The Kaiju Preservation Society

“It’s named for Ishiro Honda. He directed the original Godzilla movie in 1954. All the North American bases are named for the people who made the movie. Tanaka Base, Chuko-Kita Base, Nakajima Base, and so on.”

The quote incorporates historic kaiju narratives into the novel, showing its influences. The KPS names its bases after the people involved in the classic kaiju film Godzilla, showing the research the KPS members perform and reflecting their passion for the kaiju. The references also appeal to readers who are familiar with kaiju narratives and reflect the KPS’s delighted embrace of kaiju.

“Their biology is different from anything we have back home. Very different. Don’t think of them in terms of kingdoms of life. Think of them as biological systems. Kind of ecosystems in themselves.”

This quote, in which Tom explains the kaiju’s complex biology, is a bit of early world-building. It helps the new recruits understand the science of the kaiju and the world they are entering, challenging their notions of the creatures and forcing them to understand kaiju differently. The description of the kaiju as ecosystems also directly draws a connection between the kaiju in the story and real-life ecosystems on earth.

“‘That’s nice,’ Niamh said. ‘It’s okay if we turned entire cities full of people into nuclear ash, but the idea of monsters having a nibble afterward was just too much.’”

Niamh notes the hypocrisy of humans’ willingness to destroy cities and ecosystems with nuclear energy but not to accept the presence of kaiju. This supports the theme of Humans’ Impact on Ecosystems by comparing the destruction of man-made weapons, especially nuclear weapons, to the potential damage of the kaiju. The bombs caused barrier breaches, drawing the kaiju to the main Earth. This quote also establishes Niamh’s strong sense of justice and anger at what they consider illogical or harmful.

“The only real question is, who are the monsters?”

The question, which Tom asks Jamie, introduces the motif of “Who are the monsters?” The question is repeated several times in the novel and suggested throughout. As Jamie points out, the question is common in monster narratives, asking people to consider what makes a monster and how human morality differs from animal instinct. The motif relates to the theme of Humans’ Impact on Ecosystems, hinting that humans, exemplified by Sanders, are the true monsters, exploiting nature for power and money. It also relates to The Importance of Conservation and Environmental Stewardship by establishing kaiju not as monsters, but as creatures of nature that follow their instincts in a morally neutral manner.

“I did a foolish thing this last tour: I decided my room would be nicer with some green in it, and brought a cutting home and put it in a pot on my windowsill. When it came to go, I realized I couldn’t take it with me. […] And perhaps when you leave again in six months you will give it to the next occupant of this room, who might even be the person who replaces me.”

This quote introduces the plant as a symbol of the community and lifestyle at KPS, which continues from team to team, deployment to deployment. The plant, a cutting from Kaiju Earth, connects Sylvia to her environment, growing along with her. When Sylvia passes the plant to Jamie, she passes on her devotion to Kaiju Earth and her happiness with the KPS. However, she calls her cultivation of the plant “foolish,” knowing that it can never come to the main Earth with her, where it would be an invasive species. This ties the plant to themes of The Importance of Conservation and Environmental Stewardship and Teamwork and Community in the Face of Global Catastrophe.

“We’re meant to have zero ecological impact.”

Jamie discusses their binder and KPS’s operations with the other new recruits, highlighting KPS’s focus on conservation and protecting kaiju and other creatures and life forms on Kaiju Earth. The quote supports Humans’ Impact on Ecosystems, showing how the KPS must be careful with resources from the main Earth to avoid destroying the ecosystem on Kaiju Earth.

“‘It’s not just the chicken, it’s everything that comes with the chicken,’ Aparna said. ‘Microbes. Parasites. Viruses. Life here is different, but it’s probably not that different. Well, not on the smaller end of things. And the creatures here don’t have any defenses against anything a chicken might carry. A bird flu could wipe them all out.’”

Aparna explains to Kahurangi the dangers invasive species can pose to an ecosystem. As good environmental steward, the KPS avoids this by forbidding its members from bringing live animals from the main Earth. This becomes an early example of theme of The Importance of Conservation and Environmental Stewardship.

