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Ultraman: The Official Novelization
An exciting modern adaptation of the original 1960s Ultraman, bringing the classic era of the iconic Japanese superhero to established fans and newcomers alike.
Pursuing a fugitive space monster, a Being of Light enters Earth's atmosphere. Accidentally colliding with a patrolling jet, piloted by Science Patrol Agent Shin Hayata, the Being merges with the pilot to save his life and vows to defend the Earth.
Now whenever the planet is threatened by alien invaders, terrifying monsters or any threat beyond the capabilities of humanity, Shin Hayata transforms into the towering Ultraman to restore peace and save the day.
Pursuing a fugitive space monster, a Being of Light enters Earth's atmosphere. Accidentally colliding with a patrolling jet, piloted by Science Patrol Agent Shin Hayata, the Being merges with the pilot to save his life and vows to defend the Earth.
Now whenever the planet is threatened by alien invaders, terrifying monsters or any threat beyond the capabilities of humanity, Shin Hayata transforms into the towering Ultraman to restore peace and save the day.
- GenresScience Fiction
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2023
8 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Pat Cadigan
264 books445 followersPat Cadigan is an American-born science fiction author, who broke through as a major writer as part of the cyberpunk movement. Her early novels and stories all shared a common theme, exploring the relationship between the human mind and technology.
Her first novel, Mindplayers, introduced what became a common theme to all her works. Her stories blurred the line between reality and perception by making the human mind a real and explorable place. Her second novel, Synners, expanded upon the same theme, and featured a future where direct access to the mind via technology was in fact possible.
She has won a number of awards, including the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award twice,in 1992, and 1995 for her novels Synners and Fools.
She currently lives in London, England with her family.
Her first novel, Mindplayers, introduced what became a common theme to all her works. Her stories blurred the line between reality and perception by making the human mind a real and explorable place. Her second novel, Synners, expanded upon the same theme, and featured a future where direct access to the mind via technology was in fact possible.
She has won a number of awards, including the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award twice,in 1992, and 1995 for her novels Synners and Fools.
She currently lives in London, England with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 1, 2024
A really good adaptation of the classic series, adapting 7 of the most famous episodes from the show. I think for the most part it handles the switch from a visual to text format well; my only consistent issue with the book is the lack of description.
The book tends to switch perspectives a lot in order to capture the same feeling from the show; but with the switch to a text-only format the switches can lead to confusion and sometimes feeling like important parts of the story are left out. It has also has an issues with characterization, primarily with the protagonist Shin Hayata. I understand this isn't full the books fault, but a little more personality from the titular Ultraman would've been good to see.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is already an Ultraman fan, and even non-Ultraman fans will get enjoyment out of this. It's a faithful adaptation for better and for worse
The book tends to switch perspectives a lot in order to capture the same feeling from the show; but with the switch to a text-only format the switches can lead to confusion and sometimes feeling like important parts of the story are left out. It has also has an issues with characterization, primarily with the protagonist Shin Hayata. I understand this isn't full the books fault, but a little more personality from the titular Ultraman would've been good to see.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is already an Ultraman fan, and even non-Ultraman fans will get enjoyment out of this. It's a faithful adaptation for better and for worse
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November 1, 2023I received this from NetGalley for an honest review. Unfortunately , I DNF it !!
I picked this up because of nostalgia and I pretty much got an origin story which is fine but they didn’t update it.
They did exactly to the first episode (but you can watch on streaming on Pluto )that they had back in the 60s that kind of turned me off to the next chapter which is pretty much in the same sequence, and then I just gave up this card.
I’ve always loved. I’ve always wonder how this character will be when updated story with today’s technology.
And I know it said into the description Adapting the classic Ultraman series from the 1960s, experience this bold take on Earth’s iconic defender! just figure they would do a play-by-play.
I picked this up because of nostalgia and I pretty much got an origin story which is fine but they didn’t update it.
They did exactly to the first episode (but you can watch on streaming on Pluto )that they had back in the 60s that kind of turned me off to the next chapter which is pretty much in the same sequence, and then I just gave up this card.
I’ve always loved. I’ve always wonder how this character will be when updated story with today’s technology.
And I know it said into the description Adapting the classic Ultraman series from the 1960s, experience this bold take on Earth’s iconic defender! just figure they would do a play-by-play.
December 12, 2023
I discovered Ultraman and the Ultra Series when I was younger and I have kept interested ever since. So when I saw there was a novelisation (I am a bit of a collector of novelisations of my favourite shows, movies or games) and it was by Pat Cadigan I was extremely excited. I am happy to say that this didn’t disappoint.
