VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU LITERARY IMPRINT DEBUTS THE FUTURISTIC MYSTERY THRILLER GENE MAPPER

A Deadly Mutation Threatens The World’s Food Supply And Leads A Geneticist On A Quest To Determine Whether The Cause Is Nature Or Human Sabotage

San Francisco, CA, June 1, 2015 – VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint has announced the release of its newest title, the futuristic bio-thriller – GENE MAPPER – on June 16^th.

The novel about a deadly genetic threat to the world’s food supply was written by author Taiyo Fujii. It will be available for the first time in English in a print edition for $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN. An eBook version also will debut on June 16^th for $8.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, the Kobo eBooks Store, and the Google Play store.

In a future where reality has been augmented and biology itself has been hacked, the world’s food supply is genetically modified, superior, and vulnerable. When gene mapper Hayashida discovers that his custom rice plant has experienced a dysgenic collapse, he suspects sabotage. Hayashida travels Asia to find himself in Ho Chi Minh City with hired-gun hacker Yogodo at his side – and in mortal danger – as he pushes ever nearer to the heart of the mystery.

“Taiyo Fujii, winner of a 2014 Nihon SF Taisho Award by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan, is a fast rising star of the Japanese science fiction scene, and we’re thrilled to release his bio-thriller GENE MAPPER,” says Nick Mamatas, Haikasoru Editor. “Fujii explores the darker side bio-engineering in his bestselling first novel, where extraordinary advances being made in the fields of biotechnology and genetics have made the advent of genetically modified organisms a controversial reality. Readers will not want to miss this engrossing and thought provoking thriller!”

Author Taiyo Fujii was born in Amami Oshima Island, Japan, and worked for stage design, desktop publishing, exhibition graphic design, and software development before becoming an author. In 2012, Fujii self-published GENE MAPPER serially in a digital format of his own design, and it became Amazon Japan’s #1 Bestseller of that year for the Kindle device. The novel was revised and republished in both print and digitally as Gene Mapper -full build- by Hayakawa Publishing in 2013 and was nominated for the Nihon SF Taisho Award and the Seiun Award. His second novel, Orbital Cloud, won 2014 Nihon SF Taisho Award and took first prize in the “Best SF of 2014” in SF Magazine. His recent works include Underground Market and Bigdata Connect. 

For more information on GENE MAPPER and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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