{"product_id":"the-luminous-fairies-and-mothra-9781517920012","title":"The Luminous Fairies and Mothra","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe original story that hatched Mothra, one of the most beloved monsters in the \"kaijuverse\"--available in English for the first time\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Mystical and benevolent, the colossal lepidopteran Mothra has been one of the most beloved kaiju since 1961, when \u003ci\u003eThe Luminous Fairies and Mothra\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eMothra, \u003c\/i\u003ewith a protagonist second only to Godzilla in number of film appearances by a kaiju. Finally available in its first official English translation, \u003ci\u003eThe Luminous Fairies and Mothra\u003c\/i\u003e will captivate ardent, longtime fans of the films as well as newcomers. \u003cp\u003e Written just months after the largest political demonstrations Japan had ever seen, \u003ci\u003eThe Luminous Fairies and Mothra\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Luminous Fairies and Mothra\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRetail e-book files for this title are screen-reader friendly with images accompanied by short alt text and\/or extended descriptions.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Takehiko Fukunaga,Yoshie Hotta,Shin'ichiro Nakamura\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Minnesota Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/13\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 120\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.42lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.18h x 5.67w x 0.37d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781517920012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/13\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Yoshie Hotta (1918-1998) was an essayist and novelist involved in leftist politics and the international nonalignment movement of the 1960s. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eGodzilla and Godzilla Raids Again\u003c\/i\u003e by Shigeru Kayama, also published by the University of Minnesota Press. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Takehiko Fukunaga \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":47579932098717,"sku":"9781517920012","price":39.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_4611be20-1ca0-4707-8f8d-fa153d3b42a6.jpg?v=1768899339","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/the-luminous-fairies-and-mothra-9781517920012","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}