set in the near-future Japan, Vanishing World paints an image of a society where natural sex and biological parenthood are taboo. In this world, children are created via artificial insemination and communal child-rearing is the norm.
The protagonist, Amane, has a shock when she discovers she was conceived naturally. Because of that she is considered an oddity and struggles with forbidden desires in a world that deems intimacy as "unclean".
Murata uses her trademark deadpan, darkly comedic voice to bring this sterilized way of living to life, and it is both disturbing and hilarious.
I really enjoyed this book, it was my first ever Sayaka Murata novel, but I will definitely check out her other books!

This book was so strange, so eerie, but so good?! It offers the reader so much to think about regarding sex, gender, and societal norms. I really enjoyed this one!

Sayaka Murata's books are always intensely strange and thought-provoking and this is no exception. This is not my favorite of her books, but it certainly has a fascinating premise. Not safe for work! But interesting.

Ohhh, how much I had been looking forward to Sayaka Murata’s new old book (originally published in 2015)!

In Vanishing World, Murata creates a society where natural reproduction between married couples is labeled as inc*st – deeply frowned upon and considered outdated – while artificial reproduction has become the norm. The protagonist, Amane, who was actually conceived naturally, just doesn’t seem to belong in this world.

We follow her through episodes of her childhood, the discovery of her se*uality, and her path into marriage. The concept is super intriguing, but sadly, it’s completely undermined by a very monotonous execution with sooo many repetitions – our protagonist doesn’t go through any real development, the dialogues are weird, and her obsession with having se in this society is just plain bizarre. Especially since the act itself seems so mechanical that no one involved gets anything out of it. Meh.

"Love is the courage to be called a pervert."



Even though I loved Murata’s other books, Vanishing World just didn’t do it for me. It felt too distant, too sterile, too much brain over heart – and the ending finally broke every last taboo and completely lost me as a somewhat willing reader (I might’ve given it 2.5 stars) 🤮

Murata’s Vanishing World imagines a future Japan where sex is taboo, romance is obsolete, and artificial insemination is the moral standard. In this starkly sanitized society, love has been outsourced—to AI idols, virtual crushes, and state-regulated parenting protocols. It’s speculative fiction that doesn’t shout for your attention but gets it anyway, in it's cold, detached, indifference to you the reader.

We follow Amane, a woman conceived the “old-fashioned” way, trying to scrub herself clean of desire in a world that equates physical intimacy with disease. The novel is clinical, precise, and deeply unsettling—Murata’s signature mood. The world-building is sparse but effective, and the themes (repression, conformity, emotional erasure) hit hard.

Until the final quarter, I was completely in. But then it escalates—viscerally. For some, the ending will feel brilliant in its boldness. For me, it tipped into a kind of emotional obliteration that felt more punishing than illuminating.

It's not the sort of book I love but I am glad to have read it. If you appreciated Earthlings, this may feel like a natural evolution. Just know: it’s colder, weirder, and more unforgiving. Visionary? Absolutely. Enjoyable? Depends on your threshold for literary dread.

This one was a little too strange for me. The premise was certainly original, and it held my attention. I never considered putting it down. By the end, though, it felt like it never quite developed beyond that initial weirdness. The characters were difficult to connect with, none felt especially likable or even relatable. It made me confused by many of their decisions. Even the most basic interpersonal dynamics were hard to get a grip on. I didn’t understand what anyone’s motivations were. What was the thematic core? Sex is strange? Normalcy is fluid? The systems we take for granted are destined to be absurd in retrospect? I’m open to the idea that I may be missing some cultural context, but for me, it didn’t land. The speculative elements felt more provocative than purposeful. The biologist in me is screaming at the lack of respect for sexual selection.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Press for access to this book.

This author sure knows how to write a sick annd twisted ending. Earthlings worked for me. Vanishing World did not. I genuinely still feel a little nauseous about how this one ended. Overall, it was interesting and a fascinating adventure and critique of sex and reproduction as a whole. Although sci-fi-esque, it’s easy to understand and follow along with the rules of this world within the scope of the novel. I did feel a little detached from the main characters as they seemed to be detached from themselves. I truly think this story would have a lot more potential for me, but I desperately need a different ending.

Amane struggles in between her past that binds her to sexual pleasures, a present that binds her to her family and a future that gives her an opportunity to mother infinite kids. Its as if she lives on all of them and simultaneously tries to disassociate form all of them. The writer exhibits a dazzling imagination in conjuring up a world that's progressing in unbelievable speeds and alienating its own inhabitants. It's a world that solely populates using artificial insemination, where people fall in love with unreal manga characters and which considers any physical relationship between spouses as incest.

The concept was good but the story didn't make any sense. There are many quoteable paragraphs but the book as a whole doesn't work. The characters felt too weakly written. It would have been better as a short story of less than 50 pages.

