Soji Shimada

Soji Shimada (島田 荘司) is a Japanese mystery writer. Born in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Biography
Soji Shimada graduated from Seishikan High School in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and later Musashino Art University as a Commercial arts design major.

After spending years as a dump truck driver, free writer, and musician, he made his debut as a mystery writer in 1981 when The Tokyo Zodiac Murders was shortlisted for the Edogawa Rampo Prize. His most well-known works in Japan include the Detective Mitarai Series and the Detective Yoshiki Series. His works often involve themes such as the death penalty, Nihonjinron (his theory on the Japanese people), and Japanese and international culture. He is a strong supporter of amateur Honkaku (i.e. authentic, orthodox) mystery writers. Following the trend of Social School of crime fiction led by Seicho Matsumoto, he was the pioneer of "Shin-Honkaku" (New Orthodox) logic mystery genre. He bred authors such as Yukito Ayatsuji, Rintaro Norizuki and Shogo Utano, and he led the mystery boom from the late 1980s to present day. As the father of "Shin-Honkaku," Shimada is sometimes referred to as "The Godfather of Shin-Honkaku" or "God of Mystery.”

His humor mysteries such as Soseki and the London Mummy Murders and Let There Be Murder, Any Kind of Murder involve an extravagant mystery trick as well as elements of satire, confusion, youth, and survival.

In recent years, he has begun a new challenge—an animated series called the "Taiga Novels," collaborated with the renowned illustrator Masamune Shirow. Upon its kick-off in January 2008, he and Shirow plan to create a twelve-book series through the Kodansha BOX publishers. On top of the BOX, Shimada holds a column in the celebrated magazine, the Weekly Shincho. He is also heading two newly founded Amateur Mystery Novel contests—first, "The City of Roses Fukuyama Mystery Award" for amateur writers in Japan, and the "Soji Shimada Mystery Award" in Taiwan, sponsored by Crown Publishing company. In 2019 he joined the curated group of award-winning Japanese authors Red Circle Authors.

Awards and nominations
Shimada has been nominated for numerous literature awards, but gained a growing reputation in his early career for consistently losing out. He was nominated for the Naoki Prize twice, in 1984 for "Soseki and the London Mummy Murders" and in 1985 for "Summer, 19-year-old portrait" (losing both awards). His books Murder in the Crooked Mansion and Water that the Dead Drink were submitted for the Edogawa Rampo Prize. Both failed to make the finalist list. In 1985, Shimada was nominated for the Yoshikawa Literature Newcomer Award for "Soseki and the London Mummy Murders". He was nominated for the Mystery Writers of Japan Award eight times in eight consecutive years, but this was declined by himself before the selection process. In 2005, his novel "The Phantom of the Skyscraper" was nominated for the Honkaku Mystery Award; he finished as runner-up.

Shimada's lack of awards led to him being referred to as the "uncrowned king".

In 2008, Shimada won the 12th Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize.

In 2010, Shimada was again nominated for Honkaku Mystery Award for "Sharaku: Tojita Kuni no Maboroshi".

Works in English translation

 * Novel
 * The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (original title: Senseijutsu Satsujin Jiken), trans. Ross and Shika Mackenzie, IBC Publishing, 2004 ISBN 9784925080811 and, Pushkin Vertigo, 2015 ISBN 9781782271383
 * Murder in the Crooked House (original title: Naname Yashiki no Hanzai), trans. Louise Heal Kawai, Pushkin Vertigo, 2019 ISBN 9781782274568
 * One Love Chigusa，trans. David Warren, Red Circle Authors, 2020 ISBN 9781912864102


 * Short stories
 * "The Locked House of Pythagoras" (original title: P no Misshitsu)
 * Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, August 2013
 * The Realm of the Impossible, Locked Room International, 2017, ISBN 978-1-5453-3922-0
 * "The Executive Who Lost His Mind" (original title: Hakkyō-suru Jūyaku) (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, August 2015)
 * "The Running Dead" (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, November–December 2017)

