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Hi there, GNP readers… welcome to 2026!

Oh, the year started 35 days ago? We’re somehow already a month into 2026? Well, in that case… welcome to February!

All kidding aside, this is the first GNP update of the year, and it’s set to kick off an absolute doozy of an 11 months. There’s so much in the pipeline this year – from massive writing and home video projects to new GNP chapters/books/short stories, convention appearances, and exciting collaborations – that my head is spinning from just thinking about how insane and busy 2026 will be. But don’t worry, it’s the good kind of insane and busy!

And to kick things off, it’s time to talk about possibly the biggest thing on my list: a little somethin’ I wrote that’s finally set to release this year…

That’s right, it’s official… my new book “G-Cinema: An Exploration and Celebration of Japan’s Monster King” has been revealed in all its fiery, pre-orderable, “holy crap this is actually happening” glory!

A few days ago, the book’s publisher, Fonthill Media (a member of the Pen And Sword Books family of publishers) did a full reveal of the newly orange-ified cover (a slight tweak of the lighter-colored version I shared last year – isn’t it friggin’ striking?) and jumped full steam into the promotion process. They were kind enough to share the book via social media, both on their own pages and by sharing links in multiple Godzilla fan groups on Facebook. All the while, they and I worked behind the scenes to finalize everything from copy edits to image proof approvals.

And now, at long last, the final product is done and ready to hit bookstore shelves.

Absolutely. Surreal.

Since I’ve gotten some questions from readers about the specifics of the release, here’s some quick info on what you can expect, when you can expect it, and how all this madness is gonna play out:

The book actually has two release dates. Since Fonthill Media is based in the UK, merry old England will be getting the book first, and very soon, since it’s releasing on February 28th! Two months later, it’ll release in the US on April 28th. Think of it like, oh, say, a classic Godzilla film getting released in Japan first, and then popping up in America afterword. If you’ve seen multiple release dates for the book online, that’s why!

The book will not just be on Amazon. This is a full release and will be available via multiple online booksellers and – most remarkably – in physical bookstores! Links for a handful of these stores are at the bottom of this post.

While currently listed at 224 pages on most websites, “G-Cinema” will actually be 242 pages of text and 274 pages in total (the extra 32 pages are full-color image plates). So, you’ll be getting even more Godzilla history than advertised!

Last but not least, here’s the final synopsis for the book:

He’s iconic. He’s atomic. And at 70 years young, he’s still the King of the Monsters!

Ever since his silver screen debut back in 1954, Godzilla has maintained a mighty hold on the collective imaginations of cinema lovers around the world. Originally conceived as a powerful metaphor for Japan’s fears of nuclear destruction, the character has undergone a complex metamorphosis over an incredible seven decades and more than three dozen films. From allegory to superhero, from atom-age menace to children’s matinee star, from arthouse to grindhouse and back again, Godzilla has survived by adapting and reacting to the changing cultures and generational expectations of the countries—and the filmmakers—that bring him to life. In this exploration and celebration of Godzilla’s first 70 years, the full story of Japan’s kaiju icon is revealed through detailed histories, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, cultural connections, and contextualizing thematic analyses. Beginning with his postwar origins and continuing through his many rises, falls, revitalizations, and reinterpretations, this comprehensive companion to the Godzilla franchise seeks to place the character in his proper historical perspective and, by doing so, shed light on the depth, the flexibility, and the fun that’s kept him relevant and beloved for generations.

And, just for fun, here’s the author bio that will appear on the back flap:

Daniel DiManna is a film historian, artist, voice actor, and professional goober. An award-winning marketing writer by day and an unapologetic monster-nerd by night, Daniel is the author of multiple short stories/novellas and creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project, a fan-driven endeavor to write novel adaptations of every Japanese G-flick. His academic writing has been published via multiple magazines/websites. He is a frequent panelist at G-Fest and can be heard hosting audio commentaries for SRS Cinema’s kaiju Blu-rays and guesting on multiple kaiju-related podcasts. Daniel lives in Sylvania, Ohio, surrounded by DVDs, books, and an unhealthy number of monster toys.

