This author is considered the father of Japanese mystery fiction. Through his writing and criticism, he profoundly influenced the development of the genre in Japan. His works are crucial for understanding the origins of Japanese mystery. His legacy continues to shape the genre.
Renowned as a master of Japan's golden age of crime and mystery fiction, Edogawa Rampo, whose real name was Hirai Taro, played a significant role in Japanese Modernism. His work has left a lasting impact on both popular and literary culture in contemporary Japan, showcasing his influence and enduring legacy in the genre.
Set in modern Tokyo, this final volume of the Kaiki series uncovers the hidden mysteries beneath its contemporary facade. It features a collection of stories that delve into the eerie and uncanny aspects of Japanese literature, showcasing peculiar characters and unsettling occurrences. The compilation is selected and annotated by Higashi Masao, a noted expert in the genre, providing insights into the supernatural elements woven into Japan's cultural tapestry.
Nine bloodcurdling tales from Japan's master of suspense
Follows the twisted path of failed novelist Hitomi Hirosuke, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a former classmate, the son of a rich industrialist. Learning of the rich man's sudden passing, Hitomi fakes his own death, digs up and hides the other man's body and then washes himself up starving on a beach near the home of the dead man's family. Stunning artwork by master manga artist Suehiro Maruo deftly illustrates this Japanese pulp classic in fine detail.
Set in 1930s Tokyo, the story revolves around a master thief who uses disguises to evade capture, leaving the city in turmoil. With the renowned detective Akechi Kogoro away on business, his young assistant, 12-year-old Kobayashi Yoshio, must step up to the challenge. Tasked with tracking down the elusive criminal, Yoshio faces the daunting responsibility of protecting the city until his mentor can return to restore order.
A reclusive writer of detective stories, Oe Shundei, has gone missing, leaving behind a suspicious trail of blackmailing letters to a former lover. Another detective novelist, his rival, is the only one who can find him. A sequence of macabre and appalling events follows.
Gold Mask is Edogawa Rampo's sixth novel featuring detective Akechi Kogorō, as he investigates the crime spree of the uncanny costumed "Gold Mask." Lovers of crime fiction will be delighted to discover that this resourceful thief, confounding Akechi's every move, is none other than Maurice Leblanc's famous "gentleman burglar," Arsene Lupin! Given Lupin's obvious influence on Rampo's own Fiend with Twenty Faces, this work serves as a fascinating precursor to his Boy Detectives series, and marks another major step in the development of Japanese detective fiction in the period between the Wars. The novel was originally published as a newspaper serial in 1930-31, and has since been collected and released by a variety of publishers, including a revised children's edition from Poplar as part of the Boy Detectives series and in the definitive Kobunsha edition of Rampo's complete works, on which this translation is based.
A super-criminal - as deadly as she is beautiful - wagers all in an epic battle with a master detective, Akechi Kogoro. No trick is too elaborate, no disguise too fantastic as the two perfectly matched antagonists take turns to outwit each other.
底本：江戸川乱歩全集 第1巻 屋根裏の散歩者 (光文社文庫) 光文社
"Spiegelhölle" umfasst acht Meisterwerke des modernen japanischen Kriminalromans von Edogawa Rampo. Seine Figuren, getrieben von Lust und Eitelkeit, überschreiten Tabus und enden oft in Perversion und Mord. Rampos Werke forderten die Zensur heraus, wie die verbotene Erzählung "Die Raupe". Seit den 50ern wird der Edogawa-Rampo-Preis verliehen.