Sayaka Murata‘s “Disappearing World” Imagines a Future Where Sex is Outsourced and Family is Redefined
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In Sayaka Murata’s chilling new novel, “Disappearing World,” the author constructs a dystopian future where reproduction is divorced from desire, and the very foundations of family are radically reimagined, prompting unsettling questions about the future of human connection. The novel, translated from Japanese by Ursula Gräfe, presents a society grappling with a declining population and shifting social norms, leading to a world where intimacy is increasingly clinical and the concept of parenthood is communal.
The Stigma of Natural Conception
The story centers on Amane, a protagonist ostracized for being one of the few individuals conceived naturally. In this future,artificial reproduction is the norm,and natural conception is viewed with suspicion and even disgust. As Amane learns at school, her very existence is considered abnormal, a stark reminder of a more primal, and now frowned-upon, form of connection between parents. “Because that means nothing other than that their parents actually had sexual intercourse with each other,” the text reveals,highlighting the societal discomfort with the act of procreation being linked to pleasure. This societal judgment extends to Amane’s parents, who are scandalized for having been in love – a “special perversion” in this new order.
The Outsourcing of Desire
Adding to Amane’s alienation is her persistent, and increasingly isolated, sexual desire. While many young people find fulfillment through parasocial relationships with fictional characters, Amane struggles to reconcile her feelings with the societal expectation of asexual contentment. This leads to a series of awkward and unsettling encounters, further emphasizing her outsider status.
Chiba: A Radical experiment in Communal Motherhood
The novel introduces Chiba, a city attempting a radical solution to Japan’s demographic crisis. Family and biological parenthood have been entirely abolished. Residents must sever ties with their past lives and commit to a multi-year stay, subject to strict regulations on outside contact. Children in Chiba are raised by specialized caregivers, with biological parents relinquishing custody after birth. In return, all adults are considered “mothers” to all children, fostering a communal upbringing where individual parentage is obscured. Children address all adults as “mother,” except for the childcare staff, further eroding the concept of a unique maternal bond.
Echoes of a Shrinking Society
Murata’s work builds upon themes explored in her previous novel, “Ceremony of Life,” and short story collection, “The Silkworm Room,” focusing on the individual’s struggle against the rigid norms of a shrinking and aging Japanese society. While “The Silkworm Room” depicted a couple entering a contractually-defined marriage devoid of intimacy to appease societal expectations, “Disappearing World” presents a scenario where this behavior has become normalized.
The novel’s depiction of Amane’s life is especially stark. After her husband attempts a kiss, she vomits in his mouth, reports him to the police, and secures a divorce with widespread sympathy. His parents express bewilderment: “You don’t normally do something like that at home. How did you get the idea that you wanted to be intimate with yoru wife of all people?” This scene underscores the complete erosion of expectation surrounding marital intimacy.
A Disturbing,and Perhaps Prescient,Vision
amane eventually moves to Chiba with another man,hoping to escape her “inherent flaw.” However, she soon discovers that the system extends even to this radical city, with both of them summoned for artificial insemination. Her husband becomes the first man to successfully carry an embryo in an external artificial womb, a process described with disturbing imagery – a thin membrane revealing the developing fetus. After delivering the child, who is instantly taken into state care, he embarks on a lecture tour detailing his experience. Amane, having suffered a miscarriage, is scheduled for another fertilization attempt.
“Disappearing World” is a deeply unsettling book, and its exploration of reproductive technology and societal control feels disturbingly relevant. It forces readers to confront uncomfortable questions about the future of human connection, the nature of family, and the potential consequences of prioritizing societal norms over individual desire.
Sayaka Murata’s “Disappearing World” is available now, translated from Japanese by Ursula Gräfe (Structure, 268 pages, hardcover, €25.95).
