Subject
Tibet Autonomous Region (China) -- Fiction Books
Best books
Abraham Merritt
The Metal Monster
"The Metal Monster" by Abraham Merritt is a fantasy novel first serialized in 1920. Dr. Goodwin ventures into the Trans-Himalayan mountains on a botanical expedition, where he and his companions encounter a mysterious woman named Norhala who commands living metal creatures—sentient geometric forms capable of combining into colossal shapes wielding devastating weapons. Trapped between this alien metal civilization and an army of ancient Persians in a hidden valley, the group must find escape while one of their own slowly transforms into something inhuman.
Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White
The Mystery of the Ravenspurs A Romance and Detective Story of Thibet and England
"The Mystery of the Ravenspurs" by Fred M. White is a romance and detective story written in the early 20th century. The novel centers around the Ravenspur family, who are haunted by a mysterious curse that has led to the deaths of several members through bizarre and tragic circumstances. With only a few family members remaining, the looming threat of an unseen enemy casts a dark shadow over their historic castle, intertwining themes of love, loyalty, and the quest for truth. At the start of the narrative, we are introduced to Ravenspur Castle, a grand structure steeped in history and lore, where the remaining members of the Ravenspur family gather in a desperate attempt to confront a string of mysterious deaths. The head of the family, Rupert Ravenspur, reflects on the ominous fate that has befallen his kin, while the youngest members, Geoffrey and Vera, find solace in their budding romance amid the chaos. The tense atmosphere escalates with the arrival of Ralph Ravenspur, Rupert's estranged and newly-blind son, whose presence promises both intrigue and the potential for revelations about the family's dire situation. As the story unfolds, the family grapples with their haunted past and the encroaching darkness of their present, setting the stage for a thrilling and emotional journey.
Gilbert Collins
The valley of eyes unseen
The valley of eyes unseen by Gilbert Collins is a novel written in the early 20th century. It appears to be a lost-world adventure framed as a manuscript within a narrative, following Hugh Jevons, the scholar-adventurer Ronald Mirlees, and the commanding Saunders Philipson as they’re drawn into a perilous quest through China and toward Tibet. Secret societies, coded monastic lore, and hints of a hidden valley inhabited by a mysterious “ghost-faced” people and a river of diamonds set the tone. The beginning of the story has Jevons in Peking learning of Mirlees’s sudden, inexplicable death in Shanghai, then receiving a sealed box of uncut diamonds and Mirlees’s warning manuscript. Switching to Mirlees’s own account, we meet him in Shanghai, where he intervenes in an opium den assault and rescues a disguised Saunders Philipson; a brutal fight and a night-time launch chase down the Whangpu and into the Yangtze follow as they flee a ruthless secret society linked to a Tibetan monastery. In Nanking, Philipson reveals a plan to find a hidden valley beyond the Tibetan ranges, guided by a cryptic inscription carved by a dying lama that speaks of “devils of ghostly face” and a “river of white gems,” and he invites Mirlees to join him. The section closes with the stakes rising further as Philipson realizes part of his maps were left behind, raising the question of a risky return to Shanghai.
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