Born in Tokyo in 1928. After graduating from Tokyo University of Education with a degree in the sciences, he took up the study of literature and philosophy. He debuted with “Sunny Sea 1979” in 1962, and his work—which often combines Eastern philosophy with both history and hard science fiction—includes Eastern Conquest and Chinese Rule and Hei Family Story. Mitsuse made SF history when his short story “The Sunset, 2217 A.D.” was translated into English for inclusion in Best Science Fiction for 1972. With artist Keiko Takemiya, he created the manga Andromeda Stories. Ryu Mitsuse died in 1999.