The Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories

This is an excellent collection of prose stories (translated into English from Japanese) set in the world of Ghost in the Shell, and I recommend them to any fan of the franchise (though I emphasize that it is only for fans--more on this below). Experiencing GitS in prose was very new to me, as I think it would be for most other GitS fans, since the franchise is of course most well known in its anime and manga forms. The prose medium allows the five authors of this collection to explore and develop the incredibly rich world of GitS in novel ways that would be difficult or impossible in anime or manga, while still creating stories that feel unmistakably "Ghost in the Shell."This is immediately apparent from the first story, Toh Enjoe's "shadow.net," which is a brilliantly immersive description of a mind that sees the world through multiple remote "eyeballs." It is disorienting in the best possible way, and that's what makes it feel so authentically GitS. Gakuto Mikumo's "Heterochromia" continues this with its flash-back-and-forward narrative structure and theme of fractured identity. Kafka Asagiri's "Soft and White" is by far the most traditional in the set in terms of its story-telling techniques and plot, but this is its greatest strength; it reads like watching an episode of Stand Alone Complex (to which its plot and characters are directly linked), indulging us with all the same kinds of intrigue and action while not shying away from engaging with complex ideas. Yoshinobu Akita's "Soliloquy" might be my favorite. It has a disorienting first-person narrative style similar to "shadow.net," and features Major Kusanagi herself. The set concludes with Tow Ubukata's "Springer," written as a cop's second-hand account of a case involving corporate corruption, serial murder, Olympic-level cyborg bodies, and dogs.As mentioned above, my only qualification would be that these stories are really only for fans who are already very familiar with the franchise, especially Stand Alone Complex. These stories are not a way to get into the GitS franchise. And without already being acquainted with the world of GitS, they may be difficult to enjoy even if you are already a big science-fiction/cyberpunk fan. To give you a sense of the larger context for this collection of stories, here is a chronological rundown of most of the GitS franchise (omitting the video games):--1989-90, Ghost in the Shell (manga) by Shirow Masamune, what started it all.--1991-96, Human-Error Processor (manga) by Shirow Masamune, a sequel to the 1989 manga.--1991-97, Man-Machine Interface (manga) by Shirow Masamune, another sequel to the previous two manga.--1995, Ghost in the Shell (anime feature-length film) by Mamoru Oshii, an adaptation of Masamune’s original manga, whose critical and financial success really cemented the franchise, especially outside of Japan.--2002, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (anime tv series, 26 episodes) by Kenji Kamiyama, an original series based on Masamune’s manga, reinvigorating the franchise and much beloved by fans. No continuity with the 1995 film.--2004, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence (anime feature-length film), by Mamoru Oshii, a direct sequel to the 1995 film.--2004, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig (anime tv series, 26 episodes) by Kenji Kamiyama, a direct sequel to the 2002 series. Again, no continuity with either the 1995 or the 2004 films.--2006, Ghost in the Shell SAC: Solid State Society (anime feature-length film) by Kenji Kamiyama, a direct sequel to the 2004 series. Again, no continuity with either the 1995 or the 2004 films.--2013-14, Ghost in the Shell: Arise (anime four-part original video animation series) by Kazuchika Kise, a wholly new series but also something of a prequel, in that it is supposed to take place before any of the previous stories (including the original manga). Nonetheless, it is considered its own continuity distinct from both the 1995 and 2004 films and the 2002, 2004, and 2006 tv series and film.--2015, Ghost in the Shell: Arise – Alternative Architecture (anime tv series, 10 episodes), by Kazuchika Kise, a re-edit and slight expansion of the four-part Arise OVA series.--2015, Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (anime feature-length film) by Kazuchika Kise, a sequel to the Arise series.--2017, Ghost in the Shell (live-action film) by Rupert Sanders, more-or-less an adaptation of the 1995 film, though also with elements from the tv series.As you can see, there is a lot, and this is only a partial list. It is because the stories in this collection are woven directly into the fabric of this vast franchise that I think it is essential that you be acquainted with the world of GitS before you read them. So for those interested in getting into GitS, I recommend you start with either the 1995 film or the 2002 tv series (really you should watch them both) and then go from there.Incidentally, it’s clear that this is the real problem that Amazon reviewer “Mark Lacy,” who saw fit to give the entire collection a 1-star rating, had with these stories. That is: they read a collection of short stories set in a world that was completely unfamiliar to them, a world that is developed across multiple manga and anime, including multiple tv series and feature-length films. They at least understand that the collection is a “tie-in” to “the movie ‘Ghost in the Shell’,” but they are likely referring not to the 1995 anime film but to the recently released 2017 live-action film, and moreover they admit that they haven’t even seen it yet. And in fact, these stories have nothing to do with the live-action film, but rather the manga and anime. With no appreciation of the GitS world, it’s no surprise that “Mark Lacy” didn’t like these stories. Their 1-star rating reflects their own experience rather than the quality of the stories themselves.

The subtitle to this book is “Five New Short Stories”, but are they? A couple of them seem VERY familiar to me, like alternate takes or re-imaginings of Stand Alone Complex episodes. Even so, this book is solid and worth a read.If this is your first exposure to this property I would stay away, start with the first film or the series. These stories are dense and require a certain understanding of this world which you will not find here. But diehard fans should rejoice, this proves that Ghost in the Shell is big enough that other accomplished authors are coming on board to expand the universe that we among many, love.

If you love the series and hate the live action movie, this is for you, also if you now nothing about ghost in the shell you should watch the 90s anime to get in touch and enjoy this book as I did, it is really really goood.

Exactly what I expect from GITS

Short enough for an experimental read? Check. Eye-catching cover? Check. Decent price through Amazon? Check. Tie-in to a movie I want to see? Check. Worth the effort of reading? Sadly, no.The Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories is a collection of stories by five Japanese media authors/creators that builds upon the story presented in the movie “The Ghost in the Shell.” It is a quick read, which is the only reason I didn’t abandon the book part-way through. Too often I felt like I was reading a comic book or graphic novel without the graphics, and that just doesn’t work. I have not yet seen the movie, but I don’t believe my opinion of the book would change if I had.

if you are a fan of this magnificent series this is a must read , told me a lot that I didn't know about the series , no filler all facts.