Review
------
"John LeMay's wonderful The Big Book of Japanese Giant
Monster Movies Vol. 1 (1954-1980) is a love letter to all those
great Showa Era sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies from the Land
of the Rising Sun. LeMay's enthusiasm is contagious, his prose
pumped, his ins enjoyable. And besides all that, LeMay
offers great trivia about these movies, some of which even an
oldster like me didn't know! Highly recommended nostalgic fun for
new and old fans alike. Now I can't wait for Volume 2!"--Mike
Bogue, author of Atomic Drive-In
"John LeMay has done it again! The Big Book of Japanese Giant
Monster Movies is loaded with fun facts, well written reviews and
loads of interesting historical footnotes and trivia. John has
this informal yet formal writing style that makes the book a
breeze to read and yet well layered as well. I kind of hate him
for making it look so easy! I highly recommend this book, and
hopefully it will come out in a non-digital edition for us old
fogies that like to hold actual books when we read them!"--David
McRobie, Editor of Xenorama Magazine
"With The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies, LeMay takes
fresh look at the daikaiju genre, providing both critical
analysis and interesting behind the scenes information on the
making of these films. Fans of the genre will find all the usual
Godzilla and Gamera films here, along with many lesser-known
genre entries finally getting their due."--Martin Arlt, Editor
of Mad Scientist Magazine
Read more ( javascript:void(0) )
From the Author
---------------
Why another Godzilla book you might ask? The answer is
simple: While in Japan there are numerous books on the Big Guy,
here in America...not so much. Back in the 1990s and 2000s were
produced some excellent Godzilla books (all of which I LOVE) by
Stuart Galbraith, Steve Ryfle, August Ragone, J.D. Lees, Marc
Cerasini, David Kalat, Ed Godziszewski, and fairly recently new
tomes by Peter H. Brothers and Sean Linkenback. So what sets this
new book apart? Unlike many volumes to focus squarely on
Godzilla, this title will also teach you the history of Daiei's
Gamera and Dajin films as well as the inspiration behind
Toei's The Magic Serpent and Legend of Dinosaurs and Monster
Birds to name a few others. And as a fan, I know what other fans
want, namely new information on old favorites. And I feel
confident on that front that this book will succeed. But don't
take it from me, just look at what I paid some of my
friends...wait...I mean just look what some serious authors (who
I do not know very well) said about my book in those review
quotes. All kidding aside though, I had a blast writing this
book, and if you're a fan of the Dai-Kaiju genre I have no doubt
that you will enjoy it as well. For instance, I won't insult your
intelligence and ask, "Did you know Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
started off as a King Kong movie?" Of course you did, everybody
knows that by now, but did you know Noriaki Yuasa's favorite
scene in Gamera vs. Barugon is when the titular foe hatches from
his egg? Did you know Toho served "Mothra Eggs" in the cafeteria
during filming of Mothra? Did you know King Seesar's reflective
eyes were made from the taillights of a car? Did you know that
the titular terror from Gappa the Triphibean Monster owes his
design to the early stages of TV's Ultraman? From one fan to
another, I hope you like the book!
Read more ( javascript:void(0) )
About the Author
----------------
John LeMay is the author of numerous history books on the
history of the Southwest, among them Tall Tales and Half Truths
of Billy the Kid and The Real Cowboys and Aliens: UFO Encounters
of the Old West. More importantly though, LeMay is a lifelong
Godzilla fan and a frequent contributor to G-Fan, Mad Scientist,
Xenorama, and Cinema Retro.
Read more ( javascript:void(0) )