History of the Detective Genre 1841-Present

Edgar Allan Poe 1841: Murders in the Rue Morgue – First locked room mystery – First fictional detective – Influenced by Dickens – Movement from focus on setting to criminal mind

1887: A Study in Scarlet Sherlock Holmes had style, wit, & a sidekick Detective with formidable intelligence and deductive powers Influenced by Poe 1890: The Sign of Four – Sherlock never looked back. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

1920’s – Golden Age of Mystery Fiction Agatha Christie: – wrote more than 80 novels (over 50 years) – probably the best-known mystery writer in history – Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple (two series) – Perfected the “cozy style” of mystery:“ a small village setting a hero with faintly aristocratic family connections a plethora of red herrings a tendency to commit homicide with sterling silver letter openers and poison (Murder Ink)

1930s-1940s: American Detective Fiction Peaked Ellery Queen: 1929: pseudonym of two cousins who wrote of the exploits of Ellery (amateur detective) and his father Richard Queen 33 novels spanning over 40 years Adapted the Golden Age format to American settings

1930s-1940s Black Mask/Hard-boiled Fiction Black Mask – pulp magazine featuring hard detectives Focus on gritty American life at the time Dashielle Hamnett – Sam Spade – The Maltese Falcon Raymond Chandler —Philip Marlow OTHER DETECTIVES: – Charlie Chan – Perry Mason – Mike Hammer: 1947: new emphasis on sex & violence – Radio and television added drama to detective fiction – Children audience: Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys series

1950s-Present Television drew attention from written form but detective stories moved into realm of police procedurals & amateur detective specialties Now – NCIS, Law & Order, Criminal Minds, CSI (et al): focus is on law enforcement

2000s: Reemergence of Victorian Detective Fiction

Sherlock-Into the Modern Age Focus: narrator development Dr. Watson Thomas Llewelyn… Ongoing chronicle of legend Depiction of Victorian values So….

How can we define detective fiction? The Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction How do you know you’ve got a good story on your hands???? GORE?An Evil Villain? OR?