[The Deepest Short Story Writer of Fantastic Literature] Schwob's First Paperback Edition / Original Masterpiece Collection 'The King in the Golden Mask' (Kawade Bunko) Already in its 3rd Reprint! Celebrating the Big Hit, Ken Nishizaki's New Translation of 'The Great Fire on Earth' is Fully Available Online!

Kawade Shobo Shinsha Co., Ltd. (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director Yu Onodera) announces that Marcel Schwob's 'The King in the Golden Mask' (Kawade Bunko, released on March 6, 2026, priced at 1,430 yen including tax) has been decided for its 3rd reprint, available on April 6.

Table of Contents for Marcel Schwob's 'The King in the Golden Mask' (Kawade Bunko)

A sick ancient king wearing a golden mask, a burning apocalyptic world in the distant future...

The long-awaited original masterpiece collection in paperback by the 'most excellent short story writer of the Symbolist generation,' who influenced Borges and Tatsuhiko Shibusawa.

Includes all 22 stories, with 5 new translations.

- The Great Fire on Earth, translated by Ken Nishizaki * - The King in the Golden Mask, translated by Chimako Tada - Captain Kidd, translated by Hajime Ohama - The Egg Story, translated by Chimako Tada - Future Terror, translated by Hajime Ohama - Empedocles, translated by Hajime Ohama - Messrs. Burke and Hare, translated by Hajime Ohama - The Plague, translated by Chimako Tada - The Faceless Man, translated by Hajime Ohama - The Sleeping City, translated by Ken Nishizaki * - Walter Kennedy, translated by Hajime Ohama - The Wooden Star, translated by Hajime Ohama - Train No. 081, translated by Ken Nishizaki * - The Society of False Faces, translated by Soichiro Taruno * - Paolo Uccello, translated by Hajime Ohama - The Blue Country, translated by Hajime Ohama - The Girl with Destiny, translated by Hajime Ohama - Lilith, translated by Chimako Tada - The Door of Opium, translated by Chimako Tada - Beatrice, translated by Hajime Ohama - The Mimicry, translated by Hajime Ohama - The Girl on the Flatboat, translated by Ken Nishizaki *

Commentary: Splendid Dead Things, by Ken Nishizaki

* = New translation

Ken Nishizaki's New Translation of 'The Great Fire on Earth' Now Fully Available Online!

A burning apocalyptic world in the distant future

Faith has ceased, vice is rampant, and storms and meteorites rain down

A boy and a girl begin their escape—

From the beginning of 'The Great Fire on Earth':

The faith that had hitherto guided the world made its last effort but could not recover. New prophets appeared and vanished in vain. The mystery of human will was forcibly unraveled, but it too was meaningless. It was no longer important. For will itself was on the verge of disappearing from the world. The vitality of all living things was now about to run out. All-out efforts to create a future religion bore no fruit, and people complacently sank into self-centered sensations. Any outburst of emotion was permitted. The world remained in a lukewarm state, and a calm continued. Vice spread with the unconsciousness of a giant poisonous weed. Immorality became law governing things, and chance became the god presiding over life. Science was blinded by superstitious belief, and hypocritical dispositions and sensations served it as tentacles. The once distinct seasons melted away in days of rain resembling storms. Nothing was distinct. There was no tradition. There was only a trite mixture of relics, a kingdom of ambiguity...

Continue reading on Web Kawade! Borges, Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, Ranpo's admired author, first published in paperback in Japan! In celebration of the reprint, the full text is available for free.

Marcel Schwob, a master of fantastic literature 'known to those who know.' His first original masterpiece collection in paperback, 'The King in the Golden Mask' (Kawade Bunko), has received a great response immediately after its release in March 2026, and its 3rd reprint has already been decided. Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, Edogawa Ranpo, Yumiko Kurahashi, Borges, Bolaño... 'The deepest short story writer of fantastic literature' who profoundly influenced such prominent authors, yet whose works had limited opportunities to be widely read until now.

The success of Kawade Bunko has been enthusiastically welcomed by long-time fans, discovered by new readers, and is now seeing a significant expansion.

'The King in the Golden Mask' includes all 22 stories, with 5 new translations. It presents a hard, intricate fantastic world imbued with a somewhat unsettling atmosphere, created through an astonishing erudition in history, mythology, art, and philosophy from East and West. At a time when bizarre fantastic literature is gaining significant attention, this is a must-read.

Please pay attention to Marcel Schwob's 'The King in the Golden Mask,' which invites readers into deep contemplation.

Author Marcel Schwob

Born in France in 1867. A 'most excellent short story writer of the Symbolist generation' whose hard and intricate fantastic style, based on extensive knowledge of history, mythology, and art, profoundly influenced later writers such as Borges, Edogawa Ranpo, and Tatsuhiko Shibusawa. Died in 1905.

- Translators - Hajime Ohama

French literary scholar. Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1925. Author of 'Isis Fantasy,' and translator of Schwob's 'Imaginary Lives,' 'The Children's Crusade,' 'The Book of Monelle,' 'The King in the Golden Mask,' and Villiers de l'Isle-Adam's 'Cruel Tales,' among others. Died in 2012.

- Chimako Tada

Poet, essayist, and translator. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1930. Author of the poetry collection 'The Country with a Long River,' essays 'Theoria of Mirrors,' and translator of Schwob's 'The Children's Crusade,' and Yourcenar's 'Memoirs of Hadrian,' among others. Died in 2003.

- Soichiro Taruno

Translator. Born in Kagawa Prefecture in 1958. Translator of 'Austrian Fantastic Novel Collection' (all three volumes), Meyrink's 'Walpurgisnacht,' Perutz's 'Turlupin,' and Borges/Ferrari's 'The Library of Memory,' among others.

- Ken Nishizaki

Writer and translator. Born in Aomori Prefecture in 1955. Author of 'Until Unknown Birds Arrive,' 'Book Ghosts,' editor and translator of Coppard's 'The Post Office and the Serpent,' editor of 'Twelve Months of Books' series, and editor of 'Planet and Whistle Books' and 'Bungei Delivery,' among others.

Bibliographic Information

### The King in the Golden Mask (Kawade Bunko)

Author: Marcel Schwob Translators: Hajime Ohama / Chimako Tada / Soichiro Taruno / Ken Nishizaki Commentary: Ken Nishizaki Specifications: Paperback / Softcover / 256 pages Release Date: March 6, 2026 Reprint Date: April 6, 2026 (3rd print) Price (incl. tax): 1,430 yen (1,300 yen before tax) ISBN: 978-4-309-46830-3 URL: https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309468303/

*E-books are also available. Please check each e-book store for details.