I’m truly speechless at how dreamlike and borderline unreal this all is. It’s one thing to sit down at a desk and do some writing – something I do every day of my life – and another thing entirely to see a book with my name on it slowly coalesce and come into being. To craft and publish a book has been a dream of mine since childhood, an aspirational goal that – despite the hard work and good fortune I’d need to get there – I always hoped in my heart was possible.

And now, here it is. An honest-to-goodness book, written by me, available to purchase from just about anywhere books are sold – including physically at several of the world’s largest bookstores.

Just… wow.

Thank you so very much to the amazing people at Fonthill Media and Pen and Sword Books (Jay Slater, Jasper Hadman, editor Tony Walton, cover designer George Kalchev, and a remarkable team of typesetters and artists) for making this book look like a million bucks, and for allowing me to take this journey. You only get to write your first book once, and I’m so fortunate to have done so with this amazing team.

And thank you to you, the readers of the GNP, for following me this far and being the most supportive crew of Godzilla nerds a fella could ask for. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to adequately express how profoundly grateful I am for the opportunity to have brought this dream project to life, and your continuing belief in me is a crucial and humbling cornerstone in that opportunity. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

“G-Cinema: An Exploration and Celebration of Japan’s Monster King” releases in bookstores on February 28th in the United Kingdom and on April 28th in the US of A. You can secure your copy from your bookseller of choice at the links below:

Pen and Sword Books (UK)

Barnes & Noble (US)

Books-A-Million (US)

Amazon (US)

Walmart (US)

All of these links (and any future ones) will be added to the Press & Appearances page on the GNP website. If you’re looking for a specific place to buy the book, that’ll be your one-stop shop moving forward!

And now, the countdown to release can officially begin! The next few months will be an exciting time; I’m already coordinating interview requests and planning for signings and maybe even a few surprises at this year’s G-Fest. It’ll be a great time, and I’ll keep you all informed and updated as cool things continue to happen. What a gift all of this is, and what an extraordinary year it will be! Thank you for coming along on the journey.

I’ll be back soon with more. Until then, stay happy, stay safe, and stay kind.

All the best,

-Daniel

UPDATE #111 (12/12/25): A New Short Story – Inspired by “Godzilla vs. Biollante” – Is Live

On December 16th, 1984, an explosion destroyed a Middle-Eastern bioengineering laboratory operated by the government of the Republic of Saradia. The deadly terrorist attack destroyed irreplaceable research and ended dozens of lives.

On that day, Dr. Genichiro Shiragami – a geneticist heading the lab’s experimental botany research team – discovered that his daughter, Erika, was among those killed in the attack.

On that day, a father lost his child.

And his heart would never be the same again…

Season’s greetings, everyone.

Before we jump into this post, I apologize for the incredibly long gap between updates. If you’re a follower of the GNP on social media, you’re likely aware that the project went on a brief hiatus this summer/fall while I navigated some personal struggles. The back half of my year has been incredibly difficult, and at the risk of sounding dramatic, it truly did rob me of any semblance of a creative spark. Typically, writing and art are an effective escape for me, a way to recharge and heal. Sadly, not so these last few months.

That said, while these struggles are still ongoing, I have been gradually working my way back into being creative. And with the year closing out, I knew it was time for me to usher a new GNP short story out into the wild.

Truth be told, this tale is not one I was expecting to tell. It began falling out of my brain and through my fingers several days ago, and I couldn’t stop the flow.

The end result – inspired by work I did several years ago writing the script for an animated Godzilla vs. Biollante fan film that, unfortunately, remains unproduced – is not the happiest of tales. It takes the form of a letter written by a grief-stricken Dr. Shiragami roughly one year after the death of his daughter, Erika. A letter written to his daughter. A letter she will never read.

While the proposed fan film – to have been created by my dear friend “Kaiju” Kim Lacanilao – would have focused on Erika’s perspective as her psyche slowly transforms into something monstrous (a remarkable story I dearly hope Kim gets to tell some day), I instead chose to step behind the eyes of Erika’s father. To lose a child is, perhaps, the greatest, most unspeakable pain a human being can endure. What would this do to a man with Shiragami’s intellect? How would it break him, fracture his heart, and ultimately put him on the path to attempting his daughter’s resurrection five years later?

