Trapdoor Books announces that its newest book, The Magician of Lhasa, the world's first Buddhist thriller, is facing scrutiny because of its depiction of conditions in 1959 Tibet. The book launched several weeks ago to rave reviews from critics, but it faces a backlash from censors who consider its fictional portrayals too controversial.

Lyons, Colorado, Feb 10, 2010 -- Just days after the Chinese Government has slammed both Google and Hilary Clinton for getting in the way of its rigid censorship laws and warned President Obama against meeting with the Dali Lama, emerging US publisher of geek fiction, Trapdoor Books, announces that its new book The Magician of Lhasa cannot be printed in China because it portrays the 1959 Chinese occupation of Tibet in less than flattering terms.

Chris Matney, Publisher at Trapdoor Books says: ‘Although we print our books primarily in the US, local off-shore production for worldwide sales reduces the ecological impact of shipping and is a responsible alternative. But because of the censorship issue, we’ve decided to print The Magician of Lhasa only in the US. It’s an amazing paradox that the book has just been approved for reading in the US prison system, but is considered to be so counter-revolutionary that China won’t touch it.’

The Magician of Lhasa by David Michie describes the flight of a lama and his two novice monks from Tibet in 1959, being pursued by Red Army soldiers and facing treacherous conditions in the Himalaya mountains. Just as Salman Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ so enraged the Muslim establishment that a fatwa was declared on him, and Dan Brown’s ‘Da Vinci Code’ earned him the condemnation of The Vatican, behind its standard ‘no comment’ exterior the Chinese government seems rattled by the prospects of a popular new novel drawing attention to its own record of human rights abuses in Tibet.

David Michie, best-selling author of the non-fiction book Buddhism for Busy People and a long-term Western Buddhist says: ‘The Government in China seems to have learned nothing from its past mistakes. One of the main reasons why they invaded Tibet in 1959 was to crush Tibetan Buddhism, but all they succeeded in doing was successfully exporting it to the West. Their continued persecution of documentary makers, authors and other artists, far from protecting their reputation, is only making it dramatically worse.’

Availability
The Magician of Lhasa is available across North America in hardcover, trade paperback and various e-book formats. The book is available on the Trapdoor Books website (www.trapdoorbooks.com) or from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine retailers.

About The Magician of Lhasa
When novice monk Tenzin Dorje is told by his lama that the Red Army is invading Tibet, his country’s darkest moment paradoxically gives him a sense of purpose like no other. He accepts a mission to carry two ancient, secret texts across the Himalayas to safety. Half a century later, in a paradox of similarly troubling circumstances, Matt Lester is called upon to convey his own particular wisdom as a scientist, when Matt’s nanotech project is mysteriously moved to America after being acquired by the shadowy Acellerate Corporation.

Tenzin and Matt embark on parallel adventures which have spine-chilling connections. Tenzin’s perilous journey through the Himalayas, amid increasing physical hardship and the ever-present horror of Red Army capture, is mirrored by Matt’s contemporary, but no less traumatic challenges, as his passionate relationship with his fiancée, Isabella, and his high flying career undergo escalating crises. It is at the moment when both Tenzin and Matt face catastrophe that their stories converge, spectacularly transforming our understanding of all that has gone before.

About David Michie
Best-selling author David Michie introduces the world's first Tibetan Buddhist thriller in his latest masterpiece, The Magician of Lhasa. Michie has previously published three mysteries through Time Warner Books UK and is the author of the popular non-fiction titles Buddhism for Busy People and Hurry Up and Meditate.