Thursday, April 22, 2010

pic o' the day - extra edition
























Winter 1980–1981
THE BLACK LOTUS
DEATH FROM THE SKY
DOOMSDAY ISLAND
Miami private investigator Mike Shayne goes up against Leiko Smith, also known as the Black Lotus. Over the course of the three stories, it becomes clear that the Black Lotus is really the granddaughter of Fu Manchu.

James Reasoner wrote the three Black Lotus stories, which appeared in
Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine (January 1981, July 1981, and February 1982), under the pseudonym Brett Halliday. The information on the Black Lotus is derived from Tom Johnson’s article “The Black Lotus,” in Echoes #32, August 1987. I believe that the Black Lotus was really a great-granddaughter, not granddaughter, of Fu Manchu, as described in my “Who’s Going to Take Over the World When I’m Gone?” (Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe), which also posits that Leiko Smith is the granddaughter of Sir Denis Nayland Smith. I also believe that the Mike Shayne seen here was really Mike Shayne, Jr. Brad Mengel has established Mike Shayne’s genealogy in “The Land Family” on The Wold Newton Chronicles website.

5 comments:

Paul Bishop said...

Great stuff! My first published stories were in MikE Shayne Mystery Magazine. I've always treasured that small personal connection to the original pulps.

Win Scott Eckert said...

Bish! Which issues? I'd definitely track those down...

Michael Brown said...

Not familiar with these.

the second cover looks like she's using kryptonite against the guy. The third looks like something more in-line with some of the sweats.

Paul Bishop said...

Hey!

If you're interested, email me off line with your address and I'll send you a copy of Pattern of Behavior, which collects a lot of my short stories including the ones from Shayne.

bish88@verizon.net

Win Scott Eckert said...

Bish, very cool, and many thanks, I'll do that!