Chohei Kambayashi was born in 1953. In 1979 he won the 5th Hayakawa SF Contest with his debut work, Kitsune to Odore (Dance with a Fox), and followed that with his first long series, Anata no Tamashii ni Yasuragiare (May Peace Be on Your Soul). His distinctive style and approach, and his thematic focus on the power of language and humanity’s relationship with machines, quickly made him a fan favorite. His numerous long and short series have won him the prestigious Seiun Award four times, and in 1999 he won the 16th Japan SF award.