### The Laughter of Writers - Sakyo Komatsu and the Literary World in 1977

### The Laughter of Writers - Sakyo Komatsu and the Literary World in 1977

In the 1970s, Japan was reeling from the shadow of rapid economic growth and the aftermath of the oil shock, and urban culture was expanding while dealing with pollution and resource problems. Literature also expanded from pure literature to popular literature and then to science fiction, and Sakyo Komatsu was at the forefront of this trend. His masterpiece, "Sinking of Japan" (1973), incorporated his knowledge of seismology and geopolitics to realistically depict social unrest, leaving a significant impact as social science fiction that transcended the realm of entertainment. At drinking parties, he discussed his works and behind-the-scenes industry stories with Ryo Hanmura and others, and his bold and open personality provoked laughter while also demonstrating his serious contemplation of a future society. The free atmosphere of these occasions transcended the rigid framework of pure literature, demonstrating that science fiction has the power to reflect the spirit of the t
imes. While his contemporaries Yoshiyuki Junnosuke and Ken Kaiko depicted urban loneliness and the human abyss, Komatsu looked over the future of society as a whole. Along with Ryo Hanmura's "Sengoku JSDF," "Sinking of Japan" sublimated anxiety and hope for the future into literature and continued to pose questions to readers.