Reading Log: Surrealism and Experimentation

Reviewing Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki and Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

Both of these books have earned reputations for their bold styles, experimentation, and critical acclaim. Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki leans into a cyberpunk-infused science fiction aesthetic, while Pure Colour by Sheila Heti embraces abstract, philosophical literary fiction.

Each author experiments with form, detachment, and societal critique, though their tones couldn't be more different. Themes of surrealism, alienation, and dystopia are present throughout both works.

I’m partial to one over the other, and if you’ve been following along, I’m sure you can guess which book I prefer. If you guessed Terminal Boredom, you’re right. I love a strange short story collection, especially when it offers sharp insights into the world — or better yet, critiques it. While both books are revolutionary in their own ways, I found Suzuki’s work far more engaging for my personal tastes.

Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki

“Even in this day and age, we still revere truth. But at the same time, we devote ourselves to the task of erasing the distinction between truth and fiction.”
― Izumi Suzuki, Terminal Boredom: Stories

summary: Across seven stories, Suzuki examines the fractures in society through themes of gender, isolation, and imperialism. In Women and Women, a queer matriarchal utopia is disrupted when a boy—a being typically confined to isolation—appears beneath a young girl’s window. You May Dream explores a society where population control policies force a woman to confront her relationships. The eerily desolate city of Night Picnic hosts the last family alive struggling to understand humanity through remnants of pop culture. Suzuki’s sharp humour and cynicism shine through even in the strangest scenarios. In That Old Seaside Club, a couple's romantic woes are worsened by sentient, judgmental furniture. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes follows a woman navigating interplanetary politics that distort her love life. Forgotten tells the unsettling tale of Jane, whose ex-girlfriend resurfaces drastically altered, demanding a reunion. And in the titular Terminal Boredom, Tokyo’s disaffected youth numb themselves with endless screen time, finding dangerous relief in violence.

“Life might merely be a momentary bolt of lightning in the dark, after which the self melts into the infinite darkness.”
― Izumi Suzuki, Terminal Boredom: Stories

Terminal Boredom is the first of two english translated collections of short stories by cult Japanese author Izumi Suzuki. A boundary-breaking voice in speculative fiction, Suzuki blends biting social critique with surreal, dystopian landscapes. Her writing challenges conventions, experimenting with form and narrative while remaining deeply rooted in the anxieties of everyday life. Through her bold imagination and relentless questioning of norms, Suzuki offers a striking reflection on modern existence. Terminal Boredom is a brilliant introduction to her work: unsettling, perceptive, and impossible to forget.

These stories are fantastic and expertly written, and while many contemporary speculative fiction collections explore similar themes, what makes Terminal Boredom stand out is when these stories were written. Any access to english translations of her work have been translated and published post mortem only in the last couple years; Terminal Boredom: stories in 2021, Hit Parade of Tears: stories in 2023, and lastly a novel, Set My Heart on Fire in 2024.

Let’s take a moment to explore Izumi Suzuki’s background and understand why her work was so revolutionary and why it remains so strikingly relevant today.

“I no longer care about happiness or unhappiness. I just hope the scenery's pretty, wherever I am.”
― Izumi Suzuki, Terminal Boredom: Stories

Izumi Suzuki (1949–1986) was a groundbreaking Japanese writer, actress, and countercultural icon. After working as a keypunch operator, she gained fame as a model and appeared in both pink films and notable works of 1970s Japanese cinema. Her turbulent relationship with avant-garde saxophonist Kaoru Abe, who died of an overdose, marked a turning point in her life. Channeling her grief and rebellion into creative practice, Suzuki produced a decade’s worth of sharp, irreverent fiction that challenged societal norms before ultimately committing suicide.

A pioneer of Japanese science fiction, her stories fused punk sensibilities with biting social critique, addressing themes of gender, alienation, and dystopia. Though she took her own life at the age of thirty-six, Suzuki’s literary legacy continues to resonate, influencing writers and readers worldwide. Terminal Boredom offers English readers a vital glimpse into her singular, visionary voice.

“Though men were adults they were children, seemingly complex but as simple as could be; they were utterly unmanageable creatures.”
― Izumi Suzuki, Terminal Boredom: Stories

I adore this collection of short stories. They’re innovative, brilliantly written, and challenging in the best way. The best science fiction imagines futures that feel eerily possible, drawing from the social and political issues of its time. Born into the post-war landscape of Japan, Izumi Suzuki became an It girl of the countercultural scene, embodying the era's anti-establishment spirit through her art, writing, and rebellious persona. Terminal Boredom remains strikingly relevant because these issues haven’t disappeared—they’ve only evolved, and we’re still grappling with their consequences. She masterfully straddles the line between technology and magic, presenting tech as both a solution to humanity’s failures and a reflection of our flaws. This collection feels incredibly prophetic in our current age of technology, capturing anxieties and dilemmas that have only intensified with time. Her stories are deeply engaging, and I can’t help but wish we had access to more of her work.

“Time passes, the planet has its many histories, and things decline. That’s all there is to it.”
― Izumi Suzuki, Terminal Boredom: Stories

She is a fascinating person to read about if you ever have the time. This is a great article (read here) if you want to learn more about her.

Find the book at your library or local bookstore!

Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

“It is only when you get older that everyone makes you feel bad about being alone, or implies that spending time with other people is somehow better, because it proves you to be likeable.
But being unlikeable wasn't the reason she was alone. She was alone so she could hear herself thinking. She was alone so she could hear herself living.”
― Sheila Heti, Pure Colour

summary: Pure Colour by Sheila Heti is a profoundly experimental and abstract novel that explores the complexities of grief, love, and art. Set in what is described as the "first draft of creation," the story follows Mira, a young woman who leaves home to study and forms a deep connection with Annie, a forceful presence who cracks open Mira’s perception of the world. After the death of her father, Mira experiences an unusual transformation as his spirit passes into her, and together they exist as a leaf on a tree, until Mira must choose whether or not to return to the human world she’s left behind.

Blurring the lines between the metaphysical and the mundane, Heti crafts a narrative that is part contemporary fable, part philosophical exploration. Through Mira’s surreal experiences, the novel questions what it means to live, to create, and to grieve. Pure Colour is a tender, absurd, and dazzling meditation on the nature of existence—a testament to Heti’s bold storytelling and sharp philosophical insight.

“She had thought that when someone died, it would be like they went into a different room. She had not known that life itself transformed into a different room and trapped you in it without them.”
― Sheila Heti, Pure Colour

Sheila Heti is a Canadian author known for her experimental and thought-provoking works of fiction. Her writing often explores themes of identity, art, and the human condition with a blend of philosophical insight and wit. Heti’s notable works include How Should a Person Be?, Motherhood, and Pure Colour, which won the 2022 Governor General's Literary Award for English-language fiction. Her unique narrative style blends personal reflection with broader existential questions, making her one of contemporary literature's most intriguing voices.

“For art is not made for living bodies—it is made for the cold, eternal soul.”
― Sheila Heti, Pure Colour

This novel is definitely interesting and experimental. Have I ever read anything like it? No. Is it incredibly cool that Sheila Heti is pushing the boundaries of literature and storytelling in ways that feel fresh, immersive, and deeply philosophical—so much so that nearly every reader can find something to connect with? Absolutely. Did I love this novel? Not really. I’m sorry! I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I found this novel slightly annoying and mostly pretentious. That being said, I enjoyed reading it and it is a very fun thought experiment. I am glad it exists and I am glad that I read it, it’s just not really my style. As someone who does this quite often myself, I am allowed to say that she waxes poetic way too often! Did I love that she described the spirit of her father as being “ejaculated into the deepest cells of her” by the universe? I can firmly say I did not. But I appreciate the bold leap of language.

“She doesn’t know why she spent so much of her life thinking about such trivial things, or looking at websites, when just outside her window there was a sky that was not trivial.”
― Sheila Heti, Pure Colour

The novel starts out with a creation myth, where God is an artist (creating this first draft that Mira exists in) and has categorized people into three different types: bird, fish, or bear. These types fundamentally will misunderstand the other. In this categorization, birds are the ones with a deep appreciation for beauty and meaning. They have refined aesthetic sensibilities and are drawn to the finer things in life. Fish, on the other hand, are community-driven, prioritizing social justice and collective well-being. Bears are more focused on individuals, forming intense, loving bonds with their kin. Mira is a bird whereas her father is a bear.

There’s a significant shift in the novel when Mira’s father dies, and they become a leaf together for about 40 pages, which are almost exclusively dialogue, reading almost like a classic Plato inspired symposium. This section marks a drastic change in style, becoming much more abstract and experimental. The novel explores, poses, and answers many philosophical questions, particularly about grief and love, but it does so in an incredibly surreal and strange way. Some have described it as celestial, and I would agree with that description. Written as “the first draft of creation,” it made me wonder what draft we’re currently living in and which timeline I’d prefer. Steeped in philosophy, mysticism, and surrealism, this novel gives readers plenty to contemplate and sink their teeth into.

“Both making life and making art are pouring spirit into form.”
― Sheila Heti, Pure Colour

Even though it’s not my personal favourite, I would still recommend it to others, especially to see their take on it. There are some beautiful lines scattered throughout that capture the essence of existence or the depth of an existential crisis, and I found certain parts quite comforting to read. Sheila Heti’s writing is earnest, experimental, provocative, and interesting. This novel is bold and I respect that wholeheartedly. Perhaps I didn’t love it because I am a bear and she is a bird. But who knows.

Find it at your library or local bookstore!

Conclusions

Both Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki and Pure Colour by Sheila Heti are bold, experimental works that challenge traditional storytelling through form and content. Suzuki’s collection offers a haunting, surreal look at society’s anxieties, blending speculative fiction with sharp critiques of gender, imperialism, and technology. It’s a book that feels timeless, exploring themes that continue to resonate today, from the dangers of technology to the alienation of the individual. Heti’s Pure Colour, on the other hand, takes us on a philosophical and celestial journey, tackling grief, love, and the very nature of existence through a dreamlike, abstract lens. While both books push the boundaries of their respective genres, they offer readers the chance to reflect deeply on the world around them and their own hearts. Whether you find them profoundly moving or challenging to engage with, they are undeniably thought-provoking, offering a unique experience that will leave you with questions about the world, yourself, and our future.

Thanks for reading!

xx,

Ciara