What do you think?
Rate this book
Godzilla FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the King of the Monsters
(FAQ). He is the Lizard King well, the King of the Monsters he can do anything. Since he first romped onto the silver screen in 1954, no other character in all of international cinema has been as beloved by American audiences as Godzilla. Despite the modern film industry's affinity for franchises and cinematic universes, he remains one of its most enduring and popular characters, with a total of twenty-eight motion pictures (not even including two American reboots!) under his massive belt. From his home base in Japan, where the legendary Toho Pictures first put him on the map, Godzilla has gone on to become an international phenomenon, a pop culture avatar, a movie monster unrivaled in both size and appeal. The latest installment in Applause Theatre and Cinema Books' FAQ series, Brian Soloman's Godzilla FAQ is a broad and varied exploration of the monumental, fire-breathing radioactive lizard that has roared his way into our hearts over a sixty-year reign of terror. By pairing a colloquial text with a wide array of illustrations and visual media, this 400-page survey encourages readers to drop in and out of the book, as every chapter serves as a self-supporting article on a given subject. Written by a lifelong Godzilla fan and pop culture critic, Godzilla FAQ offers a comprehensive rundown of every Godzilla film ever made, in-depth biographies of major players in the franchise's history, and enough raw information to rebuild a ravaged Tokyo. Don't miss out on this ideal gift for cinema fans, lizard lovers, and pop culture fiends of all ages!
376 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2017
3 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 26, 2018
An excellent collection of history and trivia of the King of Monsters. I've loved Godzilla since I first started watching him on my Daddy's knee.
I especially like the older ones and I abhor the abomination that Emmerich foisted on the American public.
This book is wonderful in that it doesn't just tell the history of Godzilla and the kaiju films. It also goes into the other monsters, the actors that supported him, and even the different composers of the film music.
I loved this!!
I especially like the older ones and I abhor the abomination that Emmerich foisted on the American public.
This book is wonderful in that it doesn't just tell the history of Godzilla and the kaiju films. It also goes into the other monsters, the actors that supported him, and even the different composers of the film music.
I loved this!!
November 15, 2024
Solomon leaves no stone unturned here, getting into the details of Godzilla not just as a media sensation but even exploring fan communities. Even for those of us who already know a lot about the Making of these films theres new information here (perhaps most concernedly, the fact that Kenpachiro Satsuma was inhaling carbon monoxide in the meltdown Godzilla suit!). It's very good and has content and info for all kinds of Godzilla fans, highly recommend.
June 2, 2018
Hardly groundbreaking, but a pleasent digest for a subject who's scholarship doesn't really have an urtext.
September 27, 2017
Every Godzilla fan needs this book right now.
If you don't know anything about Godzilla, you need to know everything about Godzilla. This book has you covered.
It's absolutely comprehensive, including lots of stuff I did not know about.
The book also discusses the actors, the music, and provides an exhaustive rundown of all the movies, yes, including the one with Matthew Broderick.
Best of all for me personally, writer Brian Solomon goes deep into some of my favorite Godzillas: The 1970s Marvel comics and the nigh-infamous Saturday morning cartoon with Godzooky.
One quote about the Godzilla cartoon sums up my fandom for Godzilla.
"There was also undeniable fun to be had in the silliness of the whole affair."
If you don't know anything about Godzilla, you need to know everything about Godzilla. This book has you covered.
It's absolutely comprehensive, including lots of stuff I did not know about.
The book also discusses the actors, the music, and provides an exhaustive rundown of all the movies, yes, including the one with Matthew Broderick.
Best of all for me personally, writer Brian Solomon goes deep into some of my favorite Godzillas: The 1970s Marvel comics and the nigh-infamous Saturday morning cartoon with Godzooky.
One quote about the Godzilla cartoon sums up my fandom for Godzilla.
"There was also undeniable fun to be had in the silliness of the whole affair."
November 4, 2023
Pięknie wydana książka z dużą ilością zdjęć i materiałów. Jest napisana z głębszą koncepcją, podając najpierw kontekst ogólniejszy filmów zaprowadzani a potem przechodząc w to jak Japończycy nadali mu swój spin. Oczywiscie najwięcej czasu poświęcono tu erze Showa (1954-1975) ale to też i okres największego sukcesu Godzilli jako bohatera filmowego. Książka ukazała się tuż przed premierą Shin Godzilli z 2016 więc są tylko nawiązania do materiałów promocyjnych i troszkę szkoda ale też kiedyś trzeba skończyć. Jako pewien niedostatek odbieram tu potraktowanie serii Millenium (1999-2004) nieco po macoszemu ale też i te filmy się najgorzej zestarzały. Bardzo polecam wszystkim, którzy chcą poznać lepiej fenomen zmutowanego dinozaura:)
January 10, 2025
Godzilla FAQ is probably the best book about Godzilla and kaiju in general that I have ever read. It exhaustively discusses the making of the Godzilla movies and their impact on pop culture. Solomon also gives in-depth background on the directors and actors behind these films, with occasional excursions into other kaiju franchises.
June 3, 2019
Like the others in the FAQ series I've read, this book is a wild mix: Amazing bank of info packaged in poor writing with frequently repeated passages.
So, I recommend it as a text to scan for loads of great info, but be prepared for prose that reads like an all-nighter rough draft.
So, I recommend it as a text to scan for loads of great info, but be prepared for prose that reads like an all-nighter rough draft.
March 10, 2020
A good compendium of knowledge on all things Godzilla. I read it cover to cover, in order, but that is not a necessary way to read this book. The chapters do flow in a logical order, but the entries could be read out of order with no issue. Enjoy!
June 11, 2018
If you’re a Godzilla / Gojira fan this book is for you. Amazingly informative and gave details about the film planned for 2019. Loved it.
July 6, 2018
Covers the studio, the movies, production, music and actors. Written up to Shin Godzilla. Great resources especially in the bibliography of websites and books.
February 5, 2024
I love Godzilla like a son. This book tells you just how much there is to know. There is even more to know since it is a few years old. All of Brian Solomon� s books are great. Go read them
March 3, 2024
“Godzilla is universal�
In this comprehensive guide to Godzilla, Brian Solomon gives you exactly what you expect from the title. Painstakingly researched and in-depth, this book really provides everything both for the deep Godzilla fan and those who have just dipped their toe in the franchise (like myself). But despite all it’s great elements, it does suffer from repetition and no real clear hook or direction in the structure, which really makes the reading slow as you start to question why you’re even reading a certain chapter. Your mileage may vary on which chapters stand out, good or bad, but overall I’d say it’s exactly what you expect and possibly more.
In this comprehensive guide to Godzilla, Brian Solomon gives you exactly what you expect from the title. Painstakingly researched and in-depth, this book really provides everything both for the deep Godzilla fan and those who have just dipped their toe in the franchise (like myself). But despite all it’s great elements, it does suffer from repetition and no real clear hook or direction in the structure, which really makes the reading slow as you start to question why you’re even reading a certain chapter. Your mileage may vary on which chapters stand out, good or bad, but overall I’d say it’s exactly what you expect and possibly more.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.