アップルシード [Appleseed]

Series · 5 books · 1985-1996

By Masamune Shirow

Books in series

Appleseed

Prometheus Unbound

1985

You can't have a perfect society without perfect people, and the only perfect people are the ones you can manufacture. The governing body of Olympus, an urban utopia created from the ashes of World War III, is about to bring paradise crashing down around their ears as they seek to regulate the minds and bodies of the human race... or fully replace them with cyborg substitutes. Deunan and Briareos, still new to the city, find themselves in the unlikely position of having to hold together this house of cards. Their strategy? Destroy the old foundation and pray everything stands while new underpinnings are forged!

Appleseed

The Scales of Prometheus

1987

Life seems ideal within the utopian confines of Olympus, a shining beacon in a post-World War III wasteland, but perfection is always an illusion. Stalking the ruins of New York City is Artemis, a renegade, flesh-eating bioroid (enhanced artificial human) carrying data critical to the future of Olympus. The elite ESWAT is sent in to tranq her and bring her in, but when Artemis recovers during transit the powerful combat bioroid brings down the transport ship and escapes into Olympus! ESWAT agents Deunan and Briareos are dispatched to bring in the feral Artemis, but will they emerge as heroes...or lunch?

Appleseed

The Promethean Balance

1989

Paradise ain't easy! In the future utopian metropolis of Olympus, a blazing beacon of humanity amidst a post-global-war wasteland, ESWAT agents Deunan and Briareos have fought tooth and nail to keep the peace and prevent Olympus from sliding back into chaos. When Olympus intelligence learns of a giant Landmate powersuit being built in secrecy, and on the threshold of a top-secret international conference of the highest importance to be held in Olympus, ESWAT is mobilized to crack the mystery and disrupt a terrorist operation that could turn the fragile peace into World War IV!

Appleseed

Databook

1995

Collected in this 128-page volume is the two-issue series Appleseed Databook, containing detailed descriptions of the people, places, machines, and organizations that populate this fascinating world, plus a previously unreleased twenty-five-page story featuring all of those people, places, machines, and organizations! Appleseed Databook is an absolute must for established fans of the Appleseed saga!

Appleseed ID

1996

A collection of sketches, studies and schematics, Appleseed ID is a must-have companion book for fans of the cyberpunk saga Appleseed and its legendary creator, Shirow Masamune, the manga mastermind behind such classics as Appleseed, Dominion and Ghost in the Shell. Sit back and relax as Shirow takes you on a guided tour of one of his most beloved worlds, exploring the people, places, organizations and, of course, technology that makes the universe of Appleseed the sci-fi hotspot that it is. Feel like taking a break from Shirow's examination and explanation of his creations and of his own creative process? Then take a browse through this book's beautiful color galleries, or follow Deunan and Briareos on a high-stakes adventure with the short story "Called Game."

Author

Masamune Shirow

Author · 28 books

Masamune Shirow (士郎正宗) is an internationally renowned manga artist. He is best known for the manga Ghost in the Shell, which has since been turned into two theatrical anime movies, two anime TV series, an anime TV movie, and several video games. Shirow is also known for creating erotic art. Born in the Hyōgo Prefecture capital city of Kobe, he studied oil painting at Osaka University of Arts. While in college, he developed an interest in manga, which led him to create his own complete work, Black Magic, which was published in the manga fanzine Atlas. His work caught the eye of Seishinsha President Harumichi Aoki, who offered to publish him. The result was Appleseed, a full volume of densely-plotted drama taking place in an ambiguous future. The story was a sensation, and won the 1986 Seiun Award for Best Manga. After a professional reprint of Black Magic and a second volume of Appleseed, he released Dominion in 1986. Two more volumes of Appleseed followed before he began work on Ghost in the Shell.