Kai Lung's Golden Hours

A popular English author of considerable repute in his day, Ernest Bramah (1868–1942) published twenty-one books and numerous short stories. His science fiction was compared to the works of H. G. Wells, his detective stories with Conan Doyle's, and his humorous novels with those of Jerome K. Jerome. Bramah was also famed for his traditional tales of Chinese literature. Brimming with colorful characters and concepts, these exotic fantasies are filled with corrupt mandarins, beautiful maidens, greedy merchants, alchemical potions, and more. A captivating collection that's ripe for rediscovery, Kai Lung's Golden Hours stands as the very best of these beguiling books. Kai Lung is a wandering storyteller accused of treason—and like Scheherazade of The One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, he must rely upon his silver tongue to escape conviction. With the help of beautiful Hwa Mei, who has the attention of evil Ming Shu, Kai tries to regain his freedom by spinning a series of entertaining tales that intrigue his captor. Laced with romance and adventure, spiced with fantasy and the supernatural, these stories will transport readers to a mandarin's court in ancient China. Reprint of the George H. Doran, New York, 1923 edition.