Kōbō Abe

, pen name of , was a Japanese writer, playwright, and director. His 1962 novel ''The Woman in the Dunes'' was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964. Abe has often been compared to Franz Kafka for his modernist sensibilities and his surreal, often nightmarish explorations of individuals in contemporary society. He died aged 68 of heart failure in Tokyo after a brief illness. Provided by Wikipedia