“‘Did you do this?’ I asked her as we walked. ‘The first time you were on the jungle floor.’

‘I did.’

‘How did you do?’

She looked at me. ‘I shit myself running.’”

This exchange between Jamie and Riddu Tagaq after their first ground training session uses comedic mood and dialogue to relieve tension after a near-death encounter with a horde of tree crabs. It also establishes that Jamie’s fear is normal and gives the two a chance to bond, building Teamwork and Community in the Face of Global Catastrophe, becoming familiar with a dangerous and daunting environment in which they have to know how to survive. The experience allows Jamie to overcome their anger and learn the lesson Tagaq is trying to teach.

“‘Hey, I didn’t get a good look at it,’ he said, ‘but did you actually just shoot one of those things in the face with a goddamn canister gun?’”

Satie’s question to Jamie shows his amazement with Jamie’s skill in fighting the kaiju parasite. It also shows Jamie’s quick learning and growth, using the canister launcher confidently to defend themself and the rest of the team. This quote also foreshadows the skill with which Jamie repels the tree crabs later and their bravery and quick thinking when rescuing Bella during the novel’s climax.

“It’s the art of the deal, my friend.”

Sanders uses a reference to the title of former US President Donald Trump’s book The Art of the Deal to express his pride at pressuring Uber Eats into buying füdmüd. This reference establishes a connection between Sanders and Trump, suggesting Trump was an inspiration for the character. Like Trump, Sanders is a businessman who has a controversial and often poor reputation. The quote implies that Sanders is more interested in making money and increasing his power than in making the world better or being a good boss.

“You wanted to see how much it would cost for me to compromise the safety of everyone on this aircraft, me included, to assert your dominance. So, now here is my answer, Mr. Sanders. I will let you out for free. And there is no amount of money, on this planet or the other, that you or anyone else could pay me to let you back in.”

This quote contrasts Satie with Sanders by showing him to prioritize the safety of his team over money and emphasizes theme of Teamwork and Community in the Face of Global Catastrophe. Satie’s unwillingness to risk the team keeps them all out of danger and also contrasts with Sanders’s later actions. Later, Satie files an incident report about the bribery, getting Sanders in trouble with the KPS.

“Everything here is ridiculously lethal, because all of it that’s not a kaiju parasite has evolved to defend itself from kaiju parasites. Some things even prey on the parasites directly. It’s constant war. Sometimes the countryside even wins, and routs the parasites.”

The quote shows the wild nature of life on Kaiju Earth. Aparna describes how each creature on the planet has evolved to fiercely defend itself, resulting in a planet full of intensely dangerous creatures. Even the lowest species in the food chain can be dangerous, or at least terrifying and inconvenient.

“You don’t think of Bella as intelligent because she’s not playing the stock market or some other utterly irrelevant standard. But in fact, she’s a perfectly intelligent creature, within the context of being driven by her own needs.”

Niamh argues that the kaiju’s intelligence is different from human intelligence but not lacking. Bella follows her instincts to survive, making her an intelligent creature. Here, Niamh challenges Tipton’s understanding of animals as inferior to humans because they do not have the same priorities that humans do.

“In the video, the barrel-looking things suddenly started glowing. Then there was a flash that overwhelmed the camera sensor, and a crack like lightning had just struck.

When the sensor was clear again, Bella, her eggs, the barrels, and all the interlopers were gone.”

This passage describes the moment that Bella and her eggs went through the barrier to the main Earth, a possibility that was theoretical until it was confirmed by Tom’s video. It also kick-starts the climax of the novel, in which Jamie and rest of the team retrieve Bella from the main Earth.

“‘This is not working,’ I said to the plant. The plant, while sympathetic, I’m sure, said nothing.”

After Tom and the other crew members’ deaths and Bella’s disappearance, Jamie and the other members’ lives at KPS are not going well. Jamie confides in the plant, a symbol of their life at Tanaka Base, after Tom’s murder. The plant, however, like everybody else, is unable to console Jamie.

