this way.

I’d recommend this book for any reader who has an open mind and can get into the story without being too judgmental. Indeed, the topics discussed here and their treatment in this alternative Japan may not resonate with all readers.

Note: What irritated me while reading the book on my Kindle, and this is not the fault of the book or the writing, was the format. More specifically, it was the absence of appropriate formatting. It is not OK to send ebooks even if they are ARCs in this way. No matter how hard I tried to ignore the problem, it still affected my reading experience.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.

wowowow. weird as per usual. disturbing as per usual. ending was inside. i don’t know how to feel.

the concepts explored in this one are confronting for sure. like murata’s other books, this explores dark and somewhat shocking themes through the lense of someone absolutely immersed in that world. this book presented so many interesting ideas on motherhood, community, celibacy culture/purity culture, and ultimately eugenics.

crazy wild ride. the only thing that dropped it down for me was it took a while for the plot to ramp up. be aware going into it that like murata ya other novels there are some heavier/confronting scenes.

I’m a big fan of Sayaka Murata so I was delighted to get an advance copy of Vanishing World.

In this we follow Adame from childhood to her 40s as she grows in a dystopian world where sex has been replaced by artificial insemination as the primary means for humans to reproduce. This, of course, affects the lives of humans in a very marked way in terms of social standing, consumerism and eventually, a complete re-haul of the meaning of family.

Although I was initially riveted, as the book went on, I found it quite repetitive at times, which made it feel like a much longer book than it actually was. I was sluggish reading it in parts.

However, the commentary on sexuality, family and society was very engaging. I also found some it quite darkly humorous which is definitely my cup of tea. The characters were weirdly delightful.

And, obviously, the ending is typical Murata batshit bonkers!

I have since heard that this was her debut novel and is now just getting published here so perhaps this is why I think Earthlings and Convenience Store Woman were vastly superior. If this had been published first here I would probably have enjoyed it more for its uniqueness.

Still enjoyed it and has not changed my opinion on Murata at all, I love her writing, and I eagerly await her next wonderfully weird novel

Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did, and I think it's because I felt resistant to exploring the implications of this future Japan. The premise, where sex is no longer the preferred means of procreation, intrigued me but then the commentary about how people then experience attraction and love threw me a bit. When the story turned towards the Eden where children are collectively raised by adults, I was even more thrown. Maybe it was my mindset, but I found it hard to get beneath the surface.

This was uncomfortable, thought provoking and weird. I really liked the concept but felt that it didn't deliver as I hoped.

Sayaka Murata does not disappoint, this novel was such a wild ride and it took some truly interesting turns. It made Horror into something much more political and satirical. It truly showed the state of things to come ( even though you would not know it ) Highly Recommend

This has been my worst read of 2025 so far. Sayaka Murata has been my autobuy author since I read Convenience Store Woman and I have read all her works translated into English so far but this one was a waste of time. You would do yourself a favour by skipping this book. Sayaka paints an alternate reality in which copulation as we know it today as a mode of reproduction is disappearing with the advancement in artifical insemination procedures and human beings are evolving into more cerebral beings rather than being driven by their reptilian limbic system. With this what it is to be normal has catapulted by definition but can humans keep up and really let go of their instincts and urges. Not only sexual gratification but also physical attraction and romantic love between men and women is beginning to be frowned upon, and is in fact, dwindling.

Now, I am all for challenging the norms and questioning the status quo, and implications of breakthrough in medical science and technology on our ways of living and perceiving the world. But the writing style is low-key infuriating. The characters have no depth, the entire story is monotonous and all the obnoxious takes presented seem to be written just for the shock value. You could say, the one thing it does nail in putting to paper is the fact that morality is not a constant set of values, and it keeps changing as we advance in time.

I did not DNF it because it was an ARC from Netgalley, otherwise I would have given up in first 10 pages. I expected much much better.

I really was enjoying this for 90% of the book and it wasn't like anything I have read before. I enjoyed the commentary on society's relationship to gender, sexuality, romance and the family structure. Unfortunately the last few pages completely were unnecessary shock value that did not add to the story and was completely inappropriate.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Sayaka Murata for this intriguing novel on the implications of sexual desire and family, and how the world is turned on its axis in a hauntingly real-in-a-not-so-distant-future kind of way. I especially loved the character development of our beloved Amane, who continuously fights and questions her sexual impulses and desire to be a mother, as sex is considered taboo when it is between a husband and wife because society has shifted it's mindset to only accepting artificial insemination. The spiral felt so real, and I was right there with her through her failed first, and then subsequent marriage.
Do you have what it takes to exist and become a Mother?
Completely unsettling in Murataesque fashion. Utter genius.

In this dystopian novel, Amane, a Japanese woman in her 30's, navigates a world where romantic love, sex, and families as we know them are disappearing.

I love reading fiction translated from Japanese. There's just something about the language, the sentence structure, and just the...indescribable vibe that is unlike anything else that I read. It's poetic, but also, to the point, with beautifully perfect descriptions achieved without wasting any words. I enjoyed this novel. It's a real "thinker" and led to me pondering the roles of love, sex, and family in my life and what the world might be like without them. This novel delivers a slow burn, with an unexpected (and shocking!) twist in the final pages. I'm a fan of Murata's previous books, and this one did not disappoint. I'll be recommending it to folks looking for something a little different and those who love to read dystopic fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Vanishing Worlds is another installment in the weird world of Sayaka Murata. This time she is exploring a speculative future where sex with your husband or wife is considered incest and taboo and while some people date outside of their marriage and even have sex, increasingly this is something not everybody is comfortable with.

