Asia has always had a great fascination for artists and writers alike. Japanese woodblock or ukiyo-e printing by the greats Hokusai and Hiroshige had a tremendous influence on French Impressionism and the development of modern art. Classic authors such as Joseph Conrad and James Clavell have explored the West’s fascination with all things oriental.
So too, in present times. As hundreds of thousands of Aussies, Brits,, and to a lesser extent, Americans descend on the watering holes of Phuket, Bangkok, Bali an, d the many thousands of islands throughout the Asia Pacific regions, there are many situations that arise, some pleasant and fun, others dangerous or even deadly. For the past five years or so, I have been venturing to Thailand and Indonesia, not to mention the Philippines and Japan. There were times when I felt lucky to be alive. Although I missed the tsunami by some years, I knew from the nightly earthquakes felt while I was working in Tokyo that this had been pure chance.
As a conversational English teacher, I remember one of the ESL teachers from another school going missing. Her body washed up on the mild-mannered beach and a mild-mannered serial killer was later arrested. I also recall a pervasive belief in the ghosts of ancestors that colored everyday life.
So, if we are familiar with Western writers. Although we should have a look at some of the Asian writers including Ovidia Yu, whose character Aunty Lee figures in several of her mystery detective novels including Aunty Lee’s Delights and Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials. The main protagonist is an inquisitive Peranakan restauranteur named Rosie Aunty Lee.
Then we have Nury Vittachi, who has played a prominent role in the Hong Kong literary scene. He is known for his understated mystery series featuring the Singapore feng shui master C.F. Wong. He combines an odd mix of characters like Madame Xu and other psychics. Such characters abound on the Asian street and the very notion of feng shui has a grip on the collective imagination.
Crime fiction is thriving in Asia with an avid reading public. The old stereotypes are over, and this new exciting urban fiction is capturing the imagination of book lovers everywhere. This new local noir should sow the seeds of classic crime thriller films to come so I can hardly wait to read the books before watching the inevitable movies.
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