“We are the Kaiju Preservation Society.”

In this statement, Jamie reminds the team that their job at KPS is to protect kaiju. This moment illustrates how the team’s dedication to the kaiju binds them to each other. It also shows that Jamie internalized Tom’s lesson that the kaiju are not monsters. Jamie’s determination inspires the team to rescue Bella, reflecting themes of The Importance of Conservation and Environmental Stewardship and Teamwork and Community in the Face of Global Catastrophe.

“‘This is what we do,’ Satie said. ‘Or what we’re supposed to do. I lost friends just like you did. Getting Bella back from those who took her and our friends is what they would want us to do.”

Satie shows his loyalty to the KPS and his strong code of morality by risking trouble with the administration to help Jamie and the other three new members retrieve Bella. He believes that doing so would honor those killed and fulfill the goal of conserving the kaiju. For this reason, the quote supports The Importance of Conservation and Environmental Stewardship and Teamwork and Community in the Face of Global Catastrophe.

“It was Rob Sanders, because of course it was.”

Jamie’s reaction to the reveal that Sanders is Bella’s captor reflects Sanders’s greed and corruption throughout the novel. Jamie is not surprised by his bad behavior because he is a flat character who does not change or display emotional complexity. Their word choice shows how exasperated Jamie is with Sanders, providing a comedic moment in the moments before the dramatic climax.

“Imagine the competitive advantage we could have if instead of building viable nuclear reactors, we could just grow them. Safe. Effective. Organic.”

Sanders shows here that he sees the kaiju as a profit, showing his greed and selfishness as the cause of a potential global catastrophe. Scalzi juxtaposes this with the Gold Team’s Teamwork and Community in the Face of Global Catastrophe to emphasize its importance. This passage also highlights the kaiju as a symbol for nuclear energy, which—like the kaiju themselves—Sanders wants to exploit and manipulate for power. Reflecting Humans’ Impact on Ecosystems, Sanders seeks to use the kaiju without understanding or caring about the impact he will have on the two Earths.

“There was something else, too. Something in the way Bella held herself while she was considering us. She seemed …

Exhausted. Tired. Out of her element.

Sad.”

In this passage, Jamie stares at Bella and sees that she just wants to return home and care for her young. Jamie’s observation that Bella is “sad” suggests that they have established deep empathy with her, illustrating The Importance of Conservation and Environmental Stewardship. This passage reinforces Bella’s non-monster status, particularly in contrast with Sanders.

“I turned to him. ‘Shut it, Rob,’ I said. ‘You brought this thing over here. You brought it to a place where the only thing it can do is die. You want it to die. And for what? So you can have a bio-industrial process you and your family business can monopolize.’”

The quote shows Jamie’s sympathy toward Bella. They understand that, as Tom told them, Bella is not a monster, but Sanders, who exploits her, is. Jamie realizes The Importance of Conservation and Environmental Stewardship in protecting creatures like Bella from Humans’ Impact on Ecosystems.

“Tom Stevens told me once that part of the job of the KPS was keeping the kaiju safe from humans. We joked about which of us were the real monsters. But it turns out it’s not a joke after all, is it?”

Jamie reiterates Tom’s question of “Who are the monsters?” revealing that they understand Sanders, who is willing to harm any person or creature he must for profit and power, and who is truly the monster. This allows Jamie to defend Bella even though Sanders is still a threat, highlighting themes of The Importance of Conservation and Environmental Stewardship and Teamwork and Community in the Face of Global Catastrophe.

“‘I decided I could wait to get into trouble,’ Satie said. ‘And then I noticed that when our Bella burped, she made a big hole. I wanted to see how big it was. I found out.’”

Satie’s arrival on the main Earth in Chopper Two gives Jamie and Aparna a chance to get Bella to the perimeter. It also shows Satie’s loyalty and love of adventure. He chooses to help save Bella, even if the administration is displeased.