One of, if not the greatest work of beloved anime director Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind tells a sprawling story of the final survivors of a cataclysmic event that has been nearly forgotten by the current inhabitants. Nausicaa, the daughter of the chief of the village of the Valley of the Wind, studies the flora and Fauna of the a toxic jungle, which instantly kills anyone who breathes in the venomous vapors and spores.

there are six books in this series they are all very good

Beginning disclaimer: I read this in French, not in English. This is a good series by the creator of studio Ghibli. It was written and even had a movie adaptation before the studio was founded, back in 1985. Therefore, this story is slightly darker (?) story line, as people do die, and it does include full blown war. However, it does keep a lightness to it, and has many similar traits with most studio Ghibli, such as a fascination with things that fly and robots/artificial life forms. It has a decent plot, and many things happen. There is some plot armour, but it's not terribly heavy. I enjoyed ready through this detailed fantastical world that, despite not having colours, felt vibrant with life. I hope you enjoy this series as much as I did.

All the more reason that I think that Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind and Laputa Castle In The Sky are within the same universe and possibly, the same time.

Nausicaa is a girl with a mysterious power. She is empathetic, and strong, and fights to protect all she holds dear. This includes the insects and the forest. This is Miyazaki's own original story in manga format, but like his other works, there are themes of nature vs technology, war vs peace, what true strength is, and Nausicaa is the perfect heroine to portray all this. The drawings still look beautiful even though the series is over 20 years old, and the story and themes remain extremely relevant today. If the manga does not interest you, there is also an anime version with beautiful hand drawn animations by Miyazaki. The anime differs in some ways, but remains true to its messages, so it is worth looking at both.

The comic from which the movie was based upon. The content is definitely darker than the movie itself, yet is rich with beauty and story line that only Miyazaki himself would create. A must read!

This is the best graphic novel series I have ever read, Japanese, American, or other (edges out Gaiman's Sandman which is also excellent). When I first read it, I was struck by how dense it is - it takes much longer to go through than typical graphic novels. Miyazaki weaves a great story while making an intelligent case about tampering with our environment.
Please do not judge this series by the movie - it does not do justice to the novel.