Dream Fossil is a collection of 15 short stories by the late Satoshi Kon. These stories, serialized in a variety of magazines in the 1980s, give a rare glimpse into the early stages of Kon's uniquely compelling style of storytelling. The buds of dream-like themes and imaginative worldviews that would blossom in his later animated works are also readily apparent. Yet the flights of fancy are anchored by knowing, empathetic portrayals of the very human nature of each story.

Tropic of the Sea features story and art by Satoshi Kon.

Yosuke's family has a strange tradition: once every sixty years they receive an egg from a mermaid. When the egg matures his family dutifully returns it to the sea, where the whole process is then repeated. In exchange for this favor, the mer-people bless his coastal town with bountiful catches of fish and calm seas.

But as a commercial development encroach on the sleepy seaside village and Yosuke's father is lured away from tradition towards modern properity, turning the egg into a tourist trap, what will happen to the promise their family made to the mermaids generations ago?

Satoshi Kon's first feature-length manga, Tropic of the Sea includes a dozen black and white art plates from the original release plus a 5-page essay written by Kon in 1999 detailing his transition from the manga industry to the animation business.