Golden Age (11) : The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu

Having already been familiar with Fu-Manchu through the popular films starring Christopher Lee i thought i knew what to expect when i finally read one of the novels the films were based on, but the level of madness within was more than i expected to be honest! Dr Fu-Manchu is a Chinese criminal mastermind / warlord who terrorises the West with his poisons, evil plots and brutal inhumanity. His aim is the ascendancy of China. This is real Yellow Peril stuff.

This first Fu-Manchu novel by Sax Rohmer was actually a collection of short stories already published, and it does show as there is little flow throughout the book though the stories are quite closely linked. The stories describe Fu-Manchu's epic battle with former policeman Nayland Smith and various action set pieces. Despite the Oriental theme the stories take place in the dark and sleezy underbelly of London... and even Windsor.

Truthfully it is a rather strange read, at times the dated stereotypes are so awful you wonder if you are reading some kind of weird modern parody. However it is undeniably compelling.