Detective Fiction
This literature became popular in England around 1790. Detective Fiction This literature became popular in England around 1790.
Most historians cite Poe as the father of the detective genre. “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) “The Mystery of Marie Roget” (1842) “The Purloined Letter” (1844)
Poe coined the term ratiocination, which means to calculate or methodical, logical reasoning.
“Where was the detective story until Poe breathed life into it “Where was the detective story until Poe breathed life into it?”—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle “It’s because I liked Poe’s stories to much that I began to make suspense films.”—Alfred Hitchcock
Poe invented the story in which the private outsmarts the professional.
Dupin vs. Prefect of Police intuition science imagination no imagination poetic mathematical
1850s and 60s Melodramatic novels (sensational novels) Best Author —Wilkie Collins wrote The Woman in White.
Late 1800s—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Author of Sherlock Holmes stories Born in Edinburgh, Scotland Studied to be an optometrist but his practice never thrived Married in 1885 and began writing, which enabled him to leave medicine
Young Arthur Conan Doyle and family on world tour
ACD’s house
Famous scandal: famous photography of “fairies” in the local newspaper—proved to be a hoax ACD believed the story; he believed in the supernatural. Known as a supernaturalist.
An Interview with ACD
Writing Career: wrote drama, historical romance, and essays published 56 short stories and 4 novels
Writing Career Admired… First Novel: A Study in Scarlet Poe’s detective fiction Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure stories First Novel: A Study in Scarlet Established 221B Baker Street Not well received by the British public, but instantly loved by the Americans
Advocate of Many Causes issued steel helmets and inflatable life jackets to sailors during WWI Introduced Court of Criminal Appeal volunteer physician in the Boer War
Writing Career Greatest achievement was Sherlock Holmes Knighted in 1902 Greatest achievement was Sherlock Holmes
STEEL TRUE. BLADE STRAIGHT. ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE. KNIGHT STEEL TRUE BLADE STRAIGHT ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE KNIGHT PATRIOT, PHYSICIAN & MAN OF LETTERS
1920-1945 The “Golden Age” of mystery Greatest mystery writer= Agatha Christie
Trademarks of Detective Fiction: A detective is driven by a desire to see justice fulfilled! 3 Key Types of Detectives: Private detectives Police detectives Dabblers in detective investigations
Trademarks of Detective Fiction: Sidekick=often serves as a foil to the detective Crime= various types
A detective is challenged to answer the following: Who done it? How was it done? Why was it done? What was done?