# Soji Shimada

Soji Shimada (島田 荘司, Shimada Sōji, born October 12, 1948) 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)