Achmed Abdullah remains one of the most underappreciated authors of the early 20th century, and this fine collection shows why he needs to be rediscovered. His gripping writing and superior characterization (particularly of Asian and Middle Eastern characters) were remarkable for the age in which they were first published, when Yellow Peril stories or romances featuring whitewashed sheiks were in vogue. Abdullah found a home in the pulp magazines, publishing a significant body of novels and short stories that were popular because they were exotic. Often they featured the sympathetic treatment of nonCaucasian characters—a novelty in the 1910s and 1920s.
Included in this volume are 14 of Abdullah's fine short stories:
Feud Reprisal
The Home-Coming
The Dance on the Hill
The River of Hate
The Soul of a Turk
Morituri
The Jester
The Strength of the Little Thin Thread
Grafter and Master Grafter
The Logical Tale of the Four Camels
The Two-Handed Sword
Black Poppies
The Perfect Way
Tao