Japanese Gothic: Four twisted tales from Japan's master of the macabre

Download or read book Japanese Gothic: Four twisted tales from Japan's master of the macabre written by Edogawa Ranpo and published by Zakuro Books. This book was released on with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born as Hirai Tarō, Edogawa Ranpo (1894-1965) was an influential author and critic known for his tales of the mysterious and macabre. His pseudonym is a rendering of Edgar Allen Poe using Japanese characters. Ranpo often dealt with themes of sexual perversion and the grotesque, as well as writing more conventional crime fiction. This is a collection of four of his darkest and most deviant short stories: ‘The Idol’ (人でなしの恋 , 1926); ‘Pomegranate’ (石榴 , 1934); ‘The Hand’ (指 , 1960); and ‘The Devouring Insects’ (虫 , 1929). ‘Pomegranate’ and ‘The Devouring Insects’ have previously been published under the title ‘Pomegranate and The Devouring Insects’. 'The Idol' and 'The Hand' are published here in English for the first time. Alexis J Brown is a translator living in London. Cover image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ichimatsu_ningy%C5%8D.jpg