A writer is seized by apocalyptic visions a voyeuristic marquis commits a brutal act and a
trio of beatniks dance to modern jazz in the ruins of an abandoned church. Here stark
autobiography contrasts with pure horror and the tenderness of first love cedes to obsession
heartbreak and deathly beauty. A new selection of Mishima's short stories from the 1960s
Voices of the Fallen Heroes traces the final decade of Mishima's career and offers a unique
glimpse into the mind of one of Japan's greatest writers. In the title story a séance brings
forth the spirits of young officers in the Imperial Army and the kamikaze pilots of the Second
World War who reproach the Emperor and mourn Japan's modern decline. In another Mishima
recounts the true story of the time a deranged fan broke into his home at dawn insisting on
meeting the author and imploring him to 'tell the truth'. Elsewhere a beautiful youth achieves
eternal life through violent murder and an ill-matched couple seal their fate with a pack of
cards tangled in the web of time and unfulfilled desire. Available in English for the first
time and carefully selected by expert translators these captivating stories are the perfect
introduction to Mishima's work on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
