After The Quake: Stories · Best Pick

: A man raised to believe he is the son of God follows a stranger he suspects is his biological father through an industrial wasteland.

: A surreal tale where a giant, six-foot frog enlists a mild-mannered loan collector to help fight a massive underground worm and prevent an earthquake from destroying Tokyo. After the quake: stories

: The final and most hopeful story, featuring a writer who decides to protect the woman he loves and her daughter from the "earthquake man" of their nightmares. Key Themes and Insights : A man raised to believe he is

: A man's wife leaves him after being transfixed by earthquake news coverage for five days. He travels to Hokkaido to deliver a mysterious package, only to realize he may have "nothing inside" him. Key Themes and Insights : A man's wife

: A bitter doctor on vacation is told by a local seer that she has a "stone" inside her body—a metaphor for her deep-seated resentment—that she must remove before she dies.