Cult X

About this book

The magnum opus by Japanese literary sensation Fuminori Nakamura Cult X is a story that dives into the psychology of fringe religion obsession and social disaffection. When Toru Narazakis girlfriend Ryoko Tachibana disappears he tries to track her down despite the warnings of the private detective hes hired to find her. Ryokos past is shrouded in mystery but the one concrete clue to her whereabouts is a previous address in the heart of Tokyo. She lived in a compound with a group that seems to be a cult led by a charismatic guru with a revisionist Buddhist scheme of life death and society. Narazaki plunges into the secretive world of the cult ready to expose himself to any of the gurus brainwashing tactics if it means he can learn the truth about Ryoko. But the cult isnt what he expected and he has no idea of the bubbling violence he is stepping into. Inspired by the 1995 sarin gas terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway Cult X is an exploration of what draws individuals into extremism. It is a tour de force that captures the connections between astrophysics neuroscience and religion; an invective against predatory corporate consumerism and exploitative geopolitics; and a love story about compassion in the face of nihilism.