some beautiful sumi-e by manga artist and painter Gajo Sakamoto, on display at the Tamashin Art Museum near Tokyo's Tachikawa station. Part of the current exhibit on Sakamoto's best known creation, Tank Tankuro, the first sci-fi manga in history #sumie #inkpainting #painting #scifi #manga #tokyo

almost half way through Dark Matter (2000), the first anthology in history of only speculative fiction stories by black authors. Just finished some fine short stories by Samuel Delany and Nalo Hopkinson. Next up is Octavia Butler. #speculative #fiction #anthology

Here it is! My Japanese fiction writing debut! The first short story I’ve ever written from start to finish in my second language! My story “フォトボマー” (Photo Bomber), is in this anthology “恐怖とSF”（Fear and Sci-fi), released today by Hayakawa, Japan’s oldest and largest SF publisher. #Japanese #scifi

Here it is! My Japanese fiction writing debut! The first short story I’ve ever written from start to finish in my second language! My story “フォトボマー” (Photo Bomber), is in this anthology “恐怖とSF”（Fear and Sci-fi), released today by Hayakawa, Japan’s oldest and largest SF publisher. #Japanese #scifi

received this pamphlet (c/o Yurika Miyano) commemorating a quarter century since the passing of one of Japan’s first generation SF authors, Ryu Mitsuse (1928-1999) He is best known for his 1967 novel Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights (百億の昼と千億の夜) #classic #japanese #speculativefiction

some surprisingly edgy art displayed in the Gyoko-dori Underground Gallery, a passageway that connects Tokyo Station to Marunouchi Building. The exhibition is part of Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi. #tokyo #station #undergound #artgallery #exhibition #space #art #visualart

third floor lobby of the Japan Publishers' Club Building in Jinbocho, Tokyo, the heart of the nation’s publishing industry. Visited today when I stopped by Hayakawa Festival, an 80th anniversary celebration for Japan's oldest and largest sci-fi publisher. #book #publishing #japan #tokyo #jinbocho

a vanished being stares you in the face, a species of wolf over the brink of extinction. It bares its teeth from some infernal display booth reserved for the annihilated, raring to defend its existence, too late. #extinction

this morning I began editing the galley for The Traveling Tree. Two more weeks and this book will be ready for press! The Traveling Tree (旅をする木) by Michio Hoshino, translated by yours truly, due for UK release on Nov 6: www.amazon.co.uk/Travelling-T... #japanese #literarytranslation #editing

This could be game changing. With evidence that certain energy companies caused specific disasters, maybe we can finally sue them out of existence. #climatechange #science #liability #transformation

Tokyo thunderstorm from train window shot Sep 11, 2025 #tokyo #thunderstorm #downpour #train #photography #impressionism

the rapid train back from Shinjuku has been drawn to a crawl by a wild thunder storm. There is no lag between the flashes and the thunder. Lightning striking all around us. #tokyo #Lightning #Storm

ブラッシュアップがまだまだ必要だけど、とりあえずホームページの日本語版更新完了！ elikpwilliam.com/ja/about/ #ホームページ　#リニューアル #小説家　#翻訳家　#シナリオライター

a belated congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Seiun awards! The ceremony was held in Tokyo last Sunday, on the final day of the Nihon SF Taikai, Japan's annual sci-fi convention since 1962. #seiun #scifi #awards #japan

Publication day! This was one of the hardest stories I’ve ever translated, both for the language and content. It’s also one of the most important stories I’ve translated. I hope as many people as possible will read it and reflect on the reality of war. #booksky #translation #literarytranslation

a unique glimpse into the manga mega industry through the eyes of one of its creators. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the current manga and anime boom. #manga #anime #boom #narrative #industrial #complex

received (c/o Yurika Miyano) this omnibus containing 3 classic SF novels, reproduced as serialized in SF Magazine The End of the Endless Stream by Sakyo Komatsu (Feb-Nov 1965) Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion nights by Ryu Mitsuse (1965-'66) Yukikaze by Chohei Kambayashi (1979 to 1984)

Take a close look at the cover of that upcoming sci-fi anthology from Hayakawa. You'll see my name in Japanese (イーライ・K・P・ウィリアム). That's 'cause I've got a short story in there, the first I've ever written in Japanese. It's something I've dreamed of for, like, 15 years. I'm in total disbelief...

Take a close look at the cover of that upcoming sci-fi anthology from Hayakawa. You'll see my name in Japanese (イーライ・K・P・ウィリアム). That's 'cause I've got a short story in there, the first I've ever written in Japanese. It's something I've dreamed of for, like, 15 years. I'm in total disbelief...

In my latest essay on the history of Japanese sci-fi, I chronicle how a who’s who of pioneering SF creators helped to conceive and design The Japan World Exposition, Osaka, 1970. #japanese #scifi #sf #sciencefiction #history #worldexpo #WorldExpo2025 #expo70 #osaka

35 degrees centigrade in Tokyo right now, with dozens of empty restaurants to choose from, and these people are out in the midday sun lining up for hot bowls of ramen. Those better be some damn good noodles. #ramen #mania #summertime #tokyo

In my latest essay on the history of Japanese sci-fi, I chronicle how a who’s who of pioneering SF creators helped to conceive and design The Japan World Exposition, Osaka, 1970. #japanese #scifi #sf #sciencefiction #history #worldexpo #WorldExpo2025 #expo70 #osaka

