The luminous fairies and Mothra
Shin'ichirō Nakamura (Author), Takehiko Fukunaga (Author), Yoshie Hotta (Author), Jeffrey Angles (Translator)
"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, the novella formed the basis for the now-classic monster film 'Mothra.' Finally available in its first official English translation, the original story features explorers who 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. Written just months after the largest political demonstration Japan has ever seen, this novella reflects the rebellious spirit of the time and expresses a powerful social stance about Japan's need to chart its own foreign policy during the Cold War. '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"--Inside cover flap
Print Book, English, 2026
University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, 2026