In Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, I haunt a used bookstore and have occasionally scored some good finds.
Imagine my surprise when I walked into The Book House today and they had a used copy of Sax Rohmer's, The Golden Scorpion!
With a 1920 copyright, it was published by the A. L. Burt Company in New York through arrangement with Robert M. McBride & Company. I admit it's rather beat up, but I'm thoroughly delighted with my find and I personally consider it a steal at just $5.00.
You can get it legally for free as an eBook at Manybooks and if you follow the link you'll discover I reviewed the book way back on March 29, 2008:
From the creator of Fu Manchu (who makes an unnamed cameo in this story), The Golden Scorpion is a tale of 1920's England and Dr. Keppel Stuart who is sucked into the investigation of an international conspiracy group headed by the Golden Scorpion.You can read more about the fascinating history of this work by going to this link at Black Gate.
Fortunately, our hero has a greater hero helping him: Gaston Max, a French forerunner of James Bond.
The result is a rather exciting tale of cliff hangers and otherworldly beautiful women.
Pulp fiction at its most pristine.
I envy you this find!
ReplyDeleteThough with luck in the next two weeks I'll be picking up reasonably priced copies of a collection of William Hope Hodgson (containing my favorite of his stories, 'The Boats of the "Glen Carrig"') as well as the first of several hardcover collections of the Jules de Grandin stories. Truly a great time to be alive! (Fate, I'm not tempting you!)
Cool! "Boats" is my favorite Hodgson novel, too. It still amazes me how such a short novel contains so much: mystery, atmosphere, fantasy, horror, (brilliantly paced) action, bravery, heroism, camaraderie, not-one-but-two revenge plotlines, and even some old-fashioned romance.
DeleteWhat's your second-favorite Hodgson work, Ardashir?
Congrats on the find! How old is that particular copy?
ReplyDeleteThe copyright is 1920.
DeleteWow! So that's a first edition?
DeleteOnly for that States-based publisher. The novel had been released two years previously in England.
DeleteStill impressive. The oldest book I own a physical copy of is the 1946 edition of August Derleth's "Writing Fiction."
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