Lightning Strike
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Summary
Kitahibiki Shiro returns home in triumph, finds Matsuya Matsukichi, and plans to build two watchtowers in Hino for filming infrared moving images. Matsukichi installs a strange lightning rod, sparking controversy. During construction a thunderstorm hits; the half-bell ladder is struck by lightning, and the Inada family's house also catches fire from oil and is struck by lightning. After apologizing to the elderly Inada couple, Kitahibiki invites Eizo and his wife to live in the newly built house. Yet he harbors thoughts of revenge. Once the second watchtower is completed, Kitahibiki awaits the coming thunderstorm, preparing to carry out his murder plan. How will he use the watchtower to draw lightning? Will Eizo and his wife fall into danger? What is Kitahibiki Shiro's true purpose?
Editor's review
The Lightning Strike is a revenge mystery by Unno Jūza built around a scientific device. The novel revolves around Kitahibiki Shiro's return home to build watchtowers and install a bizarre lightning rod, weaving infrared imaging, the idea of drawing lightning, and personal grudges together. Its greatest appeal lies in the tight interlocking of technical speculation and criminal plan: the lightning rod is not merely a prop but the core mechanism driving the plot, and readers keep asking when the thunderstorm will arrive and how the plan will be carried out. Unno Jūza excels at creating urgency through terse dialogue and scene changes; passages such as the Inada house catching fire from oil and being struck by lightning turn everyday spaces into dangerous scenes. The situation of Eizo and his wife after moving into the new house also keeps readers wavering between sympathy and vigilance. It is suited to continuous reading on a quiet night; pay attention to the author's detailed groundwork regarding weather, building orientation, and characters' actions, and after finishing, look back at the earlier dialogue about the lightning rod controversy to find that the foreshadowing was laid long before.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who enjoy Japanese-style science fiction mystery and crime suspense
- Readers interested in scientific devices such as lightning attraction and lightning rods
- Readers looking for classic-style fiction that is short and tightly plotted
- Book lovers concerned with revenge themes and the gray areas of human nature
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting rigorous logical deduction of orthodox mystery
- Readers who feel uneasy about scenes of lightning disasters
- Readers who prefer warm, healing, or light slice-of-life stories
Reading tips
- First read the story once, then go back to the passages about installing the lightning rod and building the watchtowers to sort out the clues of Kitahibiki's plan.
- Where character relationships are complex, jot down the positions and motives of Kitahibiki, Matsukichi, and Eizo and his wife.
- When thunderstorm scenes appear, slow down and note how the author's descriptions of weather and sound create tension.
- After finishing, compare it with other short works by the same author to appreciate how Unno Jūza embeds scientific speculation in popular narrative.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 一
- 二
- 三
- 四
- 五
- 六
- 七
- 八
- 九
FAQ
What is Kitahibiki Shiro's true purpose in building the watchtowers?
The novel gradually reveals that, on the surface, Kitahibiki builds the towers to film infrared moving images, but in his heart he harbors thoughts of revenge. After the second watchtower is completed, he waits for the thunderstorm to come, preparing to use the watchtower to draw lightning and carry out his murder plan. The specific target and outcome must be discovered as the reader follows the plot.
What role does the lightning rod play in the story?
The strange lightning rod installed by Matsukichi sparks controversy; it is both the starting point of the plot's conflict and a key device in Kitahibiki's plan. Through the controversy over the lightning rod's function, the novel connects scientific speculation with personal grudges, and readers can pay attention to details in the related dialogue.
Why do Eizo and his wife move into the newly built house?
After apologizing to the elderly Inada couple, Kitahibiki Shiro invites Eizo and his wife to live in the newly built house. This arrangement brings Eizo and his wife into the core scene of Kitahibiki's plan and makes their safety a focus of readers' concern. The specific cause and effect need to be understood in light of earlier events such as the Inada house being struck by lightning.
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About the author
Unno Jūza
Author · Japanese · 1897–1949
Unno Jūza (1897–1949), whose real name was Sano Shōichi, was born in Tokushima, Japan. He graduated from Waseda University with a degree in electrical engineering and worked as an engineer at the Electrical Testing Laboratory of the Ministry of Communications. He made his debut in 1928 with The Electric Bath Murder Case and is regarded as the pioneer of Japanese science fiction and sci-fi mystery writing. His work spans science fiction, mystery and detective fiction, and otherworldly settings. Representative works include Captive and The Earth Thief, as well as the Hokamura Sōroku detective series, including Lost in the Chihaya Mansion, Human Ash, The Reptile House Incident, The Vibrating Demon, and The Provincial Line Tram Sniper. Other works include Dimensional Drift: A Collection of Japanese Literary Science Fiction, The Earth Fortress, and The Living Intestines. The collection contains 50 of his works. He died of tuberculosis in 1949.
