Exploring Murata Sayaka's "World 99": Humanity's Deepest Questions Unveiled
In the captivating world of Murata Sayaka's latest novel, World 99, published by Shūeisha in 2025, readers are introduced to mysterious creatures known as pyocorns. These high-end pets, a unique combination of panda, dolphin, rabbit, and alpaca genes, have become the talk of the people.
The novel raises the universal question: "What does it mean to be human?" as it delves into a world where negative emotions like anger or sadness are unwelcome, and people strive to show no hostility towards each other. The book's protagonist, Kisaragi Sorako, has known since childhood that she is always splitting herself into smaller parts.
Sorako's life takes a dramatic turn when a pyocorn arrives in her house. The arrival of this charming creature, with its round eyes, fur, round white noses, and pink mouths with four teeth, causes a significant development in the story. The line between the real world and imagination becomes blurred, adding an element of intrigue to the narrative.
Murata Sayaka, the author behind this thought-provoking novel, gained widespread acclaim in 2016 when she won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for her novel Convenience Store Woman. Translated as Konbini ningen by Ginny Tapley Takemori, the book was assessed as vividly depicting the reality of the world through a protagonist who departs from common sense.
In World 99, humans have evolved pyocorns to perform housework and become sexual partners. The impregnating of pyocorns and their giving birth has become a symbol of wealth, as ideas surrounding marriage change. The book explores the essence of humanity when much has been stripped away, and Murata's fascination with people is evident throughout.
The cover for World 99 was published on August 22, 2025, and the ISBN for the book is 978-4-08-771879-9. Kisaragi Sorako, the main character, calls herself a "human robot" due to her constant adaptation to meet others' expectations. The book, published by Hayakawa Publishing Corporation, similarly reveals what the world is really like.
In World 99, people naturally become divided by their DNA, economic power, and upbringing, living in different worlds. This novel offers a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be human in a world where the lines between reality and imagination, and the natural and the engineered, are blurred.
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