Luminous Fairies and Mothra
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
Shin’ichirō Nakamura (1918–1997) was a critic, scholar, and author of dozens of novels, many of which feature the experience of intellectuals during and after World War II.
Takehiko Fukunaga (1918–1979) was a prolific poet, translator of French fiction, and novelist, known for his sensitive, poetic writing style and interest in existential themes.
Yoshie Hotta (1918–1998) was an essayist and novelist involved in leftist politics and the international nonalignment movement of the 1960s.
Jeffrey Angles is professor of Japanese literature at Western Michigan University. He is author of three books and translator of several works in Japanese, including Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama, also published by the University of Minnesota Press.
Luminous Fairies and Mothra
<p>"Mothra is one of pop culture's most extraordinary and enduring characters, so utterly unique unto herself that she stands (or rather flutters) apart from the rest of the kaiju crowd. Sixty-four years later, being able to read the original novella will be a delight for longtime monster aficionados as well as anyone else entranced by the postwar landscape of Japanese art and fiction. Experiencing this original story is like watching a caterpillar that will one day blossom into the lepidopteran spectacle that is the original film, soaring on shimmering wings of celluloid. Jeffrey Angles provides fascinating historical context for both the novella as well as the production of the movie, making this publication a must-have companion piece to the 1961 classic!"—Matt Frank, illustrator of <i>Mothra: Queen of the Monsters</i></p><p>"Jeffrey Angles's translation of <i>The Luminous Fairies and Mothra</i> illustrates Mothra's monstrous complexity when placed within sociopolitical and historical contexts. This narrative showcases Mothra's ability to disempower gender binaries, colonialism, and capitalism within the lingering shadow of a post–World War II nuclear specter. Much like Mothra, this novella casts a light in the dark, reminding humanity that despite the distances between our shores, we're bound together by the threads of song and story."—Donny Winter, creator and host of <i>Growing Up With Godzilla</i></p><p>"For those who only know the film version, <i>The Luminous Fairies and Mothra</i> will prove eye-opening. Now, thanks to Jeffrey Angles's brilliant translation, we can finally read in English the remarkable original version of the story, with its sharp commentary on the geopolitics of the Cold War world."—Michael Bourdaghs, University of Chicago</p><p>"Creature feature buffs will be thrilled."—<i>Publishers Weekly</i></p><p>"A thorough guide to the meanings and relevancies of this Kaiju fairy tale... Devoted fans of Japanese fantasy will definitely be interested in <i>The Luminous Fairies & Mothra</i>."—<i>CineSavant</i></p><p>"<i>The Luminous Fairies and Mothra</i> holds undeniable historical importance as a stepping stone toward one of Ishiro Honda's finest genre pictures."—<i>Our Culture</i></p>
The original story that hatched Mothra, one of the most beloved monsters in the “kaijuverse”—available in English for the first time
Mystical and benevolent, the colossal lepidopteran Mothra has been one of the most beloved kaiju since 1961, when The Luminous Fairies and Mothra was originally published in Japanese. Commissioned by Tōhō Studios from three of Japan’s most prominent postwar literary writers (Shin’ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta), the novella formed the basis for the now-classic monster film Mothra, with a protagonist second only to Godzilla in number of film appearances by a kaiju. Finally available in its first official English translation, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra will captivate ardent, longtime fans of the films as well as newcomers.
Written just months after the largest political demonstrations Japan had ever seen, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra reflects the rebellious spirit of the time. In this original story, explorers visit a South Pacific island and capture a group of fairies, inciting the fury of the goddess Mothra, who sets out for Japan on a mission of rescue and revenge. Expressing a powerful social stance about Japan’s need to chart its own foreign policy during the Cold War, the novella’s political message was ultimately toned down in the Tōhō Studios film. Through this translation, Anglophone audiences will discover Mothra as a figure of protest fiction intricately reflecting the complex geopolitical situation in early 1960s Japan.
The Luminous Fairies and Mothra is translated into lively prose by Jeffrey Angles, who also wrote an extensive afterword about the novella’s cultural context, the unusual story of its composition, and the development of the 1961 film. Following Angles’s best-selling translation of the original Godzilla novellas, this new work will once again delight kaiju fans everywhere.
Retail e-book files for this title are screen-reader friendly with images accompanied by short alt text and/or extended descriptions.