I've recently begun introducing my nearly four year old daughter to the films of Hayao Miyazaki. The other day, she woke me up in the morning to tell me, "Daddy, I want to meet the real Totoro." Don't we all, darling. Don't we all. #anime #hayaomiyazaki #ghibli #totoro #parenting

received an advance copy of Keiichiro Hirano’s latest book What Is Literature For? (文学は何の役に立つのか？) courtesy of the author. A smorgasbord of intriguing essays. Read my translation of one of them, On Oppenheimer: en.k-hirano.com/esss/oppenhe... #japanese #literature #essay #collection #newrelease

Check out my essay in case you missed it.

the current slogan for my life is "keep on plugging away." I wish I could say this is the product of hard-won wisdom or something. Truth is, it's just the only thing I can think to do right now and you know, sometimes, it actually works out. #slogan #rulestoliveby #keeponpluggingaway

any young researchers in the USA looking to escape from the turmoil? Come bring your fresh succulent brain to Japan and let Waseda University pay you for the workcation. 'Merica doesn't want you anymore. What have you got to lose? www.waseda.jp/inst/wias/ne... #usa #braindrain #is #japan 's #gain

The first five parts of @pkrugman.bsky.social's excellent jargon-free primer on the runaway inequality in the USA has been released from behind the paywall. Part 1: stonecenter.gc.cuny.edu/why-did-the-... #economic #financial #inequality #democratic #crisis #oligarchy

I'm thrilled to announce my latest translation: The Travelling Tree (旅をする木) by Michio Hoshino!!! To be released by Gaia (Hachette) in the UK this fall, followed by a USA edition in February! #upcomingrelease #japaneseliterature #essay #collection #translation #Alaska #wilderness #travel

I'm thrilled to announce my latest translation: The Travelling Tree (旅をする木) by Michio Hoshino!!! To be released by Gaia (Hachette) in the UK this fall, followed by a USA edition in February! #upcomingrelease #japaneseliterature #essay #collection #translation #Alaska #wilderness #travel

interesting analysis from @mattalt.bsky.social on how conspiracy theories are finally breaking into Japan's political mainstream. blog.pureinventionbook.com/p/chemtrails... #conspiracytheory #politics #japan

three piece jam band Indus&Rocks delivers hard trancey beats to the beach crowd as gusts from a distant typhoon herald the sunset. #summer #beachlife #concert #shonan #japan

meditated for the first time in months this morning. After thirty minutes of sitting the change to my state of mind was immediate. I’ve been more focused and attuned to myself all morning than I recall being for some time. #meditation #sitting #morning #practice #focus #selfawareness

A dialect generator, converting standard Japanese text into one of over 50 kinds of vernacular. Perfect if you want one of your troll personas to sound like they're from the Tsugaru hinterlands or whatever. www.8toch.net/translate/ #Japanese #dialect #generator #writing #tool

with a tsunami warning yesterday and a typhoon on its way tomorrow, we seized the day and went to the beach. #summer #beachlife #shonan #japan #carpediem

sirens from a truck driving outside warned of an incoming tsunami and I looked at my phone to find this. Waves predicted to hit us on Sagami Bay at 11am. Just pulled our daughter out of summer school by the shore. She'll be home safe in the hills shortly. Take care out there everyone! #earthquake

received an advance copy from the author Yoshio Aramaki, aged 93, the only "first generation" Japanese SF author still writing. He says it's an experimental homage to Phillip K. Dick's classic novel The Man in the High Castle, hybridizing story and literary criticism. #japanese #scifi #homage

a snake slithering through the branches outside a house I visited today. No idea what kind but we kept our distance when passing up the stairs beside the tree. #treetop #snake #shonan #japan

my essay for @aeon.co on the science of alien languages and science fiction has gone live! This thing is over a year in the making. Give it a read and let us know what you think! #xenolinguistics #alien #language #scifi #philosophy #solaris

my essay for @aeon.co on the science of alien languages and science fiction has gone live! This thing is over a year in the making. Give it a read and let us know what you think! #xenolinguistics #alien #language #scifi #philosophy #solaris

Announcing the prestigious Akutagawa and Naoki literary prizes. The winner is [drum roll]... no one. Wait, no one? For either award? #japanese #literature #award #naokiprize #akutagawaprize www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...

Pumped about an essay of mine dropping this Friday. The editor and I have been honing it for over a year now. #writing #philosophy #scifi #xenolinguistics

I cycled out to the park tonight to see fireflies. They were as fleeting and mysterious as always. On the way back, I ran into some people practicing drumming for the local festival in August. #summer #night #fireflies #shonan #japan #囃子

While researching the link between sci-fi and the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, I've been perusing 1970 editions of SF Magazine, Japan's oldest SF periodical. I like the cover art for the April edition. I could see it as a mural on an alleyway wall. #scifi #magazine #cover #art #expo #osaka #japan

We had a cloudy cool respite the past two days, with a high of only 28 centigrade. Perfect for a stroll in the hills. #japan #shonan #cloudy #summer #respite

swallowtail butterfly feeding from the blossom of a trumpet creeper #swallowtail #butterfly #trumpetcreeper #flower #summer #shonan #japan

The abandoned house of a hoarder in the neighbourhood has finally caught fire. It was a disaster waiting for another disaster. #hoarder #abandoned #house #fire #shonan #japan

Almost 29 degrees centigrade at 82% humidity in the apartment and still only 8 am. In case there were was ever any doubt, this is summer people. #Shonan #Japan #summer #mornings

I'm going to be a bold here and predict that THERE WILL BE NO CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN TODAY. Maybe some shakes and tremors but nothing worth cancelling a trip over. I'd gladly bet on it. If I'm wrong, I won't be around to pay up😉 #Japan #earthquake #superstition #manga #prophecy #bogus

We’re delighted to share that ANNIE BOT by Sierra Greer, and published by The Borough Press, has been announced as the 39th winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award science fiction book of the year!