Edogawa Rampo A.K.A. Taro Hirai (1894-1965) is largely unknown in the U.S. but in Japan, he remains a cultural force. In the 20s, detective fiction composed of translations of authors from the west (Poe, Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, Maurice LeBlanc) but there waa nothing from modern day Japanese writers at that time. Rampo broke that mold (his pen name is the Japanese phonetic pronunciation of Edgar Allan Poe. Just say it five times fast.)
I got into Rampo because Harlan Ellison has such high regard for his short story "The Human Chair", a tale about a man who designs a chair that he can hide in during the day and gets off on the contours of the bodies sitting on him. It was an early example of a subgenre that Rampo invented "eru guro nansensu" (erotic grotesque nonsense), a juxtaposition of those elements in mystery and horror. "The Human Chair" remains one of the most terrifying tales ever written. An excellent manga adaptation of it can be found in Junji Ito's collection Venus in A Blind Spot.
Rampo wrote multitudes of great short stories. "Martian Canals" is about a dream turning into a disturbing body horror story. "Hell of Mirrors" is one of psychological aberration. "Pomegranate" is a mystery story centered on a mutilated, unidentified body. "Devouring Insects" is a morbid story of a young man's mental collapse as he obsesses over a beautiful actress. "Stalker in the Attic" involves a killer with a unique M.O.
Rampo was no slouch when it came to novels. Many of his novels starred his detective Akechi Kogoro and his characters that consisted of the Boy's Detective Club, which was aimed at a younger audience. The Black Lizard pits Kogoro against a femme fatale in a Sax Rohmeresque adventure. Better than Rohmer, in my opinion. Beast in the Shadows is one of the best psychological horror books I've ever read. Demon of the Lonely Isle is a memorable tour de force of a young man seeking out his fiance's killer.
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island is the story of a guy who kills a rich man, steals his identity, and consolidates his wealth to build his version of utopia on an island, a vision so vivid and weird that it's impossible to sustain. A unique and odd reading experience.
Moju: The Blind Beast is a tale of a depraved blind murderer who goes on a sexually insatiable murder spree. Not for the faint of heart. To be honest, I didn't like it but someone might. For the most part, Rampo rarely disappointed.
Rampo experienced fame and respect in his lifetime, regardless of a censorious government. Many of his stories have adapted into movies too. He is even a character in an anime. Thankfully, Rampo is more widely in print than ever in English and relatively easy to find on Amazon (he's often bylined as Edogawa Rampo), particularly his classic Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination. He deserves a try.
Written by Nicholas Montelongo
I got into Rampo because Harlan Ellison has such high regard for his short story "The Human Chair", a tale about a man who designs a chair that he can hide in during the day and gets off on the contours of the bodies sitting on him. It was an early example of a subgenre that Rampo invented "eru guro nansensu" (erotic grotesque nonsense), a juxtaposition of those elements in mystery and horror. "The Human Chair" remains one of the most terrifying tales ever written. An excellent manga adaptation of it can be found in Junji Ito's collection Venus in A Blind Spot.
Rampo wrote multitudes of great short stories. "Martian Canals" is about a dream turning into a disturbing body horror story. "Hell of Mirrors" is one of psychological aberration. "Pomegranate" is a mystery story centered on a mutilated, unidentified body. "Devouring Insects" is a morbid story of a young man's mental collapse as he obsesses over a beautiful actress. "Stalker in the Attic" involves a killer with a unique M.O.Rampo was no slouch when it came to novels. Many of his novels starred his detective Akechi Kogoro and his characters that consisted of the Boy's Detective Club, which was aimed at a younger audience. The Black Lizard pits Kogoro against a femme fatale in a Sax Rohmeresque adventure. Better than Rohmer, in my opinion. Beast in the Shadows is one of the best psychological horror books I've ever read. Demon of the Lonely Isle is a memorable tour de force of a young man seeking out his fiance's killer.
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island is the story of a guy who kills a rich man, steals his identity, and consolidates his wealth to build his version of utopia on an island, a vision so vivid and weird that it's impossible to sustain. A unique and odd reading experience.
Moju: The Blind Beast is a tale of a depraved blind murderer who goes on a sexually insatiable murder spree. Not for the faint of heart. To be honest, I didn't like it but someone might. For the most part, Rampo rarely disappointed.
Rampo experienced fame and respect in his lifetime, regardless of a censorious government. Many of his stories have adapted into movies too. He is even a character in an anime. Thankfully, Rampo is more widely in print than ever in English and relatively easy to find on Amazon (he's often bylined as Edogawa Rampo), particularly his classic Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination. He deserves a try.
Written by Nicholas Montelongo
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