This was a really interesting and crazy read (in a good way). I can’t formulate a review in my typical style, so I’ll just give a few notes. This concept is very unique, and I can’t think of any books similar to this one. The themes within this book blend very well together, and I love books that really make me reflect like this one. I did enjoy my read, but I didn’t exactly love it. This book is provocative and daring, and if you have read and enjoyed other Sayaka Murata books, then I believe you’ll enjoy this one.

Thank you so very much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this e-arc.

Oh how I love a book that will make me question if I’m messed up in my head. Just let me spend one day in the mind of Sayaka Murata. Please!!!

Set in an alternate reality where humans no longer have sex to procreate, Amane was made “the old fashioned way”. She becomes obsessed with trying to understand why humans would want to have sex. This obsession leaves her feeling like an outsider in a world where married couples are not romantically involved and sex between them would be considered incest. When Amane and her husband decide to move to Experiment City to follow his dream of carrying a child, she finds herself assimilating into this new life that she wasn’t sure she wanted in the first place.

Murata continues to shock audiences with her writing. I found Vanishing World to be thought provoking and nearly taboo at times. I can’t recommend this enough to readers who wish to have their viewpoints challenged. This book, like other Murata books, will leave you talking about it for days.

Thank you Grove Atlantic and Net Galley for this ARC.

This was one of those books that started out interesting, then moved into thought-provoking, and then moved into creepy before landing in WTF-ville just before the end. It’s the kind of book that when it ends you think to yourself you should’ve seen that ending coming but somehow it still hit you like an uppercut to the jaw (if the uppercut were psychotic and creepy).

Vanishing World depicts an alternative Earth where artificial insemination was perfected post WWII and it became widely-available soon after; so widely available, in fact, that married couples having intercourse and having a baby via copulation is considered a form of incest by the time our protagonist (Amane) is born. Amane is a child raised in two worlds: societally she is married to the idea that she will never have intercourse with her husband and will follow the law, but at home she has been raised since birth by a mother who believes everything should be done in the old way, leaving Amane with a constant ache to experience love.

Amane is untethered from a solid self-identity as a result of the push-pull between society and home as a child, and Murata uses her need for attachment and acceptance to show us what it’s like to grow up in this world that’s changing so fast and leaving human connection behind. From her too-relatable crushes on anime characters when she’s a child to teenage fumblings with first boyfriends to fair weather friends who don’t understand her to a first marriage that ends poorly to lovers who leave her abruptly, Amane is a window into this world detached from compassion and sympathy.

It’s in the last act of the book that things start to heat up and crack, inside of the fascinating, gleaming Experiment City. I don’t want to spoil a single thing for you after that, just know it starts off creepy and just gets creepier and more psycho from there with a nutso ending. 4⭐️

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: OwnVoices/Psychological Fiction/Satire/Sci Fi/Translation

Set in an alternative Japan in which sex in marriage is taboo and children conceived through artificial insemination, VANISHING WORLD explores what it means to connect to others and the costs of conformity. Murata writes a main character, Amane, who feels like she is bound to not quite fit in having been the product of parents who rejected artificial insemination and created her the “old fashioned” way. Amane falls in love with fictional characters, tries sex, and marries. When her and her husband relocate to a planned community that’s releasing the idea of family, the novel becomes more unsettling. I would not describe this as an enjoyable reading experience because it’s a book that gets under your skin in an unpleasant way. That is just what the book sets out to do, pushing against societal norms and wonders if conformity is a kind of madness. While it won’t work for all readers, I know this book will be stuck in my head for some time. Thank you to Grove Press for the ARC.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I knew having read all of Sayaka Murata's other works, I knew it was going to be good. This was an insightful, intereting, and, as always, weird read. I loved how relationship dynamics were changed up and portrayed. The story was great and I can't wait for the next book.

I'm forever in awe of Sayaka Murata! What a mind. There are so many questions l'd love to ask her. In perfect Murata fashion, this is brilliantly weird and unsettling. l'd say it's more on the side of Earthlings than Convenience Store Woman. This challenges conventional beliefs about love, sex, marriage, children and the family system as we know it. This story shows us that what we consider 'normal' as a society can change. Murata mixes humor and horror so well. And I was not prepared for the last 15 mins of this book!!!

"Normality is the creepiest madness there is."

Thank you for the eARC NetGalley and Grove Press!!!

Vanishing World is an unflinching, completely unique exploration of human connection, societal evolution, and systems of reproduction. I think because Murata doesn't cower when it comes to pushing the boundaries of the norm which is why she is a coveted "weird fiction" author as cemented by Earthlings and Convenience Store Woman.

In a world where traditional concepts of family and intimacy are radically redefined, the novel is set in a world where the creation of life is no longer an act of love but of state sanctioned artificial insemination. We follow our protagonist, Amane, on a personal journey starting with resistance to ultimate acceptance of this surreal landscape. This journey perfectly mirrors the reader's ever evolving understanding of the questions Murata is forcing us to think about,: What truly defines family? Why are we so protective of traditions that are seemingly arbitrary when examined from an outside perspective?

