On my last post, William Maynard left a post allaying one of my fears about a modern-set Fu Manchu novel. But check out the last sentence of his comment.
Hi, James. As an ardent Rohmer fan myself, I'm looking forward to reading Richard's book, too. I can tell you that Nayland Smith does not appear so that's one you can cross off your list. Here's hoping my second book, THE MARK OF FU MANCHU (set between Rohmer's two WWII-era titles) is next on the list.
Best,
William Patrick Maynard (Italics & Boldness mine.)
I have two things to point out.
First We'll cover BOLD "next on the list" Because of this I'm beginning to think there are a lot of Fu Manchu novels in the works. It should be interesting to see if I'm right.
now for italics. The Mark of Fu Manchu (Cool title)
this title got me to thinking what it could be about, and I came up with these.
1. The mark is some sort of thing left on the bodies of victims.
2. The mark is the seal of the Si-Fan.
3. The title refers to the German mark, an indicates that Fu Manchu is toying with the German economy.
For my money, number three is my favorite.
(And William, if this gives too much away, of could insult the copyright holders, (especially the part about the multiple novels in the works) I'll be glad to take this down on your say so.)
James B.
Hello James,
ReplyDeleteI'll try to answer the questions you raise about future books as best I can. My novel, THE TERROR OF FU MANCHU was published in April 2009 by http://www.blackcoatpress.com and is also available from http://www.amazon.com. THE IMMORTAL DR. FU MANCHU by Richard Sand has just been authorized. I need to stress that a second book from me has not yet been approved by the Estate. It is a project that I hope can come together for Christmas 2010 and I'll be happy to confirm that when I know for certain.
As far as any other titles are concerned, there will be more Fu Manchu books coming because Al Longden, the agent for the Rohmer Estate, is working on getting the originals reprinted (and hopefully the two Cay Van Ash books as well). There is a third new book that has been authorized, but it is different from my period-piece approach or Richard's modern approach. Its not a spoof and it will be of great interest to fans, but its something unique and I don't want to let the cat out of the bag until the authors (or Al) are ready to say more about this special project.
As for THE IMMORTAL DR. FU MANCHU, I understand fans having misgivings about a contemporary Fu Manchu, but I believe Al has found the right author and I think Richard's approach will please Rohmer fans. Its not a reboot or anything like that, its simply Fu Manchu Today. No grandson of Petrie or Smith or anything contrived. Its very much what you would imagine Sax Rohmer writing if he were alive today. In his own way, Richard will be as respectful of the character and concepts as I was with my book.
If THE MARK OF FU MANCHU does see the light of day, I will confirm that you are definitely on the right track in what you surmise. There's definitely room for all of these projects in the marketplace as we complement one another rather than compete for attention. Al Longden has some exciting plans and I'm proud to have been the first wave in this revival. As a fan, I look forward to all that follows and hope that I have the good fortune to continue to be associated with the characters for many years to come.
Best Wishes,
William Patrick Maynard