Seven Footprints to Satan by Merrit possible influence on Fleming
perdogg
Posts: 432MI6 Agent
I am reading Seven Footprints to Satan by A. Merrit. I see some possible influence on Ian Fleming. It involves a villain whose physical description is very similar in detail to that of Dr No. It is assumed that Dr No was based on Fu Manchu, in fact the description is very vivid.
" The voice was strangely resonant and musical, with a curious organ quality [Similar to Sax Rohmer's general description]..They [eye] were lashless and as unwinking as a bird,- or a snake. ..The head above them was inordinately large, high and broad and totally bald. .The nose was heavily and beaked, the chin round and massive. The lips were full and classically cut and as immobile as of some antique Greek statue...barrel of a chest indicating tremendous vitality."
He happens to be Chinese "Machau" he said "of princely rank"
The scene is where the hero of the novel meets this mysterious wealthy man. We learn the hero, James Kirkham is a veteran of World War I.
There are some definite influence on Merritt from Sax Rohmer, but I also see some influence of Fleming. The novel was first published in 1928.
" The voice was strangely resonant and musical, with a curious organ quality [Similar to Sax Rohmer's general description]..They [eye] were lashless and as unwinking as a bird,- or a snake. ..The head above them was inordinately large, high and broad and totally bald. .The nose was heavily and beaked, the chin round and massive. The lips were full and classically cut and as immobile as of some antique Greek statue...barrel of a chest indicating tremendous vitality."
He happens to be Chinese "Machau" he said "of princely rank"
The scene is where the hero of the novel meets this mysterious wealthy man. We learn the hero, James Kirkham is a veteran of World War I.
There are some definite influence on Merritt from Sax Rohmer, but I also see some influence of Fleming. The novel was first published in 1928.
"And if I told you that I'm from the Ministry of Defence?" James Bond - The Property of a Lady
Comments
Thank you. Your next task will be to prove my theorem about for whom Bond works (Fleming Bond).
Here is something that is very Flemingesque, eventhough the syles are different the concept is similar. This concept has not appeared in the Sax Rohmer world.
"Life, James Kirkham, is one long gamble between two inexorable gambles of birth and death. All men and all women are gamblers, although most are very poor ones." (Seven Footprints to Satan, A. Merritt - 1928 pggs 38-39 Avon Publishing 1971)
Ian Fleming (Ian Fleming's scrapebook)
http://jamesbond.ajb007.co.uk/scrapbook/
“It was like this, Mr Bond.” Zographos had a precise way of speaking with the thin tips of his lips while his half-hard half-soft Greek eyes measured the reaction of his words on the listener… “The Russians are chess players. They are mathematicians. Cold machines. But they are also mad. The mad ones forsake the chess and the mathematics and become gamblers. Now, Mr Bond.” Zographos laid a hand on Bond`s sleeve and quickly withdrew it because he knew Englishmen, just as he knew the characteristics of every race, every race with money, in the world. “There are two gamblers… the man who lays the odds and the man who accepts them. The bookmaker and the punter. The casino and, if you like” – Mr Zographos`s smile was sly with the “shared secret” and proud with the right word – “The suckers.”
Oh, that's interesting. Nice to meet you here on AJB, perdogg.