The ubiquitous Steamy East
By William Wetherall
The Steamy East is everywhere. It may once have existed only in what is now broadly referred to as "Asia" -- but today it is found in virtually every reach of the real and imaginary earth and universe.
No continent or ocean, no country or city, no planet or galaxy has been able to escape the reaches of fantasies about Asia and Asians, whatever the regional affiliation of the story teller. Asians by any name seem every bit as ready, willing, and able to mystify themselves as non-Asians.
All genres of fiction have visited every corner of Asia, and real and imaginary Asians and their real and imaginary Asiatic ways have been made to journey everywhere that travel is possible -- back or forward in time if not in the present -- to real and fabulous places on earth, and to planets, stars, galaxies, and universes limited only by an author's imagination.
Asians in fiction, as in real life, have bred with every other putative race of human being, and in science and fantasy fiction they have even mixed with other forms of intelligent life. Mixtures abound in all genres of fiction, and the odds of encountering a human or semi-human character with a few Asian genes and traits is fairly high.
Number of titles by country
English fiction set in or involving China outnumber Japan-related English fiction by roughly two to one. India rivals or exceeds Japan if one includes Anglo-Indian titles. Vietnam comes next -- "because of the war" one is tempted to say, but this would hold as well for Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and most other countries. Fiction that crosses borders is mostly inspired by the conflict between nations, war being the most dramatic stage.
To be continued.
Worlds
Forthcoming.
Earth
Forthcoming.
Extraterrestrial
Forthcoming.
Continents
Forthcoming.
Africa
Forthcoming.
Asia
Forthcoming.
America
Forthcoming.
Europe
Forthcoming.
Countries
Forthcoming.
China
China accounts for more titles of Steamy East stories, partly because of its sheer size and importance, but also because both Britain and the United States have been deeply involved in its affairs. Hong Kong is the dominant local setting, followed by Shanghai and Tibet.
To be continued.
India
India-related Steamy East fiction is predominately British, at least until 1947, when India becomes independent, and later in the 20th century when many Indians migrate to North America.
To be continued.
Japan
The vast majority of Japan and Korea related fiction is post World War II, and reflects the American occupations and continued interests in those countries. The Philippines, too, is mainly a province of American fiction, and most English fiction set in Vietnam is not only American but about the Vietnam War.
If you were to normalize the numbers to reflect both national interest and populations of interested nations, China and Japan would dramatically fall in the ranking, and Southeast Asia would sharply increase. In other words, if you factor in the number of, say, Brits and Aussies who were in Southeast Asia and the amount of fiction they produced, and the number of Yanks who were in, say, the Philippines and later Vietnam and the number of novels they produced, the vastly larger number of American titles loses its significance. If you work in post Pacific War and post Vietnam War factors related to how books are published and distributed, and the creation of the paperback market, the number of titles is even less impressive.
In other words, sheer number of titles is a measure of more than simply "interest" in a particular part of the world or event.
To be continued.
Korea
Forthcoming.
Cities
Forthcoming.
Hong Kong
Forthcoming.
Neighborhoods
Forthcoming.
Chinatown
Forthcoming.
Kabukicho
Forthcoming.
Little Saigon
Forthcoming.