Viz Announces Fiction Novel Line

Viz has announced a line of English translated fiction novels based on popular anime titles. Among the titles that will be released this fall will be novelizations of popular action and science fiction titles such as Full Metal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence After the Last Goodbye and Steamboy. Two additional fiction novels aimed at female readers include the best-selling Japanese novel of all time, Socrates in Love, and Kamikaze Girls. Both will be published under the newly launched Shojo Beat Fiction imprint. Viz will also distribute the critically acclaimed live action film adaptation of Kamikaze Girls to North American audiences this summer.

Full Metal Alchemist: The Land of Sand, by Makoto Inoue, will be released in October and retail at $9.99.

Ghost in the Shell: Innocence After the Last Goodbye, by Masaki Yamada, a prequel to the Ghost in the Shell 2 movie, will retail at $19.99 beginning this October.

The novelization of Steamboy will retail at $17.99 beginning this December.

Kyoichi Katayama ‘s Socrates in Love will retail at $17.99 beginning this October.

Novala Takemoto’s Kamikaze Girls will be released in February 2006 and retail at $17.99.