INTRODUCTION

N.X. SHARPS

IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim stomped onto the big screen, popularizing the term "kaiju" amongst large swathes of Western theater-goers, and inspiring me and the team at Ragnarok Publications to create an anthology dedicated to a Japanese film genre featuring giant monsters. With the support of 444 backers, we successfully crowdfunded that anthology and released Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters into the world. Plenty has changed since then but with Pacific Rim: Uprising and a bevy of other giant monster movies on the horizon (including a film adaptation of the beloved arcade game Rampage and the long-awaited showdown, Godzilla vs. Kong) now seemed like the perfect time to unleash a sequel of our own.

Editing a project like Kaiju Rising II: Reign of Monsters is gratifying on so many levels. It's an exciting exercise brainstorming what authors might best fit the overarching theme of the anthology while still managing to deliver their own unique style. And once the submissions start rolling in and you get to read original fiction by your favorite authors before anyone else will? Talk about sublime! I knew the anthology would be good, but it wasn't until I started to read the submissions that I realized just how good. I held some expectations for what the stories of Kaiju Rising II might offer, but authors, beautiful beasts that they are, have a tendency to surprise you.

Rewinding a bit, let me just say that one of the things I love most about the first book, Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters, is the degree of diversity in the content of the stories. It's a feature that is frequently mentioned in reviews, and I whole heartedly believe it's the anthology's greatest strength. I'm glad to say that Kaiju Rising II: Reign of Monsters only builds on that (hopefully earthquake-resistant) foundation. It's a leaner predator than its big sister, more King Kong-sized than the Godzilla that is Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters, but the stories printed on the following pages still manage to span an assortment of genres — action, horror, post-apocalypse, alternate history, and science fiction. We've got stories of love and loss, revenge and redemption, duty and sacrifice, conservation and annihilation, all united under the aegis of kaiju. In the true monster movie tradition, our kaiju range from villains to victims, creatures of instinct, forces of nature, and in the words of Jurassic Park's Muldoon even a "clever girl" or two.

All books are a team effort, but none more so than an anthology. I've already touched on the incredible stories written by our amazing line-up, but I'd be remiss not to mention the hard work by those who made Kaiju Rising II: Reign of Monsters a reality. Alana Joli Abbott, my co-editor, really knows her craft, and her abilities have covered for any of my own shortcomings. Tan Ho Sim's awesome cover art is a perfect match for this anthology, and I'll be proud to display it on my bookshelf. Frankie B. Washington has all the experience needed to illustrate kaiju, and his interior art evokes the essence of each of these stories. Without the determination and marketing expertise of Melanie Meadors, it would have been a much steeper hill to climb to reach our funding goal for the Kickstarter campaign. Shawn King's design sensibilities are second to none, and I'm astonished one of the big traditional publishers hasn't snatched him up yet. Outland Entertainment's fearless leader Jeremy Mohler deserves credit for deciding to take a risk on this project, and I'm eternally grateful that he did.

But perhaps the greatest member of the team is you. Yeah, you. Whether you backed the Kickstarter campaign, bought a copy after, borrowed this from a library, or stole it from your friend (don't give it back, just convince them to buy another copy) — we couldn't have done it without you. Without a reader, there's no audience, and it doesn't matter how good the book is or how much time and effort was sunk into it. So, thank you, even if you skipped ahead to dive straight into the stories like I would in your position. If you're a fan of kaiju I sincerely believe you will appreciate what these authors have achieved. If this is your first exposure to the genre, I hope Kaiju Rising II: Reign of Monsters can be your gateway drug to a wider, weirder world.

And with that, I am honored to introduce Kaiju Rising II: Reign of Monsters. The Age of Monsters has arrived, and the Reign of Monsters has begun.

N.X. Sharps March 6, 2018

THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE

JONATHAN GREEN

THE JUKUNG CUT THROUGH THE waves like a spear, the outboard motor purring as Keoni kept his hand on the rudder and his eyes on the horizon. And then the interminable blue and green of sky on sea was broken by the surf-lapped outcroppings of the atoll.

The ring-shaped island was a near perfect circle, the weather-worn tips of the exposed reef dusted with the accumulated sand of crushed sea-shells in some places, while in others a few determined plants sprouted. But the real life lay beneath the waves, where the reef descended like a calcified cliff towards the seabed, which was why the Redmonds fished these waters and were never short of food. And the desalination plant aboard the David Redmond that formed the nucleus of the sea-borne community meant they never went without fresh water either.

The wind tousled Keon's thick mop of sun-bleached hair while the burning disc high in the sky warmed his skin, and the sea spat its salt-spray into his face.

He looked every part the hunter, his lithe, muscular body toned and tanned, his steely gaze focused on the approaching atoll. At fifteen he was almost a man, but his skin was as yet unblemished by the scars that would one day mark him out as a hunter of Redmond tribe.

The only clothes he wore were a pair of baggy breeches and his favourite leather waistcoat, but then he didn't need anything more. The only other item he wore was his shark's tooth talisman, suspended from a leather thong about his neck. In fact, it was on this very atoll that he had found the tooth, all those years before. Remembering the lucky find, Keoni unconsciously put the talisman to his lips and kissed it.

As the outrigger drew closer to the island formation, Keoni caught sight of the natural opening that gave access to the lagoon at the heart of the atoll. Even from this far out he could see the distinct difference in colour between the waters surrounding his boat and the unplumbed sapphire depths...