Jackson Alone

A short, blistering gut punch of a novel, Jackson Alone is at turns satirical and deadpan, angry and tender - a frank exploration of identity in contemporary Japan.

Nobody at the corporate offices of Athletius Japan knows much about the mixed-race massage therapist, Jackson, but rumours abound. Fuelling the gossip is the sudden appearance of a disturbing video featuring a man who looks like a lot like Jackson.

When Jackson serendipitously meets three other mixed-race guys, he learns he's not the only one being targeted. Together they concoct a plan: find out who's responsible and, in the meantime, exploit the fact that nobody can seem to tell them apart to trick people who've wronged them.

From an Akutagawa prize-winning author, Jackson Alone asks complex questions about how we see ourselves and how we see others, as well as what it really means to get revenge.