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Wow, Mirek - thank you. I hadn't seen this before. This was incredibly kind of you.

One of the things I've had to do in reviving the characters is field objections from the PC crowd. From my perspective, this very influential contingent are just blue-noses under a new identity and with a new political affiliation (in many cases). My portrayal of Smith as a critique of imperialist attitudes is a direct reaction to the PC crowd. He becomes a useful tool to stave off those who would shoot down Rohmer or the series without a second thought. The toughest thing with PC advocates is they rarely stop and think because they're too busy condemning others. They also tend to shout loudest and do their best to demonize individuals rather than listen to another viewpoint. They are great at rallying crowds and are not very far removed from angry villagers with torches. That is where my revisionist take on Smith and interpretation of Rohmer comes into play. I do think it is true that Rohmer's genuine love of the East, it's people, their customs and beliefs, and (yes) their women far outweighs any dated perspectives that appear racist to contemporary readers, but the angle I choose for the articles and (to an extent) in my fiction is calculated to combat dissenters. It's also something the Rohmer Estate is comfortable with as a quick branding of racism is sure-fire way to undo their plans to see Rohmer reprinted in time for the series' centennary. This may strike some as disingenuous, but I have no objection to coming clean given the proper forum. So after this long-winded response, I welcome any conversation about what I write, but I suspect our viewpoints are not so dissimilar.

I don't backtrack from the Yellow Peril at all, Mirek. While I'm a big fan of both of Cay Van Ash's Fu Manchu books, it always troubled me that he avoided the topic (although it may have been a requirement as he landed a major publisher in the eighties). I felt it was impossible to write a book set in 1913 and not address the Yellow Peril so it became the center of my story (along with immersing the plot in three of Rohmer's personal passions: Theosophy, secret societies, and the existence of the supernatural). I did minimize Nayland Smith's role in favor of delving deeper into Petrie and adding another Rohmer hero, Gaston Max to the mix as a substitute for Smith for several chapters.

As to your question about Nayland Smith, I don't think Rohmer viewed him as intolerant but he did make him reflect the prevailing attitude of the Crown rather than the author's own attitudes. Smith is the authority figure. He's very much Fu Manchu's counterpart in that both men are dedicated to a single goal and appear lacking in all other desires. Petrie (and his successors) serves as Rohmer's alter ego. It is Petrie who loves the Orient and an Oriental (by the definition of his era) woman. This is repeated time and again in the series. One of the points that I think is important is that Rohmer's stories always have a strong undercurrent of cultures blending together. Fu Manchu and his daughter both have green eyes. The narrator of the books invariably falls in love with a seductive Eurasian agent who defects. If you described them as romances with interracial couples, they would never have sold in their day, but that is exactly what Rohmer accomplished. The entire series represents his love affair with the East. The sad thing is Fu Manchu in art and film have convinced people who will never read Rohmer that they are offensive portrayals. The point that in the books, Fu Manchu is the most intelligent and honorable character is lost on the masses of people who simply believe it should remain buried because it's an insulting stereotype. That's what led me to take the angle I did with the articles and in interviews, etc. It's not an easy sell in the 21st Century.

I look forward to your thoughts when you do read it, Mirek. I value your opinion and know you will be honest in any critique.