Japanese mystery novelist Keigo Higashino’s official account announced on July 27 that Keigo Higashino passed away on July 23 from colorectal cancer at the age of 68. In 2001, Higashino published the short-story collection 《超讀書機器殺人事件》, which depicts an “automated book-review writing machine” and a hollow industry in which writers no longer need real substance. With the widespread adoption of generative AI technology, this short story—published more than 20 years ago—has recently been discussed again online.
Keigo Higashino debuted in 1985; cumulative total of 100 million books in 2023
According to the official account and related sources, Keigo Higashino’s major life milestones and literary achievements are as follows:
1958 年: Born in Osaka City
1985 年: Debuted after winning the Edogawa Rampo Award for 《放學後》（After School）
The Galileo Mysteries series: Created the character of the brilliant physicist “Manabu Yukawa,” which is highly popular with readers
2005 年: 《嫌疑犯 X 的獻身》（The Devotion of Suspect X） won the Naoki Prize and the Honkaku Mystery Award, becoming a representative work
As of 2023: Japan’s cumulative distribution volume exceeded 100 million copies
Honors: Received the 紫綬褒章 and the 菊池寬賞
Posthumous work: 《永遠的記憶》（Eternal Memory） was originally scheduled for publication on Aug. 5, 2026
《超讀書機器殺人事件》: The plot of a 2001 short allegory and renewed interpretations in the AI era
According to the original description of the short-story collection 《超‧殺人事件：推理作家的苦惱》（2001, Japan published), the plot of 《超讀書機器殺人事件》 is as follows: A book reviewer named Monma, unable to bear the burden of writing reviews, is persuaded to purchase an “automated book-review writing machine.” As the machine becomes widespread, the content of the reviews begins to repeat. Afterwards, a salesperson launches an upgraded model that can imitate an individual’s writing style. The story portrays an industry in which writers no longer need real substance, and best-seller rankings are filled with hollow works. The original text states: “In this short story, nobody is actually killed, but it seems that something has indeed died.”
In Mar. 2025, Japanese netizen fugaco mentioned that the work depicts a hollow world in which writers use AI to write quickly, and book reviewers and readers also rely on AI summaries. When they saw that someone recently had AI produce content-farm articles, they made a connection to this novel.
FAQ
When did Keigo Higashino die, and what was the cause?
According to the official account’s July 27, 2026 announcement, Keigo Higashino died on July 23 from colorectal cancer at the age of 68. His family has handled his affairs in accordance with a family-only funeral.
When will Higashino’s last work 《永遠的記憶》 be published?
According to the announcement, 《永遠的記憶》 was originally scheduled for publication on Aug. 5, 2026, and it has now become a posthumous work.
Which work is 《超讀書機器殺人事件》 a short story from?
According to the original text, 《超讀書機器殺人事件》 is included in Keigo Higashino’s short-story collection 《超‧殺人事件：推理作家的苦惱》（published in 2001). Taiwanese mystery novelist Ling Che had written an introduction for this book.
