This is an English-language anthology dedicated to the sho r t sto r ies of Kurahashi Yumiko (1935-), a Japanese novelist of profound intellectual powers. The eleven sto r ies included in this volume suggest the breadth of the autho r 's literary production, ranging fr om parodies of classical Japanese literature to cosmopolitan avant-garde wo r ks, fr om quasi-autobiography to science fiction. Her subversive fiction defies established definitions of ",literature",, ",Japan",, ",modernity", a nd ",femininity",, a nd represents an impo r tant intellectual aspect of modern Japanese women's literature.