Now I will say that when you have a novelisation of a show that had 39 episodes, 40 if you include the pre-premiere, then it’s clear that we might not get a novelisation of every single thing or every episode or we would be looking at a book that would be a lot chunkier. That said Cadigan does a fantastic job, much like she did on the Harley Quinn: Mad Love novelisation. We get a good introduction to the original series of Ultraman, the characters and the story. Perhaps a little more depth to some of the characters here and there in the novel medium with their thoughts and actions a little more explained but we obviously don’t get every single episode – it would be remise to think that possible in a standard novel, although it does leave room for more novels in the future! That said I think that the main points and episodes are covered to give a good understanding to those who may be new to Ultraman and the Ultra Universe.
Obviously so people may have wanted other episodes included or alluded to but I think generally this is a fantastic novelisation that fans both new and old alike will be able to read and enjoy. The writing and pace are perfect for the novel and genre. I found it easy to follow and engage with and keep track of what was going on (obviously I have previously watched the series but I believe this would apply to anyone).
If you are a fan of Ultraman, science fiction or Kaiju then this will be the perfect opportunity to revisit the original series – or introduce you to the series. It’s well worth a read and as inspired me to rewatch the original.
Now I will say that when you have a novelisation of a show that had 39 episodes, 40 if you include the pre-premiere, then it’s clear that we might not get a novelisation of every single thing or every episode or we would be looking at a book that would be a lot chunkier. That said Cadigan does a fantastic job, much like she did on the Harley Quinn: Mad Love novelisation. We get a good introduction to the original series of Ultraman, the characters and the story. Perhaps a little more depth to some of the characters here and there in the novel medium with their thoughts and actions a little more explained but we obviously don’t get every single episode – it would be remise to think that possible in a standard novel, although it does leave room for more novels in the future! That said I think that the main points and episodes are covered to give a good understanding to those who may be new to Ultraman and the Ultra Universe.
Obviously so people may have wanted other episodes included or alluded to but I think generally this is a fantastic novelisation that fans both new and old alike will be able to read and enjoy. The writing and pace are perfect for the novel and genre. I found it easy to follow and engage with and keep track of what was going on (obviously I have previously watched the series but I believe this would apply to anyone).
If you are a fan of Ultraman, science fiction or Kaiju then this will be the perfect opportunity to revisit the original series – or introduce you to the series. It’s well worth a read and as inspired me to rewatch the original.
November 13, 2024
The back of the book calls this an adaptation, but I think it's better to call this a reimagning, as some aspects of the story are updated to modern day (the novel mentions things like social media, smartphone and streaming services.)
Across the novel's 7 chapters is effectively a truncated retelling of the series, with each chapter dedicated to one specific enounter, starting with Shin Hayata's plane crash and rebirth as Ultraman and subsequent battle with Bemular, and ending with his battle against Zetton and the arrival of Zoffy.
The episodic pacing is probably the novel's biggest strength, since each chapter would equate to one episode of the show.
The characterization is also faithful to show, as it doesn't seek to drastically reinvent things, or subvert them like other recent Ultraman adaptations.
By most metrics, Pat Cadigan manages to give us a retelling that is true to the spirit of Ultraman as a series, even down to the Monster-of-the-Week format.
That said, it may be a bit off-putting to sci-fi fans looking for something steeped in heavy lore, especially if they're coming off of heavier Ultra fare like the shows and movies produced for Netflix.
The best point of comparision I could give is that the novel is like a slightly more faithful version of Hideaki Anno's Shin Ultraman, except with better pacing and characterization, especially when it comes to Hayata's inner monologues.
Alternately, I would also put it on-par with the Marvel Comics' Rise of Ultraman miniseries. What makes it slightly better is that it doesn't feel the need to "Westernize" the settings and characters to the same degree as those comics.
Overall, I definitely recommend this to fans of the older Showa-era series, provided they go in with tempered expectations.
When read in short bursts overtime, it can be quite enjoyable, but don't expect a deep dive into the Ultra universe.
Across the novel's 7 chapters is effectively a truncated retelling of the series, with each chapter dedicated to one specific enounter, starting with Shin Hayata's plane crash and rebirth as Ultraman and subsequent battle with Bemular, and ending with his battle against Zetton and the arrival of Zoffy.
The episodic pacing is probably the novel's biggest strength, since each chapter would equate to one episode of the show.
The characterization is also faithful to show, as it doesn't seek to drastically reinvent things, or subvert them like other recent Ultraman adaptations.
By most metrics, Pat Cadigan manages to give us a retelling that is true to the spirit of Ultraman as a series, even down to the Monster-of-the-Week format.
That said, it may be a bit off-putting to sci-fi fans looking for something steeped in heavy lore, especially if they're coming off of heavier Ultra fare like the shows and movies produced for Netflix.
The best point of comparision I could give is that the novel is like a slightly more faithful version of Hideaki Anno's Shin Ultraman, except with better pacing and characterization, especially when it comes to Hayata's inner monologues.
Alternately, I would also put it on-par with the Marvel Comics' Rise of Ultraman miniseries. What makes it slightly better is that it doesn't feel the need to "Westernize" the settings and characters to the same degree as those comics.
