Stone Bridge Press Announces 2nd Edition of Mobile Suit Gundam: Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation Novels

October 2011 (Berkeley, CA) – Stone Bridge Press is pleased to announce the April 2012 publication date of the second edition of Mobile Suit Gundam: Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation by Yoshiyuki Tomino, translated by Frederik L. Schodt and with an introduction by Mark Simmons.

Called “a cornerstone of anime SF,” Japan's Gundam franchise that began in 1979 now boasts a worldwide cult of devotees. In the Gundam universe, the Earth Federation battles rebellious offworld colonies, and “Newtype” warriors with evolved mentalities pilot gargantuan suits of hightech armor. This novelization presents creator and director Yoshiyuki Tomino's unvarnished vision for his own core series with richer characterizations and a shocking ending. These novels were originally published in Japanese in late 1979 to coincide with the end of the TV series and the theatrical release of the first compilation movie. They were quite controversial when they first appeared in English translation in 1990.

A must-have for the avid anime fan, otaku collector or science-fiction aficionado, Mobile Suit Gundam is three novels in one book. They are less a straightforward novelization of the original Mobile Suit Gundam television series than a radical re-imagining of its world and characters in unprecedented detail.

This second edition is redesigned for a new generation of fans.

Yoshiyuki Tomino is one of Japan's best known sci-fi animation directors and the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books. Since working on the Tetsuwan Atomu (“Astro Boy”) series in 1964, he has directed or created some of Japan's top robot and fantasy-themed works for television, theaters, and the original video anime market. Best known for the hugely popular Gundam TV shows, most recently he has attracted attention for his works Brain Power’d (1998), ∀ Gundam (1999) and Overman King Gainer (2002).

Frederik L. Schodt is a translator and author of numerous books about Japan, including The Astro Boy Essays, Manga! Manga! and Dreamland Japan. He often served as Osamu Tezuka's English interpreter. In 2009 he received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his contribution to the introduction and promotion of Japanese contemporary popular culture.

Mark Simmons is author of Gundam: The Official Guide.

For more information or to request a review copy, please contact Stone Bridge Press at the address above

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation
Second Edition
Yoshiyuki Tomino (Author)
Frederik L. Schodt (Translator)
Stone Bridge Press
April 2012
978-1-61172-005-1 | $15.95 | Trade Paper | 520 pages
24 B&W illustration