Contributed to THE BIG THRILL by Albert T. Longden
Sax Rohmer...a name to conjure when evoking literary icon's of the last century. Creator of one of the most enduring, if not endearing characters of all time, the first true "super-villain", Dr. Fu Manchu. Some Holmesian adherents might argue that Dr. Moriarty occupies that niche, but Moriarty for all his genius never created an "elixir of life" or genetically altered spiders and fungi. This one creation, the insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, has influenced a myriad of writers and characters over the years. We can easily see the parallels between "Fu" and Ian Fleming's Dr. No or the wonderful Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon. Indeed, Earl Derr Biggers created Charlie Chan, in part because of the fame of the "Devil Doctor" Biggers, feeling there needed to be an Asian hero to counterbalance Rohmer's creation.
Sax Rohmer...a name to conjure when evoking literary icon's of the last century. Creator of one of the most enduring, if not endearing characters of all time, the first true "super-villain", Dr. Fu Manchu. Some Holmesian adherents might argue that Dr. Moriarty occupies that niche, but Moriarty for all his genius never created an "elixir of life" or genetically altered spiders and fungi. This one creation, the insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, has influenced a myriad of writers and characters over the years. We can easily see the parallels between "Fu" and Ian Fleming's Dr. No or the wonderful Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon. Indeed, Earl Derr Biggers created Charlie Chan, in part because of the fame of the "Devil Doctor" Biggers, feeling there needed to be an Asian hero to counterbalance Rohmer's creation.
Rohmer's creativity was extensive as was his personal interest in Egyptology, Sorcery, the Occult, and all things Oriental (in his day, anything east of Athens). His creations included the wonderful Dream Detective, Morris Klaw; renowned investigator of the Occult, Paul Harley; Red Kerry of Scotland Yard, the indescribably unscrupulous beauty Sumuru and numerous investigators, detectives, and commissioners; international spy chasers; and, an impressive array of dacoits, lascars, henchmen and overactive crime lords. In fact the infamous Dr. Fu Manchu was modeled after a very real turn of the century Limehouse criminal boss named Mr. King.
A little secret for those of you not totally familiar with Sax Rohmer's works, is that he is the creator of some of the most intriguingly described women of his or any other day. His descriptions are magical in their simplicity and certainly highlight Sax's penchant for exotic and beautiful women. Picture Keira Knightley, Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, or Gwyneth Paltrow to name few and you've hit upon some of his most alluring, strong-willed, independent damsels in the annals of early 20th Century literature and this does not include the wonderful array of exotic, easterners who frequent nearly every story, be they victim or perpetrator. My personal favorite of these wonderful women characters is the marvelous heroine of White Velvet, originally scripted in screenplay form by Sax for Marlene Dietrich.A literary giant and one of the biggest selling authors of the last century, Rohmer's writing career was marked by a number of fits and starts as he wandered from newspaper reporting to play writing and producing, to perfume manufacturing, to magazine serializations, to, finally, full length novels. This nearly sixteen year process finally convinced the easily distracted Sax to focus on novels and on his franchise: Fu Manchu. Sax Rohmer, one of the true greats of pulp fiction and an early crafter of our beloved Thriller genre.
Al Longden is the Principal of Albert T. Longden Associates, a literary agency and has represented various celebrities and authors including NYT Bestselling author's Norman Bogner and Doris Parmett; Pinnacle profiled author and business leader William J. Morin; Franklin Award winner Richard Sand; award winning actor Jack Klugman; renowned actor, director and producer Robert Hooks; famed B-movie producer Harry Alan Towers and numerous others. In his career Mr. Longden has been an entrepreneur, publisher and executive in the publishing, service and new media industries.
