Michael Crichton hates the Japanese

Just read "The Rising Sun" at work over the past couple of days -- because I've run out of science fiction and it was the only book on the communal bookshelf that wasn't by Danielle Steele. The movie, made a few years ago, was kind of a murder mystery/political thriller deal featuring Sean Connery as some dude who knows all there is to know about the Japanese and Wesley Snipes as his smarmy sidekick. Lots of talk about honor and saving face and bowing and so forth. It didn't occur to me until my freshman year at Brown that that movie was ... well, Orientalist. I had a brief conversation about it with my roommate at the time, who was Japanese.

Me: So, you ever see that "Rising Sun" movie?

Roommate: Dude, that movie is complete horseshit.

The book is even worse.

Michael Crichton, it seems, has lots of problems with the Japs. He's super paranoid. He thinks they're taking over the country. Literally. And he thinks Americans are too stupid to realize it. If you ever have a moment, and if you want a good companion novel to Edward Said's "Orientalism", check out "Rising Sun". Crazy shit.

And Crichton might've worried me, if it weren't for this site. Check out "Hyakugojuuichi" if you haven't seen it already, then watch "Earth vs. Funk". Then read the accompanying guides to get all the crazy jokes the author threw in. Then marvel at the fact that he's in his teens.