While this novel is short, it's extremely impactful because Sayaka Murata has managed to expertly thread together the absurd with the deeply human, highlighting how so much of what we consider "normal" is just social conditioning. Though some of the story telling veers into the esoteric, Murata's conviction ensures that the narrative is compelling, leaving the reader with a feeling of awe. This is speculative fiction at its best.

Massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

Happy publication day!

I feel like a disclaimer is needed: this book was originally published before Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings which is why it naturally feels like an earlier piece of work, hence her writing only gets better from here. But I also feel like this is a much needed book to understand Murata's other novels as it cuts straight to the core to her beliefs.

It was a horror book for me. Sayaka Murata comes up with this idea of how the world could look like (she called it an utopia in an interview, I reckon) and forces you as the reader to play along, to pretend that this normal she presents is the normal and our world is "the old way".

It's definitely the kind of book you read and instantly need to talk about it with others - so, my friends, please hurry up and read it. It jumps from idea to idea - from the idea of sexuality to family to motherhood and what not.

In typical Sayaka Murata fashion, the ending is shocking but not just shocking for the sole purpose, but it makes sense, cause where does it all lead to?

"Normality is the creepiest madness there is."

A while back, I was lowkey disappointed by a book which I hoped would address motherhood and reproduction in an intriguing and different way. Thankfully, Vanishing World does precisely that, in a way that might shock or surprise some readers! Thanks to Grove Atlantic, Grove Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


The urge to procreate is, to a certain extent, encoded into our DNA. It is an urge we share with all other animals, the drive to survive. Humans are something a little special, though, with how conscious we are and the societies and cultures we create, and so we can live our lives in different ways. The idea we have, nowadays, of what "traditional" is is not actually as old as people like to imagine. The white picket fence fantasy, of a working father and a stay-at-home mother, 2.5 children, two cars etc. is a fantasy that was enforced and created after the second World War. Women had entered the workforce with many men being drafted into armies and, after the end of the war, these women needed to be forced back into the home. The imagine of the woman entirely dedicated to her children and her home is a propaganda image. In Vanishing World, the second World War has a different kind of effect on the world. With the men away, birth rates are dropping and developments in artificial insemination take off. In this new world, love exists but outside the structures we know. Family is redefined, as is sex, which hardly exists anymore. As the title implies, Murata explores a world in which much of what we think of as innate and important is indeed vanishing, and it is a disconcerting reading experience.

Amane is growing up in a world quite different from ours. While her parents still conceived her by "copulating" like animals, most children are created through artificial insemination and sex has become something rare. Most people prefer to fall in love with fictional characters now, rather than real people. Confused about her own creation, Amane insists on figuring out her own instincts, falling deeply for both fictional and real people and experimenting with sex. The biggest taboo is sex with one's spouse, since that's family after all, and so Amane has different lovers while married to Saku. Eventually they move to Experiment City, a place where children are raised communally and men can also get pregnant. Amane is a fascinating main character, so clearly searching for something, for an answer to herself and her own instincts, that you can't help but feel for her. This confusion about herself is quite recognisable, even though she lives in a world so drastically different from our own. We all want to know where we come from, understand our bodies and their desires, figure out what we are here to do.

Sayaka Murata does some really interesting things in Vanishing World. The writing is incredibly direct, exploring Amane's thoughts on love and sex, the physicality of it all. As such, there are aspects of the story which are uncomfortable, and I think they are intended to be. With how odd sex and love and family have become in this world, the experience of them on the page is also odd. For example, sex between a husband and wife has become something that is considered incest. Sex itself is so rare that it becomes utterly clinical and oddly distanced, making the whole experience of it weird. Family relationships have been renegotiated to the extent that boundaries become blurred between children and parents. The biggest element of this is the oddness of the children raised in Experiment City. While technically they are loved and supported by all adults there, they seem like little puppets, pets for everyone to play with but not really take care of. I think readers going into Vanishing World should be prepared to encounter these uncomfortable, boundary-crossing themes and see them for what, I think, Murata intended them, namely to make us think about our own societies, the things we consider acceptable and normal, our relationships with our bodies and others.

Vanishing World is a fascinating look at a radically different world, in which reproduction, love, family, and sex become entirely separated from one another. How does this world look? What will it do to us?

A provocative and unsettling read that imagines a future where traditional ideas of love, sex, and family are upended in favor of a sterile, regulated society. Sayaka Murata never disappoints in leaving my jaw on the floor, her bizarre, boundary-pushing storytelling is as thought-provoking as it is unforgettable.

I loved convenience store woman and was really looking forward to this but struggled with the concept. A very thought provoking read.

