Dark Horse Books will publish the first in a series of seven humorous science fiction Dirty Pair 'light novels' written by Haruka Takachiho. Originally published in the Japanese magazine SF Magajin, Takachiho's Dirty Pair novels inspired a wide range of projects in other media including an anime TV series, two OVA series, two OVA features, a feature film and a number of comic book projects including one of the earliest examples of OEL manga, the Dirty Pair comic book series created by Toren Smith and Adam Warren for Studio Proteus (and later picked up by Dark Horse).
Set in a space-faring age in the middle of the twenty-second century, the Dirty Pair novels feature a couple of WWWA (Worlds Welfare Work Association) agents, the impulsive redhead Kei and the only slightly less violent Yuri. While their codename is 'Lovely Angels,' this devastating duo soon earns its 'Dirty Pair' nickname due to the enormous amount of devastation they leave in their wake.
On June 13th North American readers will be able purchase The Great Adventures of the Dirty Pair Vol. 1 ($8.95), which was first published in
American publishers are planning on publishing more than double the number of Japanese 'light novels' in 2007 (78) than they did in 2006 (38). Some of these novels are based on popular properties (Fullmetal Alchemist, Rurouni Kenshin), while others (Vampire Hunter D, Dirty Pair) are the original works that have inspired anime and manga interpretations.
