Monsieur Zenith the Albino

by Anthony Skene (George Norman Philips), Jack Adrian (Introduction), Michael Moorcock (Foreward)

"Zenith's crimson-irised eyes were reflective. He stood there long of leg and broad of shoulder, immaculately dressed, groomed to perfection, cold as an icicle; and dangerous; transcendently dangerous."

The second title in Savoy's new Millennium book line, Monsieur Zenith the Albino is a rare gem from the golden age of the pulps. This novel by Anthony Skene has been out of print—and virtually unobtainable—since 1936.

Introduction by Jack Adrian / Foreword by Michael Moorcock
Numerous illustrations by the original Zenith artists from Union Jack and Detective Weekly
Jacket design by John Coulthart.

Genres: Pulp

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Anthony Skene (1884-1972), born George Norman Philips, was one of the most celebrated writers of the Sexton Blake detective series. His enduring legacy rests on the creation of Monsieur Zenith the Albino, a charismatic antagonist who would appear in over eighty stories across the Blake canon. Skene's masterful prose style set him apart as one of the finest pulp writers of his era. Between 1916 and 1948, he produced a remarkable body of work: nearly fifty short novels, more than a hundred novellas, and numerous short stories.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pulpy novel with an interesting antihero but not really rising above its genre. Moorcock provides a metafictional essay on Zenith and the influence of the character and the book is clear throughout his work, whether The Chinese Agent, Metatemporal investigater, or off course Elric. Good luck finding this book, but know that it’s not really a lost treasure though quite entertaining.

[Kthxbai! · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dashing, debonair safe-cracker, immune to fear (and any other human emotion) and addicted to both adventure and opium, Monsieur Zenith the Albino may well be the perfect amalgamation of every gentleman thief cliché ever to grace a penny dreadful. Always dressed in fine evening wear (including a cape!), he divides his time between composing brilliant violin solos, baiting the poor police inspectors assigned to nab him, and , of course, cracking the unbreakable vault, stealing the untouchable jewels, and making the impossible getaway – all in an unending and futile search for a cure for his own ennui. What’s not to love?

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d dearly love it to be better, but this does fizzle out quite early on and it’s clear that Skene sort of hoped the episodic nature of writing for Sexton Blake would keep him going with a novel. But after a while it’s just the same incident in different places and with different characters. The first half soars though, witty and pithy and with a genuinely unique central anti-hero (you can absolutely see why he’s become so beloved a figure). It’s a shame it ends so conventionally and it’s very clear Skene hoped he’d come up with a better Macguffin but absolutely could not so settled for a big special key