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 off-world colonies, and "Newtype" warriors with evolved mentality pilot gargantuan suits of high-tech armor. This novelization presents creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s unvarnished vision for his own core series, with richer characterizations and a shocking ending. Controversial when it first appeared in English in 1990, the trilogy is being brought to fans in a single re-edited volume.
Introduction by Gundam expert Mark Simmons.
Yoshiyuki Tomino is a writer and one of Japan’s best known SF directors. Translator Frederik L. Schodt has written extensively on Japanese culture and lives in San Francisco.
"For anyone unfamiliar with the Gundam cultural phenomenon, this could be the perfect introduction." -- The Asian Reporter
"Gundam viewers can enjoy a rendition that departs significantly from its animated counterpart, exploring the future world in greater detail, yet retains the visionary science fiction themes of exploration, change, and the struggle to adapt and survive in a technology-driven era scarred with conflict." -- Midwest Book Review
Translator Frederik L Schodt received the The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his contribution to the introduction and promotion of Japanese contemporary popular culture.