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Professor Jeffrey Angles returns with his new book, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra, the first ever English translation of the original novella that brought the mystical Mothra into existence.
Jeffrey talks about how his hopes to be able to translate the Mothra novellas came about, thanks to the feedback from the many fans expressing their eager anticipation. He also talks about the differences between the 3 novellas that make up the Mothra origin story, and the changes made for the film adaptation, as well as the cultural messages against colonialism and exploitation.
Jeffrey’s afterword is a deeper examination of the broader cultural contexts for what was going on in Japan and the world at the time, and well worth the read. And finding out the Doctor Doolittle books were wildly popular in Japan as they were being published was an unexpected surprise.
There’s a Rodan novella that hasn’t been officially translated yet, and I’m willing to wait for it. There’s also a 12-part Godzilla radio play that aired on Japanese radio to help promote the film’s original theatrical release.
Don’t miss our talk about him translating the Godzilla novellas into English for the first time: “Godzilla” and “Godzilla Raids Again”: Jeffrey Angles on translating a classic
The Luminous Fairies and Mothra is avavilable for pre-order now, and will be on shelves and in e-book on January 13, 2026 from University of Minnesota Press.
There’s also a new Mothra: Queen of the Monsters graphic novel from IDW available January 27, 2026, collecting the 5-issue limited series, and an upcoming Big Bad Book of Kaiju short story collection coming in August 2026 from Titan Books.
Does the history behind the original kaiju stories intrigue you? Let us know! Leave a voicemail or text message at 602-635-6976, send Summer an email, or chat with us in the comments below!
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