ABLAZE

Classic science fiction from Osamu Tezuka, the Godfather of Manga, now in English! Originally published between 1971 and 1975, this tapestry of seven-page short stories and novellas depicts an Earth where birds become the dominant class.

A fatal fire in the countryside escalates into incineration of cities by swarms of pyromaniac magpies. An avian leader with psychic power demands a brutal reduction in the human population. Homo sapiens descends into a subservient role but manages to land some counterpunches. The birds' quest for equality is derailed by conflict between carnivorous species and those that eat insects.

What jump-started the wild leap in ornithological evolution? What will be the fate of humans?