Overall, I definitely recommend this to fans of the older Showa-era series, provided they go in with tempered expectations.
When read in short bursts overtime, it can be quite enjoyable, but don't expect a deep dive into the Ultra universe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2023
GOT this as an ARC from Netgalley:
This is a hard book to review, since I have so much knowledge of the source material. As such I can't help but be a bit disappointed with how truncated this is as a novelization of the original Ultraman series. The big episodes are novelized here and are novelized quite well but it is sorely missing adaptations of episodes like: My Home is the Earth, The Monster Graveyard, or even episode like A Gift from The Sky.
Pat Cadigan does a good job creating this into the written word and it starts really strong with some unique aspects, unfortunately the ending feels a bit rushed. Not sure if there were chapters that got cut, because the Professor gets thrown into the mix with very little fanfare.
All of that being said, I did have a good time with this, and would defiantly recommend it to people who are a fan of the franchise as it novelizes the overall plot of the series quite well.
This is a hard book to review, since I have so much knowledge of the source material. As such I can't help but be a bit disappointed with how truncated this is as a novelization of the original Ultraman series. The big episodes are novelized here and are novelized quite well but it is sorely missing adaptations of episodes like: My Home is the Earth, The Monster Graveyard, or even episode like A Gift from The Sky.
Pat Cadigan does a good job creating this into the written word and it starts really strong with some unique aspects, unfortunately the ending feels a bit rushed. Not sure if there were chapters that got cut, because the Professor gets thrown into the mix with very little fanfare.
All of that being said, I did have a good time with this, and would defiantly recommend it to people who are a fan of the franchise as it novelizes the overall plot of the series quite well.
November 23, 2025
A monster from space arrives on earth and creates havoc. Good thing for Earth a being of Light from the another part of the Galaxy arrives to fight the monster. The being merges with a human to fight the monster. This sets up a series of events where a giant humanoid fight giant monsters.
It's interesting how closly the events of the book, mirror the Shin Ultraman movie. Shin ultraman being the most recent exposure I have to the Ultraman TV universe. The book ,was rather dry and plain. THe action was kind of boring. I did like the fight scenes. I feel like the book should have been loner and more detailed.
It's interesting how closly the events of the book, mirror the Shin Ultraman movie. Shin ultraman being the most recent exposure I have to the Ultraman TV universe. The book ,was rather dry and plain. THe action was kind of boring. I did like the fight scenes. I feel like the book should have been loner and more detailed.
April 20, 2025
4/5 because I haven't watched the original 1966 show. This was a very fun introduction to it and some of its biggest episodes. If I had watched the show, as I suspect MOST people reading this have, I think this would have been a 3/5 for me.
Very excited for the Ultraseven novelization, as I've watched and LOVE that show. Don't let me down, Dan Moroboshi.
Very excited for the Ultraseven novelization, as I've watched and LOVE that show. Don't let me down, Dan Moroboshi.
July 6, 2024
This brought back some childhood memories of watching this after school back in the early 70s. This definitely goes over the highlights and adds some background to the characters that 24 minute episodes just don’t have time for. I was expecting something more in depth than what is offered here.
March 16, 2026
改编了百慕拉、巴尔坦、雷德王、哥莫拉、美菲拉斯、杰顿这七集
结合了现代化背景作为一些改编（不过初代本来就是近未来），雷德王、哥莫拉、美菲拉斯三回（4集）算是改的比较好的
虽然美菲拉斯定义成校园恶霸还是有点，没什么格调，但是悟的写法很好
至于杰顿，由于篇幅问题某种意义收尾方式比原作更唐突（奥特曼之死和sssp的无重力弹），但是结尾奥特曼离开的部分又写的不错
幽默感和易读性都可以，至于编排的深度……有一些更细腻的塑造（早田如何看待奥特曼和他自己的身份），但是没有核心突破
3.5/5吧，不是我看过的最好的衍生，但是比起差的那些还是很能看的
结合了现代化背景作为一些改编（不过初代本来就是近未来），雷德王、哥莫拉、美菲拉斯三回（4集）算是改的比较好的
虽然美菲拉斯定义成校园恶霸还是有点，没什么格调，但是悟的写法很好
至于杰顿，由于篇幅问题某种意义收尾方式比原作更唐突（奥特曼之死和sssp的无重力弹），但是结尾奥特曼离开的部分又写的不错
幽默感和易读性都可以，至于编排的深度……有一些更细腻的塑造（早田如何看待奥特曼和他自己的身份），但是没有核心突破
3.5/5吧，不是我看过的最好的衍生，但是比起差的那些还是很能看的
December 17, 2023
I love this, I would love to see more toku shows get novelizations
February 2, 2024
An extremely quick read, but way too simplistic and YYYYYA for my tastes.
I suppose it hits the high points of the show, but it also hits the low and doesn't really add much. Oh well.
I suppose it hits the high points of the show, but it also hits the low and doesn't really add much. Oh well.
January 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews