The works of crime fiction writer Edogawa Rampo are largely unknown in the West, but have had a considerable impact upon literature and popular culture in his home country of Japan. Rampo?s works are threading on the line between between distinctively Western and distinctively Japanese writing styles and thematic realms, embodying a cultural fusion which acts as a mirror of the societal and cultural changes that occured in the author?s contemporary Taish? era Japan. This thesis is an attempt to explore Rampo?s literary mindset, and more specifically to attempt to picture and describe Rampo?s self-image as an author of crime fiction active during this time period.