Murata is obsessed with the idea that a sexual relationship and partnerhood are linked. Exploring A sexual relationships, platonic marriages and other ideas that test the connection between this. Is it societal expectation that stops us marrying our best friend? It is an interesting question, although I do wish Murata would look at the idea that intimacy creates connection.

Murata has created a cool world that I want to know more about, a world where men are very close to being able to have a baby, a world where everybody is the parent to every child, What she has failed to do, is to create a plot that drives this story, it's there, but it's not as strong as Earthlings or Convenience Store Woman. The tension between Amane and her mother isn't really explore in enough depth either. The weird way society has turned surely impacts on the thoughts and logic of the characters in this novel, but it's hard to get into that frame of mind.

While Murata is a very talented and interesting author, one of my favourites, and I wouldn't say this novel was poor, it was disappointing considering the high standards set by her previous novels. This was enjoyable, but felt a little watered down compared to her previous works.

3.25 stars - this is a real page turner, it was truly so hard to put down. i think the main themes of social norms, parasocial relationship, and identify were interesting and touched on in a unique way, even if they were a bit repetitive. that ending though?? it left me extremely uncomfortable, and sadly lost me.

Unfortunately no Sayaka Murata book has lived up to Convenience Store Woman for me. I really want to like her books. She almost gets there with this one, but the slow pace and repetitive monologuing are an absolute slog. There is a certain tone to Japanese translations that can either be really charming or really aggravating, and for this one it was the latter. The final act was the most interesting, but I really would have liked to the whole book commit to that arc.

Well Sayaka Murata does it again.

I always enjoy the way Murata challenges social norms and this book does not fail in that. Following Amanes journey was a ride && while I didn’t want to get off the ride, I cannot say that I wanted to be on it any longer by the time we got to the end.

If you liked earthlings or convenient store woman, you’ll like this. It does have that same theme which I was hoping we would have something a smidge different, but nonetheless really enjoyed this.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was... an interesting experience, to say the least.

I always feel uneasy when I read Murata's work, and I like it! I know it will make me uncomfortable and get me thinking. This novel is divided in three parts, and the last one really took a creepy turn. Everything in this universe seems so artificial - the world, its relationships and families...

If I were to describe this book in one word it would be "thought-provoking". Truly a must-read,

This book presents a weird yet intriguing concept, offering something refreshingly new for me. However, while the premise is thought-provoking, the execution falls short of delivering a compelling impact. The story lacks a structured plot, relying instead on repetitive conversations about sex, family, and children, which can feel monotonous at times.

The book remains oddly captivating, pulling me in despite its unconventional narrative style. It’s easy to read in terms of language, yet challenging as it confronts societal norms, making for a conflicting reading experience. The ending, in particular, delivers a shocking "banger" moment—one that I found both satisfying and unsettling, leaving me struggling to fully process my thoughts. While Vanishing World may not have met my expectations in terms of storytelling, its ability to provoke deep reflection makes it a memorable read.

A. World-Building
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Brilliantly strange and immersive, creating a reality that is strangely logical in its own way.

B. Plot & (Il)logic
⭐⭐⭐: Loose but functional; yet oddly coherent, keeping you hooked.

C. Themes & Satire
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: A sharp, thought-provoking satire that makes you question reality.

D. Characters & Dialogue
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Wildly creative and engaging, even in their bizarre logic.

E. Overall Enjoyment & Mind-Bending Factor
⭐⭐⭐: Entertaining, though may not resonate deeply.

Vanishing World is frightening, thought-provoking, and weird unlike anything I've ever read recently. It's an unsettling and controversial story that brutally exposes social standards around reproduction, love, parasocial relationships, sex, parenting, and family structures. Sayaka Murata, recognised for defying norms in her work and writing weird fiction, transports us to a future where sex has been eliminated and conception is possible only by artificial insemination. In this environment, the protagonist, Amane, fights with her own emotions and desires while attempting to fit into a society that rejects traditional notions of family and romantic love.

The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 introduces us to a world in which pregnancy and sex are seen in very different ways. We watch Amane's battle with fitting in, which she eventually decides not to do but keeps hidden and feels ashamed of. Part 2 delves more into marriage and relationships in this culture, as well as Amane's continued struggle to blend in. Part 3 takes a dark turn into a dystopian, cult-like environment as Amane gives in, pursuing perfection in a new society but still questioning whether this life is for her. By the conclusion, everything comes together in an unnerving, distressing way, and things get really odd.

I thought the first half of the story to be very intriguing because it focusses on Amane's adolescence. Through her eyes, we see the steady shift of society, from one in which people have romantic sentiments for fictitious characters (sometimes actual people) and aspire to marriage and children to one in which these impulses are becoming increasingly rare. As time passes, people become increasingly at ease with a life free of emotional entanglements, moving away from fundamental desires. The ending was definitely shocking and I'm still trying to figure out was it done like that deliberately for shock value to illustrate how Amane's fight against her instincts was always futile? The importance of water is my favourite part of the story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC