The Gordian Knot is a unique anthology, a kind of history of Japanese science fiction. Having formed as an independent genre in the 60s of the twentieth century, Japanese SF now represents a completely new, original “national dish”. The anthology gives the Russian reader a long-awaited opportunity to get acquainted with a wide range of Japanese science fiction literature of the second half of the last century. The collection includes the most representative works of the most “star” authors, reflecting all periods of the development of this genre in Japan. Of great interest to fans of science fiction are the introductory article and information about the authors, written by literary scholar and critic, professor at Keio University Takayuki Tatsumi - in their significance and information content comparable to serious scientific work.