Sigh. This book was wild. Earthlings kicked my butt when I read it last year. And I should’ve known this one would too. I honestly dived into blind like I did with Earthlings. I was in constant shock throughout the book. The ending though 🙁 I need an adult... Did that really happen, or…😭
The concept was new to me and I think the author did a good job explaining throughout the book how everyone was accustomed to the new norm. No sex. And babies are born only through IVF. I feel like the author had to constantly explain, to really show just how uncommon sex is. Otherwise I loved it, check your trigger warnings. I enjoyed the book, it was shocking, it was detailed and it stopped me on my tracks a few times.

The premise of this is wildly inventive, and the execution is just as strange, offering a surreal social landscape that’s both unsettling and fascinating.

The writing style is reminiscent of Convenience Store Woman—detached and quietly incisive—and I really enjoyed that book. However, where Convenience Store Woman offered a compelling connection to its quirky protagonist, I never felt as invested in the MC in Vanishing World and her bizarre journey.

Still, the sheer weirdness of the world kept me reading. If you’re looking for something offbeat and cerebral, this might work for you.

The works of Sayaka Murata never fail to surprise, boldly shattering the conventional boundaries of society norms. Through her writing infused with irony, sarcasm, and social critique, she compels me to reflect deeply. She forces me to see and understand the world from strange, extreme perspectives, where limits are blurred.

This time, she explores the themes of love, marriage, and sex. In this sterilized world, everything we once knew about these three concepts has shifted. We can love anyone, form romantic and sexual relationships with them—even with virtual idols or fictional characters. Normal sexual intercourse is considered incestuous, while marriage is reduced to a contractual partnership devoid of romance.

Through the hesitations of Amane Sakaguchi’s point of view, the author invites us to explore all possible outcomes when we blindly accept what is deemed "normal." Should we remain critical, willing to experiment, and brave enough to question the rules—even break through boundaries?

Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic from Grove Press for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting release date : 15 April 2025

I was not ready for this one lol I've read one other book by this author (Earthlings) and I enjoyed it enough, it was definitely shocking. I'm still not really sure how I feel about this one, especially the ending. I think I understand the commentary the author was trying to get at, I'm just not sure that it was actually achieved.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Unfortunately I don't think this book was it for me. I have heard so many things about Murata so when I got this book I was excited because this would be the first book of theirs I would read and I was disappointed. There were so many things that didn't sit right with me in this story.

Although I will still be picking up another book by Murata because I was intrigued by the way she tells story. This particular book just wasn't for me.

Sayaka Murata’s "Vanishing World" reads like a whisper from the future—one that startles, unsettles, and strangely seduces. In this eerie, sterilized version of Japan, love has been rewritten, sex is a memory few dare mention, and babies are born from tubes, not touch. Enter Amane Sakaguchi, a young woman conceived the old-fashioned way—a glitch in the system, an echo of a fading humanity.

From the sterile streets of her childhood to the bizarre social laboratory of “Experiment City,” Amane’s world unfolds like a dream half-remembered and half-feared. Here, parental roles are redesigned like Ikea furniture, romantic affection is outsourced to digital avatars, and AI companions soothe the ache of solitude better than humans ever could. Murata doesn’t just craft a dystopia—she holds up a mirror, fogged with our own fingerprints.

The prose is cold and clinical, almost surgical—fitting for a world where biology has become an inconvenience. Yet within that emotional frost, Amane's confusion, yearning, and quiet rebellion pulse like a stubborn heartbeat. Her existence becomes a question mark drawn in ink across sterile glass: What does it mean to be human when humanity is inconvenient?

Yes, the narrative sometimes strays into surreal side streets, and yes, the ending might rattle even the most seasoned speculative fiction reader—but that’s part of the spell. "Vanishing World" isn’t here to comfort. It’s here to provoke, to prod at the boundaries of what we think is “normal,” and to ask: If technology can meet all our needs, do we still need each other?

Murata doesn’t deal in sci-fi clichés—she deals in quiet horror, philosophical disarray, and the beautifully broken mosaic of human identity. This isn’t a future we’re marching toward. It’s one we may already be sleepwalking into.

So read carefully. And when you put it down, ask yourself—are we vanishing too?

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Vanishing World (仮題, Kieteyuku Sekai) is an upcoming novel by Sayaka Murata, the internationally acclaimed Japanese author of Convenience Store Woman (2016) and Earthlings (2018). While details remain scarce as of 2025 (no official English title or release date confirmed), Murata has hinted in interviews that this work will continue her exploration of societal alienation, unconventional lives, and the fragility of human connections in a hyper-structured world.

Expected Themes (Based on Previews & Interviews):
Disappearing Communities: The novel may focus on marginalized groups—elderly, misfits, or rural populations—fading away due to urbanization and societal neglect.

Eccentric Survival: Like her previous protagonists (Keiko in Convenience Store Woman, Natsuki in Earthlings), the central characters likely navigate life by creating their own rules.

Climate Anxiety: Murata has mentioned an interest in "quiet apocalypses," where collapse happens through erosion rather than spectacle.

Queer & Nonconformist Lives: Expect nuanced portrayals of characters defying gender/relationship norms.

Anticipated Style:
Deadpan Surrealism: Murata’s signature blend of mundane details with unsettling twists.

Dark Humor: Sharp, ironic observations about modern alienation.

