Siren

Name: Siren
ISBN: 9787569515626

Edogawa Ranpo / 冷欣Shaanxi Normal University Press · ChinaSep 2020

3.8

Word count: 167K words
Chapters: 41
ISBN: 9787569515626

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Summary

This Edogawa Ranpo mystery collection includes six classics such as The Demon of the Lonely Isle and The Banshee, comprising 35 of Ranpo's long, medium, and short stories. The previously published The Demon of the Lonely Isle has met with unanimous praise from readers. The Banshee includes two stories, "The Grotesque Master of Hell" and "The Banshee." Shoji Takehiko goes to serve as secretary at the Marquis Okawara's estate, but what awaits him is not the excitement of work, but a string of murders and a mesmerizing beauty. First his colleague Hikita falls inexplicably from a cliff, then Murakoshi is shot dead in a locked room... Everyone has a perfect alibi. Can the arrival of Akechi Kogoro bring a glimmer of hope to this bewildering case?

Editor's review

The Banshee is a collection of novellas and short stories by Edogawa Ranpo, the founder of Japanese mystery fiction, gathering representative works such as "The Banshee," "The Cliff," and "Dr. Mera's Inconceivable Crime." These works were written during a key period when Ranpo was exploring the diversity of mystery fiction, tracing his transition from orthodox puzzle-solving toward the social school and psychological thriller. The "banshee" in Ranpo's writing is not a supernatural being but the embodiment of twisted desire and frenzied obsession deep within human nature. Through ingenious puzzle design and a gloomy, eerie atmosphere, he explores criminal psychology, the conditions of society's marginalized, and the boundary between reason and madness. The book's pacing is well modulated, combining rigorous logical deduction with profound analysis of the dark side of human nature; behind its bizarre and dazzling plots runs a persistent, veiled critique of the spiritual predicament of postwar Japanese society. As a microcosm of Ranpo's mid-period work, The Banshee strikes a delicate balance between literary quality and popular appeal, continuing the fantastical character of his early work while injecting greater realist concern, making it an indispensable part of understanding Ranpo's literary world.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of Japanese mystery literature can glimpse the evolution of Ranpo's style through this book
Readers who prefer psychological thrillers and social-school mystery will feel the deep tremors of human nature
Readers who appreciate a gloomy aesthetic and eerie atmosphere will find Ranpo's writing intensely visual and emotionally charged
Readers who want to understand the writing of marginalized figures and psychoanalysis in postwar Japanese literature

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting pure orthodox puzzle-solving or fast-paced action suspense should note that this book focuses more on psychological description and social critique
Readers sensitive to dark themes or negative depictions of human nature

Reading tips

Reading in table-of-contents order is recommended, as it lets you feel the subtle shifts in narrative focus across Ranpo's different pieces
While reading, pay attention to the symbolic relationship between characters and environment; Ranpo often uses spatial settings to metaphorize psychological states
Reading alongside Ranpo's works from other periods can help you appreciate his creative trajectory from romantic fantasy to social concern

About the publisher

Shaanxi Normal University Press China · Founded in 1985

Shaanxi Normal University Press is a comprehensive publisher that gives equal weight to humanistic scholarship and general reading, with publishing directions covering law, world classics, social psychology, classic works, mystery and detective fiction, and foreign literature. In law, it offers theoretical translations such as Hegel's Philosophy of Right; in literature, it publishes Chinese and foreign classics including Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, Don Quixote, Six Records of a Floating Life, and The Complete Sherlock Holmes, with translators such as Jia Wenhao, Jia Wenyuan, and Jia Lingyi. It also publishes in social psychology and biography, such as The Neurotic Personality of Our Time and Beethoven. The library currently holds 210 titles; public information is limited, yet the overall profile shows a publishing character that balances academic depth with popular readability.

版权信息
地狱的滑稽大师
雕像风波
不同寻常的雕刻家
突如其来的火灾
掀开雕刻家的面纱
套在手上的木偶
魔鬼的狰狞
会行走的滑稽木偶
命系危崖
滑稽大师的挑战
雕刻家创人
半夜巨影忽现
两个乞丐
恶魔的藏身之处
凭空消失的凶手
出现在阁楼里的女人
无人认领的疯女人
神秘的墓地
恶魔之手
真凶现行
恶魔的哲学
女妖
家族的荣光
秘密结社
子宫内幻想
望远镜与自杀事件
目击证人
密码日记
谁是嫌犯
情迷浴室
追踪策略
古怪的画家
神南庄公寓疑案
小五郎侦探
神秘的日记本
由美子断案（一）
由美子断案（二）
蛇蝎之吻
女妖的戏法
化身魔鬼

FAQ

How does this book differ from Edogawa Ranpo's better-known works such as The Human Chair and The Beast in the Shadows?

Most works in The Banshee were written in Ranpo's middle period. Compared with the pure fantastical tales of his early phase, they place greater emphasis on the psychological depth of criminal motives and the depiction of social background; compared with the more mature social-school works of his later years, they retain more eerie atmosphere and surreal elements, making this a representative collection of his transitional stage.

What special significance does the "banshee" figure have in the book?

The "banshee" in Ranpo's writing is not a monster from legend but the embodiment of extreme personalities produced by social repression and distortion, often symbolizing runaway desire, the collapse of reason, or alienation under class oppression, reflecting the spiritual anxiety of postwar Japan during its social transformation.

Is this book suitable for readers new to mystery fiction?

This book is strong in literary quality and thought; its puzzles lean more toward the psychological than physical trickery. Readers with some grounding in Japanese literature or psychological narrative are advised to start here; those encountering Ranpo for the first time might begin with one of his lighter short-story collections.

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About the author

Edogawa Ranpo Author · Japanese · 1894–1965

Edogawa Ranpo, whose real name was Hirai Tarō, was born in Mie Prefecture, Japan, in 1894 and died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1965. He is a pioneer of Japanese detective fiction. In 1923 he entered the literary world with The Two-Sen Copper Coin and created the famous detective Akechi Kogorō; he founded the Japan Writers' Association of Mystery and the Edogawa Ranpo Prize, and is known as the father of Japanese detective fiction. His works span mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, and inspirational growth. Representative works include The Blind Beast, The D-Slope Murder Case: Akechi Kogorō Case 01, The Human Chair, Fangs: The Boy Detectives Club 05, The Boy Detectives Club, Ranpo's Masterpiece Short Stories (six volumes), and The Black Lizard: Akechi Kogorō Case 09. He was skilled at creating eerie atmospheres and exploring the dark and bizarre sides of human nature, exerting a profound influence on Japanese detective literature.

冷欣 Author

Leng Xin is an author whose work centers on mystery and suspense; public information about the author is limited, and biographical details are currently unavailable. Judging from the eight titles held in the catalog, the writing is closely connected with Japanese mystery literature. Representative works include The Sound of the Tide, The Beast in the Shadows, The Black Lizard, The Phantom Tower, The Female Demon, and Triple Vortex, along with the six-volume Collected Mystery Stories of Edogawa Ranpo and the anthology Ranpo's Gallery of Strange Figures: The Odd Volume. These titles largely revolve around Edogawa Ranpo's world of bizarre mystery, while also touching on modern romance and foreign literature, suggesting a style that emphasizes eerie atmosphere, criminal psychology, and plot reversals. The available material is not yet enough to trace a full writing career, but readers can sense the author's narrative choices and tastes in suspense through these works.