I’m a bit late for this, but thanks to Frog-kun (Fantastic Memes) for posting about this news recently.
On December 24th, Impress QuickBooks (a Japanese e-book publisher), released three of their “light novellas” in English. A light novel contest was held on Conyac, a crowd-funding translation website, and Impress QuickBooks then published the three winning translations online. The three books were originally released in Japan in May 2014, but now they are available in English as well as in “Japanese-English” bilingual editions (intended to assist in learning English).
Gold Winner:
Alice’s Tale — by Tadanori Kurashita (with art by Poyoyon Rock)
Officially, I deal in stocks. My partner, a highly advanced A.I. named Alice, and I constantly monitor current events and search through the news to find information that might be lurking beneath the official story. I've had my eye on a particular brand for a while now, and we have been following it closely. I thought things were going pretty well, however… One day, as I was leaving my room, I had the strange feeling somebody was watching me. Turning back to look, I saw Alice's hologram still active. Usually, she turns herself off before I even get to the door… But today, she just stood there, staring intently at me.
Google Play -- iTunes
Silver Winner:
Whether it Rains or Shines Tomorrow — by Madoka Harumi (with art by Nacht)
When Itsuko woke up in the health room after fainting from her UV ray allergy, the person looking after her was none other than her popular classmate, Miyano the sun harbinger. “If you're feeling better…will you go with me to the summer festival the day after tomorrow?†Slightly nostalgic and mysterious, this is a pure love story for young adults.
Google Play -- iTunes
Bronze Winner:
The Akiba Labyrinth — by Maho (with art by Chiwawa Iwasaki)
My Big is so little. Little breasts, little everything. My little Big always keeps her promises. She is careful about her appearance, ever mindful of what the occasion demands. My little Big always puts on a brave face–though every so often, she gives me a glimpse of her vulnerable side. As a present for her high school graduation, I plan to take my Big on a little overnight trip. To a place where we can find almost anything we want. To a place where there is so much to find we can't find anything at all. To a place that will take us out of the ordinary. To Akibarhara, Tokyo. To Akiba. My Big and I head out…
Google Play -- iTunes
These three stories are termed “light novellas,” so they are shorter than your typical light novel. They are each around 100 pages long, and only cost about $2.50 – $3.00 apiece. It appears the ebooks are being released as .pdf files, supported by iOS, Android, and Adobe ebook platforms (such as Nook). They should work for your computer or tablet as well though.
[…] into English, and the three top winners got their translations published. I wrote more about it here, but here are links to each of the books if you're interested in reading one of […]
[…] This review is for Alice’s Tale, a digital “light novella” written by Tadanori Kurashita, with illustrations from Poyoyon Rock. This story was released in both Japanese and English in 2014, the English translation resulting from a contest hosted by Conyac and Impress QuickBooks. […]