Scott Pearson | Meet John Doe

Tokyo, 1954. In William Leisner’s short novel Project G, production on a motion picture about a gigantic atomic-spawned monster is brought to a halt by sabotage. Was it the American government, trying to snuff out any negative depiction of its nuclear testing? Or was it otherworldly creatures at work for reasons unknown? American reporter Rob Williams tries to uncover the story at the risk of having his own most deeply held secret exposed.

Tales of the Weird World War returns in a second volume featuring two short novels, Bill’s along with my They Came from Beyond, as well as two bonus short stories by me—“The Creature in Jay Cooke Park” and “The Loneliness of Monsters”—previously published in Castle of Horror anthologies. The prior volume was set in the late forties, but the new book has jumped ahead to the midfifties. The excerpt below is from the opening scene of Bill’s novella.

Project G

Tokyo was in ruins.
       From our vantage point on the metal catwalk across Tokyo Harbor, I could see that not a single structure had been spared. Buildings had been flattened, elevated train tracks toppled, power transmission towers bent like the shirt hangers from which they’d been created. The detail of the miniature city had been awe-inspiring, so much so that now I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sick horror in the pit of my stomach as I gazed upon its destruction.
       I knew Eiji must have been feeling something very similar, but even deeper, closer to his heart. He did his best to keep a stoic expression, but I could see the anger and anguish he held just below the surface. For him, the fact that the stately structures were merely balsa wood and plaster didn’t matter. This had been a city fashioned from his own dreams. Those grand dreams now lay shattered and strewn across the concrete floor.
       “This is just awful, Eiji,” I said. “I am so sorry.” He nodded once, but said nothing. What was there for him to say? “Who would even do this? And why?”
       . . . Eiji still avoided my eyes, but he drew a deep breath and told me, “I fear this was done by your people, Robert.”
        “My people?” I repeated, still confused.
        “Yes. Americans.” He glanced back at the flattened city. “I believe it’s the United States government trying to stop my movie from being made.”