I'm a huge William Gibson fan. I started reading his novels in my mid-20s and have enjoyed every one I have read. I don't often love sci-fi, but I find Gibson's work, while not completely accessible, definitely mind-bending, and it's a trip I always enjoy taking.

I'm reading volume 5 of "Welcome to the NHK" (Tokyopop), a darkly humorous look at the contemporary trend of social withdrawal within Japanese young men. No, it's not about working at the Japanese broadcasting company...

NHK ni Yōkoso! is not without its shonen manga qualities, but there are no spiky haired preteens battling mystic toad kings here. Instead, you find talking tea-kettles, suicide clubs, and erotic game designers.

The story is clearly an exaggerated take on some harsh real-life issues, but the delivery leaves you shamefully enraptured.