The Golden Master
Encyclopedia
The Golden Master is a pulp novel
featuring The Shadow
written by Walter Gibson
under the house name
Maxwell Grant
. This was the 182nd Shadow story and it was published in The Shadow Magazine Vol. 31, No. 2 on 15 September 1939.
It has the first appearance of the hero's archenemy Shiwan Khan, and deals with a scheme by Khan to conquer the world by hypnotizing arms manufacturers.
The Shadow enters the story when Shiwan Khan attempts to dispose of Paul Brent. Working with Brent, The Shadow eventually tracks his opponent to his base of operations and apparently kills him when his escape plane crashes into the river.
The Shadow Magazine on 15 September of the same year.
The story was repubished in the hard back book The Shadow and the Golden Master published in 1984 by Mysterious Press. This book also contained a second Shiwan Khan story, Shiwan Khan Returns. In addition to the standard edition, there was also a signed and numbered limited edition of 250 copies in a slip cover.
Shiwan Khan is a direct descendant of Genghis Khan
. As a youth, he travelled to Lhasa
, Tibet
and studied with the monks. However, while trying to later use his knowledge to help the people of Mongolia
, he began to feel a lust for power and set out to rule the world as a new Khan.
He operates from the lost underground city of Xanadu, beneath the Sinkiang. He has access to the treasures of Kublai Khan
and has been trained by the Tibetan monks to use telepathic powers - "the power of the distant mind." He can also appear invisible to most people by staying completely still and suspending his "action of thought."
which featured Shiwan Khan as the villain (played by John Lone
).
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
featuring The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
written by Walter Gibson
Walter B. Gibson
Walter Brown Gibson was an American author and professional magician, best known for his work on the pulp fiction character The Shadow...
under the house name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
Maxwell Grant
Maxwell Grant
Maxwell Grant was a pen name used by the authors of The Shadow pulp magazine stories.Street and Smith Publications, the publishers of The Shadow, asked Walter B...
. This was the 182nd Shadow story and it was published in The Shadow Magazine Vol. 31, No. 2 on 15 September 1939.
It has the first appearance of the hero's archenemy Shiwan Khan, and deals with a scheme by Khan to conquer the world by hypnotizing arms manufacturers.
Plot summary
Shiwan Khan, heir to Genghis Khan, is in the United States to steal military technology in order to build his own army with the intent of conquering the world. He hypnotises Paul Brent of Globe Aircraft through the electronic lights of a nearby billboard. He orders him to create a larger production run of aircraft than originally intended, with the excess being sent on to Shiwan Khan. By similar methods, he also acquired engines and weapons.The Shadow enters the story when Shiwan Khan attempts to dispose of Paul Brent. Working with Brent, The Shadow eventually tracks his opponent to his base of operations and apparently kills him when his escape plane crashes into the river.
Publication history
The Golden Master was submitted 13 February 1939 and saw print in the pulp magazinePulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
The Shadow Magazine on 15 September of the same year.
The story was repubished in the hard back book The Shadow and the Golden Master published in 1984 by Mysterious Press. This book also contained a second Shiwan Khan story, Shiwan Khan Returns. In addition to the standard edition, there was also a signed and numbered limited edition of 250 copies in a slip cover.
Characters in The Golden Master
- The Shadow
- Shiwan Khan: The Shadow's archenemy first appeared in this story and would return three more times in the Pulps:
- Shiwan Khan Returns (December 1939)
- The Invincible Shiwan Khan (March 1940)
- Masters of Death (May 1940)
Shiwan Khan is a direct descendant of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
. As a youth, he travelled to Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and studied with the monks. However, while trying to later use his knowledge to help the people of Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, he began to feel a lust for power and set out to rule the world as a new Khan.
He operates from the lost underground city of Xanadu, beneath the Sinkiang. He has access to the treasures of Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
and has been trained by the Tibetan monks to use telepathic powers - "the power of the distant mind." He can also appear invisible to most people by staying completely still and suspending his "action of thought."
- Paul Brent: Technical expert for Globe Aircraft. Recently back from South America, after arranging final order specs and hypnotized into providing equipment for Shiwan Khan's army, Brent is the view-point character for much of the story.
- Bob Ryndon: Stunt flier and adventurer; shot dead by Hoang Khu.
- Guy Chadbury: Has controlling interests in several munitions companies and is under Shiwan's control/influence.
- Lana Luan: Chinese/American woman. Mind-controlled by Shiwan Khan; real name Beatrice Chadbury.
- Beatrice Chadbury: Niece of Guy Chadbury. Believes that she is really Lana Luan, due to Shiwan Khan's control.
- Alice Haywood: A pseudonym for Beatrice Chadbury, although she believes she is really Lana Luan playing an American.
- Benjamin Twindell: A wealthy and eccentric New York jewel collector.
- Herbert Thorner: Twindell's representative.
- Dr. Roy Tam: An influential Chinese business man who had often co-operated with The Shadow, in the past.
- Loo Look: A Chinese merchant employed by Shiwan Khan.
- Mitchell Dorron: Manager of the Tropical Export Line and had worked for Shiwan Khan previously.
- Flash Gidley: Manhattan's cautious and strategic Big Shot.
- Herk Duvan: Gidley's lieutenant, prefers strong arm tactics to strategy.
- Brodie: Gunman killed by The Shadow.
- Hoang Khu: One of Shiwan Khan's Mongols; shot Ryndon.
- Shan Juchi: One of Shiwan Khan's Mongols; killed by The Shadow.
- Dr. Sayre: Doctor and agent of the Shadow.
- Harper: Twindell's butler.
Other media
The Golden Master was part of the basis for the 1994 film The ShadowThe Shadow (1994 film)
The Shadow is a 1994 American superhero film, directed by Russell Mulcahy, and based on the character of the same name created by Walter B. Gibson in 1931. Alec Baldwin starred in the title role...
which featured Shiwan Khan as the villain (played by John Lone
John Lone
John "Johnny" Lone is a Hong Kong born American actor of Chinese and English descent. Lone has played roles as diverse as a caveman in Iceman , the last Emperor of China in The Last Emperor , and an apparently female opera performer in M. Butterfly .-Personal life:Lone was born as Ng Kwok-leung...
).