Koukaku Kidoutai Shousetsu Anthology  

The world we live in is neither perfect nor completely flawed; it is still made up of nations with ongoing conflicts, just as corporations continue to dominate as they have always done. Technology has improved our lives in many ways but has also attached enhancements to our bodies and brains for those who can afford them. Masamune Shirow's vision of our future society is depicted in five original stories by renowned Japanese SF novelists. This collection is accessible to all readers, regardless of familiarity with the franchise, but is essential for fans due to its thoughtful examination of the series' implications. In the future, reality will become increasingly networked and augmented, leading us to revisit age-old questions about what it means to be human, such as what is the self and whether there is such a thing as the soul.

Koukaku Kidoutai Shousetsu Anthology was published in English as The Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories by Vertical Inc. on April 4, 2017.