All interesting questions, and all representing the exact kind of emotional character study the GNP loves to tackle with its short stories. It’s my hope that this raw, devastated deep dive into Shiragami’s grief will not only expand upon one of the Godzilla franchise’s most intriguing and tortured characters, but also articulate – to the best of my ability – how even the strongest of people struggle to process a pain that, tragically, is all too real in our world.

That said, a word of caution: this story – as you can imagine – deals with some very heavy topics. If you’ve ever lived through the death/loss of anyone close to you (be it friend, parent, or child), please use discretion as to whether you should read or not.

The GNP proudly presents… “Missing You” – A Short Story

READ IT HERE

I hope you enjoy it.

And with that, the GNP has officially published its last short story of 2025. I will be taking the remainder of the year to breathe, de-stress as best I can, and spend time with my family. I hope to enter the New Year with as much renewed energy as I can muster, because, to put it mildly, I will need that energy for what’s destined to be a packed 2026. Between my Godzilla history book beginning its press/promotion and hitting bookstore shelves, a whole second book I haven’t even announced yet, some exciting collaborations on upcoming kaiju Blu-ray releases, the inevitable wave of G-Fest prep, and some big plans for the GNP (including finishing that Godzilla 1985 short story I promised you), it’s going to be big and very exciting year! I can’t wait to reveal it all to you.

Until then, thank you for being here. Thank you for your patience, your support, and for continuing to believe in me and this project. It means more to me than I can say, and it has been especially uplifting for me over the last few months. I appreciate each and every one of you, and I hope you have a safe, special, and healing holiday season with those you love.

With love and gratitude,

–Daniel

UPDATE (1/3/24): “A Prayer for Peace” – A New Short Story for the New Year

“I’d come to know the horrors of man and his capacity for destruction. I’d stared that destruction in the eye, felt its claws rip at my flesh and tear away at my very soul. On that day, I knew what it meant – how it felt – to behold a monster…”

Hello there, readers. Welcome to 2024!

It’s high time for a new short story, and this one has been a long time coming.

Back in the summer of 2023 (which I’m still getting used to referring to as “last year”), I began writing a story that had randomly popped into my mind and taken hold of my creative attention. I hit a few roadblocks (some involving the story itself, and others involving some personal things that needed tending to), and ultimately shelved the project for a few months. I picked it up again in November, but still couldn’t quite crack the approach I wanted to take for telling the tale. But finally, as 2023 wrapped up, I was able to nail down the final details and complete the story in the way I wanted to. And dare I say, I think the final result was worth the wait!

With that said, the Godzilla Novelization Project is proud to present “A Prayer for Peace,” a new short story inspired by Godzilla (1954).

The tale follows a young Japanese soldier who dreams of peace amidst the horrors and bloodshed of WWII. A decade later, when the shadow of a nuclear titan falls over his country, the soldier – motivated to fight for Japan once more – finally finds his opportunity to achieve the peace he so desperately wants, but in a way he never imagined…

The story takes the form of a first-person memoir crafted by the soldier during the events of the 1954 film, acting as an alternate perspective to the story that puts a unique spin on multiple elements fans will know all too well from the film itself. Part diary, part remembrance, and part warning for the future.

(Also – in a first for the GNP – this story has spoilers, so if you give it a read and want to share your thoughts, please do so without spoiling anything for those who haven’t read it yet!)

Check out “A Prayer for Peace” here.

Thank you all for your continuing support, and – as always – for taking the time to read this new story. (Also, a HUGE thank you to each and every one of you for making 2023 the best-performing year for the GNP! I’ll be sharing some pretty incredible stats and numbers in a future post, but to say I was blown away would be an understatement. You’re all amazing, and your excitement for this project never ceases to leave me speechless.)

Happy reading, and happy New Year to you all! I hope 2024 brings you success, fulfillment, and happiness.