Detective Kiyoshi Mitarai Series

 * Novels
 * The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (占星術殺人事件)
 * Murder in the Crooked Mansion (斜め屋敷の犯罪)
 * The Knight Stranger (異邦の騎士)
 * The Cannibal Tree of Dark Hill (暗闇坂の人喰いの木)
 * The Crystal Pyramid (水晶のピラミッド)
 * Vertigo (眩暈)
 * Atopos (アトポス)
 * The Ryugatei Murders (龍臥亭事件)
 * Hollywood Certificate (ハリウッド・サーティフィケート)
 * Phantom Russian Warship (ロシア幽霊軍艦事件)
 * The Devil's Revelry (魔神の遊戯)
 * St. Nicolas' Diamond Shoes (セント・ニコラスの、ダイヤモンドの靴)
 * Nezishiki Zazetsuki (ネジ式ザゼツキー)
 * Illusions from Ryugatei (龍臥亭幻想)
 * The Phantom of the Skyscraper (摩天楼の怪人)
 * The Adventures of Satomi Inubo (犬坊里美の冒険)
 * The Final Pitch (最後の一球)
 * The Sea of Star Cage (星籠の海)
 * The Rooftop (屋上)
 * The Locked Room of Torii:The Only Santa Claus in the World (鳥居の密室: 世界にただひとりのサンタクロース)
 * Novella collections
 * The Locked House of Pythagoras (Pの密室)
 * Jack the Ripper of Kamikochi (上高地の切り裂きジャック)
 * UFO Boulevard (UFO大通り)
 * The Allegory of Ribeltas (リベルタスの寓話)
 * Short story collections
 * The Greeting of Kiyoshi Mitarai (御手洗潔の挨拶)
 * The Dance of Kiyoshi Mitarai (御手洗潔のダンス)
 * The Melodies of Kiyoshi Mitarai (御手洗潔のメロディ)
 * The Last Dinner (最後のディナー)
 * The Drowning Mermaid (溺れる人魚)
 * Shinshindo Sekai Isshu (進々堂世界一周 追憶のカシュガル)
 * The Recollect of Kiyoshi Mitarai (御手洗潔の追憶)

Detective Takeshi Yoshiki Series
All works, with the exception of The Fading "Crystal Express," have been published by Kobunsha Press. A portion of the works have been adapted into a TV series by TBS: Takeshi Yoshiki Series.
 * Novels
 * Overnight Express "Hayabusa": the Wall of 1/60 seconds (寝台特急「はやぶさ」1/60秒の壁) – Dramatized into TV episode 1
 * The Izumo Legend: 7/8 of a Murder (出雲伝説7/8の殺人)
 * Crane of the North: 2/3 of a Murder (北の夕鶴2/3の殺人) – Dramatized into TV episode 3
 * The Fading "Crystal Express" (消える「水晶特急」)
 * A 2/2 Chance of Death (確率2/2の死)
 * The Blueprint of "Y" (Yの構図)
 * Ashen Labyrinth (灰の迷宮) – Dramatized into TV Episode 2
 * The Night Rings a Thousand Bells (夜は千の鈴を鳴らす)
 * Yutai Ridatsu Satsujin Jiken (幽体離脱殺人事件) – Dramatized into TV Episode 4
 * Kiso, Ten o Ugokasu (奇想、天を動かす)
 * Hagoromo Densetsu no Kioku (羽衣伝説の記憶)
 * Words Without "Ra" (ら抜き言葉殺人事件)
 * Asuka's Glass Shoes (飛鳥のガラスの靴)
 * As Tears Go By (涙流れるままに)
 * Illusions from Ryugatei (龍臥亭幻想)
 * Mekura Kenrō Ki Tan (盲剣楼奇譚)
 * Short story collection
 * The Murder in Observation Tower (展望塔の殺人)
 * The Woman Who Sells Poison (毒を売る女)
 * Dancing Gibbon (踊る手なが猿)
 * The Portrait of Yoshiki Takeshi (later changed to The Shining Crane) (吉敷竹史の肖像(2002年 「光る鶴」に改題))

Standalone novels

 * Let There Be Murder, Any Kind of Murder (嘘でもいいから殺人事件)
 * Soseki and the London Mummy Murders (漱石と倫敦ミイラ殺人事件)
 * Jack the Ripper, One Hundred Years of Solitude (切り裂きジャック・百年の孤独)
 * Summer, 19-year-old portrait ( 夏、19歳の肖像, Natsu, jukyusai no shozo  (Bungei October 1985)