I am always so excited to read a new Sayaka Murata book because :
I never know what I'm going to get.
I know it's probably going to be weird.
I know I'm going to have a good time.

Vanishing World was definitely ran pretty strange and surprisingly pretty sex heavy. Note, I did not say sexy. There is a LOT of consideration on reproduction, copulation, marriage, and child rearing. Also, having brain sex with anime characters. This was a lot.

Even with that being said, I will never not read a Sayaka book. I'm always drawn in and always along for the ride, even if I don't alway enjoy every minute of the journey lol

As a big fan of Earthlings, I was excited to read Murata's new venture. While I appreciate this concept, I think that it quickly turned dull and repetitive.
Ultimately I DNFd at 50% because the story wasn't going anywhere interesting or weird enough. If you read Earthlings, there was a really messed up undertone that kept you interested in the story and this lacked that depth and interest.
Perhaps I will pick it up if I learn that the second half is better, but for now, this wasn't for me.

This was a kooky crazy roller coaster ride. Translated speculative fiction, this novel explores what it would be like if the need for romantic love, sex, and families was eliminated through sociological and scientific advancements. This most definitely made me consider some things I had never considered before, and I think truly highlights how small shifts over time can change the social perception of things dramatically. I can usually get down with strange, but in some ways this was just too strange for me. Definitely extremely unique, nothing out there quite like it. I’ll be interested to read more of their work (I have earthlings on my kindle) and see if their style is for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and grove Atlantic for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

As always with Sayaka Murata we are brought into a very strange situation that makes me question society and the future with interesting and bizarre potentials. It was very unique but gave me a lot to think about in an area I hadn't really considered before reading this book.

Sayaka Murata has carved out a niche in recent years as a go to "weird girl lit" author. But what keeps me coming back to Murata's work is her fearlessness. She commits to an idea fully and swings for the fences, and even if not everything lands, I can't help but admire the audacity. Such is the case with Vanishing World. The story has a classic Murata premise, in that it is entirely bonkers and more than a little bleak. The prose is sparse but punchy, with cutting things to say about birth rates and gender roles and fertility. At time the storytelling was a bit too esoteric for my taste, but Murata has such conviction and assuredness that I knew I was in capable hands even if I wasn't always following where she led.

An inventive and unusual read, Murata continues to be an auto-read author for me.

Definitely a strange one! Sayaka Myrata has been on my radar for some time and the cover for Vanishing World sold me. I guess I would place this one in the sci fi/dystopia lit fic category? It's definitely a slower burn where the reader is completely immersed in this society where the definitions of love and marriage have been completely overhauled. Married couples no longer have sex (this is considered incest) and babies are born via artificial insemination. People are still encouraged to fall in love with other humans but also characters, but love and marriage are not linked in this world.
Sex is increasingly rare and considered extremely old fashioned.

I found Vanishing World to be well done. It's an incredibly odd world they're existing in, but Myrata excels at making their reality tangible for the reader. I'm not sure if it was a translation issue or if characters are simply meant to seem robotic, but I struggled with the dialogue at times. And that ending! Really not my favorite. Could've likely left that part out entirely. I definitely want to check out more work from Murata and enjoyed this one, but did struggle with some of the aspects of the writing.

Imagine living a world where sexless marriage exists—like, doing it as a married couple is considered incest and taboo. If you want a child, the legal way is through artificial insemination. And in this experimental and advantageous world, it’s possible that men can be pregnant and they will be the ones to carry the baby in their artificial womb.

First, I would like to thank Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the approved ARC. This is my first Sayaka Murata book, and it did not disappoint. The whole time I’m reading this, I’m thinking what kind of brain does the author have that she is capable of writing this kind of story—it’s weird, somewhat funny, creepy, thought-provoking, and yet very significant.

The characters in this book are written so well that they make you pause and rethink your own beliefs. They make you wonder why people hold on so tightly to traditional rules. Despite how strange the world in the book feels, I found myself really enjoying it. The ending left my jaw dropped. I actually kept clicking my Kindle in case there was something more.

Overall, Vanishing World is a strange but amazing read that really makes you think. Sayaka Murata has created a story that stays with you, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

This novel has an intriguing premise, and I think there was potential to explore so many avenues here. Unfortunately, whilst I enjoyed the story, I didn't feel like there was much depth. Perhaps the author tried to squeeze too many elements into the narrative that none of them really got a chance to be examined. There were ideas about parasocial relationships, the nuclear family, gender roles in marriage and parenting, arranged marriage, and conformity, but these themes were only really explored at the surface-level.

I did enjoy it, but would hesitate to recommend it to people who haven't read this author before. Pick up Convenience Store Woman before this one.

As a HUGE FAN of "Convenience Store Woman," I was so excited to read this one. Ultimately, I DNF at 12% because I just could not get into the book. I have mixed feelings about this and will probably try again after reading some of these reviews.