
Show Notes
In this episode, acclaimed translator, poet, and scholar Jeffrey Angles takes us inside his translation of The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Shin’ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta, offering deep insight into the origins of the film, the cultural landscape of Japan in the early 1960s, and the complexities of bringing Japanese prose into English. Whether you're a fan of kaiju films, Japanese literature, translation craft, or cultural history, this is a rare look at the story that helped define one of Japan’s most iconic movie monsters. #Mothra #Kaiju #JapaneseLiterature #BookTranslation #JeffreyAngles #TheLuminousFairiesAndMothra #JapaneseHistory #Translation Watch the interview on YouTube
More from UpperPen Podcast
Erynne Rivers joins UpperPen to talk about her debut book, Wench, which is out on October 13th in the US. We talked a lot about magic, environmentalism, and the dichotomy of living in two worlds. Wench is a fun take on the Robin Hood stories you grew up on. I cannot wait for more people to read this! You can find Erynne Rivers at AuthorENHaysch.com and on Instagram @BooksbyErynne . If you enjoy Wench, you don't have to wait long at all for Erynne's next book. She has The Light Between Wounds out February of 2027 under the name EN Haysch!
Alan Sepinwall joins UpperPen to talk about his new biography, Serling. Most people who have spent late nights unable to sleep know The Twilight Zone. It played at midnight or 2 in the morning, but it was worth staying up late for. The stories depicted in this half-hour anthology show, made me look at regular people and wonder who they were. Serling comes out October 13th, 2026. [words] Bookstore may have signed copies. Alan is a celebrity in his own right. You can hear his thoughts on popular TV shows with his co-host Kathryn VanArendonk on their podcast TV Is Good, which is linked on his website, WhatsAlanWatching.com. He is active on Instagram, @sepinwall.
Becky Chambers joins UpperPen to talk about her newest book As You Wake, Break the Shell. We talk about the typical Becky Chambers things like the sapphic romance, humans in space, and spaceships, but we also go in to the structure of the novel. I enjoyed the book so much. Her prose is wonderful, the love story is sweet, and the time shifts didn't bother me. You can find Becky Chambers on her website OtherScribbles.com. Preordered signed copies can be ordered at Mysterious Galaxy.
Jonathan Strahan joins UpperPen to talk about The Book of the Dead, a new anthology of popular writers....and maybe some you've never heard of. Short stories are how I "sample" authors. They are less of a commitment than an whole book, and often I find authors I follow like the internet stalker that I am. The Book of the Dead is the third in a series of these anthologies. The first two are The Book of Dragons and The Book of Witches. I hope you enjoy these stories. If you read them, or either of the previous books, let me know which short stories are your favorite. I loved Tamsyn Muir's story in The Book of the Dead!
A.T. Qureshi joins UpperPen to talk about her new book Rider of Dragons which is part of the Baby Dragon Cafe universe! This is the F1 romance book of the romantasy world. This is such an awesome shift in the already established Baby Dragon world. This is the first sharp shift that I've seen from the cozy realm to high octane dragon racing. I love it.