Ectopia

Name: Ectopia
ISBN: 9787513309158

Soji Shimada / 林新生New Star Press · ChinaSep 2018

3.8

Word count: 373K words
Chapters: 59
ISBN: 9787513309158

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Summary

In sixteenth-century Romania, there lived a queen named Elizabeth Báthory, who imprisoned young girls to preserve her youth, using their blood to rejuvenate her aging body... After horror novelist Michael Barclay is mysteriously murdered, the plot of his posthumous novel based on Elizabeth Báthory unexpectedly plays out for real in Hollywood, the capital of vanity. This blood-soaked "monster" is a hideous and repulsive woman. As the police investigation deepens, all evidence points to Reona Soma, a Japanese actress active in Hollywood. Reona, who has gone to the Dead Sea to shoot location scenes for Salomé, faces an unprecedented crisis—is she truly possessed by the vampire queen? And who will be the knight who saves her?

Editor's review

The Exiles is a highly experimental work in Soji Shimada's career, boldly fusing the precise logic of honkaku mystery with the eerie atmosphere of supernatural suspense. The core puzzle revolves around "dual existence" and "identity displacement"; Shimada's signature grand mystery and stunning reversals continue here, yet the narrative approach and atmosphere are closer to a Gothic horror novel. The work probes the fragility of self-perception: when the identity one relies on for existence is utterly overturned, what grounds remain for being? This is not merely a mystery puzzle but a profound philosophical inquiry. In terms of reading value, the book challenges the boundaries of traditional honkaku, offering an experience distinct from the purely rational puzzle-solving of The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, with a stronger emphasis on psychological oppression and a sense of fateful horror. The plot unfolds layer by layer and the final revelation of truth maintains Shimada's high rigor, yet the shell encasing the truth is steeped in an irrational mist. For readers familiar with Soji Shimada, this is a superb opportunity to glimpse the diversity of his writing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers devoted to honkaku mystery who are willing to accept its expanded boundaries
Mystery fans interested in philosophical themes such as identity and existentialism
Readers who enjoy Gothic darkness and psychological horror elements
Longtime Soji Shimada fans seeking a comprehensive understanding of his oeuvre

Not a good fit for

Readers who seek pure, classical logic puzzles and reject supernatural or psychological horror elements
Readers new to Soji Shimada who wish to start with his most classic representative works

Reading tips

Read in a relatively quiet environment conducive to immersive reflection, to fully appreciate the psychological atmosphere
Temporarily set aside demands for 'real-world plausibility' and first immerse yourself in the eerie world the author constructs
After finishing the ending, revisit the details in earlier passages to appreciate the finesse of Shimada's foreshadowing

About the publisher

New Star Press China · Founded in 1989

New Star Press focuses on classic works, mystery and detective fiction, science fiction, history, foreign literature and art, and its 602 titles in the library show a balance between popular reading and humanistic depth. Representative books include The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Illustrated Collector's Edition, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, The Player of Games, Local Government in Qing China, A Good Man Is Hard to Find and A Collection of Fine Ukiyo-e Prints, spanning classic literature, detective fiction, science fiction, local history and visual art. Its authors and contributors include William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie and Iain M. Banks, as well as translators such as Zhu Shenghao and Su Fuzhong and illustrators such as John Gilbert and George Cruikshank. Known for the detective series Midnight Library and for social-science and humanities titles, the press emphasizes edition design and reading experience; public information is limited, so this profile highlights the publishing features reflected in the library's books.

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尾声

FAQ

Is the style very different from Shimada's other works?

Markedly different. Compared with works known for physical tricks and rigorous logic, such as The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, The Exiles focuses more on psychological suspense, supernatural atmosphere, and identity puzzles, with a strong Gothic flavor—making it a rather special entry in his body of work.

Are there bloody or excessively horrifying descriptions in the book?

The horror in this book derives mainly from the psychological level and conceptual premise (such as the overturning of 'existence'), rather than explicit bloody scenes. It creates terror through atmosphere, suspense, and philosophical concepts, belonging to the category of psychological horror.

Is the solution to the puzzle convincing?

Shimada still provides a logical solution consistent with the worldview he establishes. However, readers must accept the premises built up earlier in the work, which carry a certain supernatural coloring. The answer itself is self-consistent and impactful within its framework.

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About the author

Soji Shimada Author · Japanese · 1948

Soji Shimada, born on October 12, 1948 in Hiroshima Prefecture and a graduate of Musashino Art University, is a Japanese mystery novelist regarded as a mentor of the New Orthodox school. He made his debut in 1980 with The Tokyo Zodiac Murders and went on to write works such as The Crooked House, The Foreign Knight, Ki sou, Ten dou, and The Crystal Pyramid, creating the detectives Kiyoshi Mitarai and Takeshi Yoshiki. His works, often categorized as suspense mystery and foreign literature, are known for grand tricks, strange architecture, and intricate puzzle design, combining logical deduction with imagination, and are frequently listed among classic works by Chinese readers. The library holds 23 of his works, including several selected collections. In 2008, he received the Mystery Literature Award.

林新生 Author

Lin Xinsheng is a Chinese author known for suspense and mystery fiction. Public information about him is limited: beyond his name, no confirmed English name, nationality, or dates of birth and death are available. Four of his works are included in the collection—The Screw Man, The Dance of Mitarai Kiyoshi, The Melody of Mitarai Kiyoshi, and Dislocation—all commonly classified as suspense and mystery. These titles suggest that his writing centers on puzzling cases, with an emphasis on plot momentum and the unfolding of deductive elements; the recurring name “Mitarai Kiyoshi” in the titles also hints at a connection to a character or series in mystery fiction. Because biographical and authorial statements are lacking, a more detailed account of his life and stylistic influences is not possible at present. Readers may begin with the four works above to get a sense of his narrative interests within the suspense and mystery genre.