Contents
Note on Japanese Names
The Luminous Fairies and Mothra
A Lovely Song from a Little Beauty in the Grassland
Shin'ichirō Nakamura
Four Small Fairies on Display
Takehiko Fukunaga
Mothra Reaches Tokyo Bay
Yoshie Hotta
Translator's Afterword: Hatching Mothra
Jeffrey Angles
<p>"Mothra is one of pop culture's most extraordinary and enduring characters, so utterly unique unto herself that she stands (or rather flutters) apart from the rest of the kaiju crowd. Sixty-four years later, being able to read the original novella will be a delight for longtime monster aficionados as well as anyone else entranced by the postwar landscape of Japanese art and fiction. Experiencing this original story is like watching a caterpillar that will one day blossom into the lepidopteran spectacle that is the original film, soaring on shimmering wings of celluloid. Jeffrey Angles provides fascinating historical context for both the novella as well as the production of the movie, making this publication a must-have companion piece to the 1961 classic!"—Matt Frank, illustrator of <i>Mothra: Queen of the Monsters</i></p><p>"Jeffrey Angles's translation of <i>The Luminous Fairies and Mothra</i> illustrates Mothra's monstrous complexity when placed within sociopolitical and historical contexts. This narrative showcases Mothra's ability to disempower gender binaries, colonialism, and capitalism within the lingering shadow of a post–World War II nuclear specter. Much like Mothra, this novella casts a light in the dark, reminding humanity that despite the distances between our shores, we're bound together by the threads of song and story."—Donny Winter, creator and host of <i>Growing Up With Godzilla</i></p><p>"For those who only know the film version, <i>The Luminous Fairies and Mothra</i> will prove eye-opening. Now, thanks to Jeffrey Angles's brilliant translation, we can finally read in English the remarkable original version of the story, with its sharp commentary on the geopolitics of the Cold War world."—Michael Bourdaghs, University of Chicago</p><p>"Creature feature buffs will be thrilled."—<i>Publishers Weekly</i></p><p>"A thorough guide to the meanings and relevancies of this Kaiju fairy tale... Devoted fans of Japanese fantasy will definitely be interested in <i>The Luminous Fairies & Mothra</i>."—<i>CineSavant</i></p><p>"<i>The Luminous Fairies and Mothra</i> holds undeniable historical importance as a stepping stone toward one of Ishiro Honda's finest genre pictures."—<i>Our Culture</i></p>
The original story that hatched Mothra, one of the most beloved monsters in the “kaijuverse”—available in English for the first time
Mystical and benevolent, the colossal lepidopteran Mothra has been one of the most beloved kaiju since 1961, when The Luminous Fairies and Mothra was originally published in Japanese. Commissioned by Tōhō Studios from three of Japan’s most prominent postwar literary writers (Shin’ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta), the novella formed the basis for the now-classic monster film Mothra, with a protagonist second only to Godzilla in number of film appearances by a kaiju. Finally available in its first official English translation, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra will captivate ardent, longtime fans of the films as well as newcomers.
Written just months after the largest political demonstrations Japan had ever seen, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra reflects the rebellious spirit of the time. In this original story, explorers visit a South Pacific island and capture a group of fairies, inciting the fury of the goddess Mothra, who sets out for Japan on a mission of rescue and revenge. Expressing a powerful social stance about Japan’s need to chart its own foreign policy during the Cold War, the novella’s political message was ultimately toned down in the Tōhō Studios film. Through this translation, Anglophone audiences will discover Mothra as a figure of protest fiction intricately reflecting the complex geopolitical situation in early 1960s Japan.
The Luminous Fairies and Mothra is translated into lively prose by Jeffrey Angles, who also wrote an extensive afterword about the novella’s cultural context, the unusual story of its composition, and the development of the 1961 film. Following Angles’s best-selling translation of the original Godzilla novellas, this new work will once again delight kaiju fans everywhere.
Retail e-book files for this title are screen-reader friendly with images accompanied by short alt text and/or extended descriptions.
Contents
Note on Japanese Names
The Luminous Fairies and Mothra
A Lovely Song from a Little Beauty in the Grassland
Shin'ichirō Nakamura
Four Small Fairies on Display
Takehiko Fukunaga
Mothra Reaches Tokyo Bay
Yoshie Hotta
Translator's Afterword: Hatching Mothra
Jeffrey Angles
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
Shin’ichirō Nakamura (1918–1997) was a critic, scholar, and author of dozens of novels, many of which feature the experience of intellectuals during and after World War II.
Takehiko Fukunaga (1918–1979) was a prolific poet, translator of French fiction, and novelist, known for his sensitive, poetic writing style and interest in existential themes.
Yoshie Hotta (1918–1998) was an essayist and novelist involved in leftist politics and the international nonalignment movement of the 1960s.
Jeffrey Angles is professor of Japanese literature at Western Michigan University. He is author of three books and translator of several works in Japanese, including Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama, also published by the University of Minnesota Press.