Short, Punchy Chapters: Likely episodic, echoing Convenience Store Woman’s structure.

Speculative Comparisons:
If Convenience Store Woman met The Memory Police (Yoko Ogawa)’s vanishing-world dystopia.

Or a more grounded, quirky version of The End of the World News (Anthony Burgess).

2 stars

**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

⚠️NOTE: THIS BOOK ENDS WITH THE MC RAPING A CHILD.⚠️

<b> Basics </b>

Author: she/her (Japan)
Genre: speculative fiction, SF
Setting: world where sex is taboo and artificial insemination is the norm
Themes: sex/procreation, love, family
Vibes: f*cked up

<b> Characters </b>
🩵 Amane (fMC) - school girl who is in love with Lapis, a male character

<b> Quotes </b>

"Our sexuality developed in a sterile space."

[About loving anime/characters] "Some people say it's escaping reality, but I don't agree. Rather, it's nourishing my soul so that I can live in reality."

"I too opened my mouth a little, to show my teeth, and made a cavity in my face to look like I was smiling."

"Normality is the creepiest madness there is."

<b> Pros </b>
+ mc's first childhood love was a fictional character (who among us?)
+ falling in love with characters from anime & manga is the norm, to the point of school kids confessing about their first loves and sharing the same first love with other kids who also love the character (very interesting concept!)
+ for mass prevention, girls are implanted with contraceptive devices as soon as they get their first period
+ since most have a "pure" love of characters, gender matters less
+ LGBTQIA rep: gay (boy likes male character)
+ falling in and out of love with many people at the same time, while single or married, brings about interesting integrations of polyamory
+ the MC carries 40 shards of her lovers in her black Prada bag (kind of iconic, no?) 💅
+ Since marriage is loveless, more of a business agreement, the MC and her best friend wonder why they couldn't have gotten married (same-sex marriage still isn't allowed). Very interesting take that they'd be okay marrying eachother because of trust but not because of love. They're so close to figuring out LGBTQIA rights 🤏
+ Chiba Experiment City = utopian mass insemination controlled by data, with kids raised by center, all adults are Mother (what could go wrong?)
+ creepy, smiling kids
+ trialing pregnant men, with sacs outside of their bodies (no successes yet, but mc's husband is up for the challenge)
+ sandpit made from bones
+ didn't see that mom plot twist coming, but I like it (deliciously unhinged 🤌)

<b> Neutral </b>
/ A young girl (5th grade) who doesn't understand about her body well calls arousal/orgasm her "uterus throbbing" and that it is in her belly. Not sure if this is due to her youth, the anti-sex society, or Japanese turn of phrase.
/ sleeping with your husband = incest (Murata really said buckle up cuz I'm going all in on this no-sex world)

<b> Cons </b>
- THE RAPE OF A CHILD BY THE MC IN THE LAST CHAPTER!!!! 🤢🤮 UNNECESSARY & VILE
- clinical sex scenes and sex talk between 5th-graders then a high school kid & her teacher
- topics/exact situations are gone over again and again in different scenes (redundant)
- This is a very dialogue-heavy book. Some of the dialogue is very clearly just exposition/info dumping.
- the entire book is a thought experiment laid-out by dialogue, instead of mostly through plot/actions
- a huge contrived coincidence to further the plot (her first real lover ~just happened to be~ the exact person they randomly meet and the one who can help them get what they want...sure)
- I cannot state how much this needed a good editor to remove repetitions and actually cut out plot loops we've already just explored (same talking points, same situation, and/or same phrasing)

<b> TW </b>

self-harm (cutting), genital talk, miscarriage, infant death, stillborn talk, rape of a child/kodomo-chan

The concept had me in a chokehold. So Murata. A world where sex is outdated and babies are made through artificial insemination, and Amane, born the “natural” way, feels like an outsider because of it.

There’s a lot here about what’s considered “normal” in society and how much of that is just made up, which I loved. But the writing felt repetitive, too explain-y, and didn’t always hold my attention.

Not her best for me, but still intriguing if you’re already a fan. If not, there's always Convenience Store Woman.

I love Sayaka Murata. Her books always fascinate me with their bizarre, unsettling takes on society, and life ceremony completely won me over. She has such a distinct voice and way of peeling back the layers of what we consider "normal", it’s always thought-provoking.

That said, Vanishing World just didn’t hold my interest the way I hoped it would. The concept is wildly imaginative (as expected from Murata), but I found myself feeling more disconnected than intrigued while reading. I’m honestly chalking it up to a “me” problem, maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace for this kind of story.

I still plan on giving it another chance, because I know her books can hit differently on a second read, and I really do want to understand the vision she’s exploring here. If nothing else, it’s definitely one of the most original concepts I’ve come across in a while.

I’ve read Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings so I was excited to read this one. It’s just as far-fetched as you can imagine. I am a big Murata fan and reading these books sort of reminds me of reading Chuck Palahniuk. You either love them or hate them and I happen to love them. This story is futuristic, bizarre, and set in Japan. It really is interesting and gets you to think about sex, relationships and the world in a different way. I loved this one and plan to continue reading Sayaka Murata over and over again!