Hippiepoet
February 25th, 2008, 12:22 AM
I found this on Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_fiction) and found it a very interesting read. It mentions the origins of crime in literature, and some very good books/writers.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Paget_holmes.png/275px-Paget_holmes.png
"Sherlock Holmes, pipe-puffing hero of crime fiction, confers with his colleague Dr. Watson; together these characters popularized the genre."
Crime fiction is the genre of fiction that deals with crimes, their detection, criminals, and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred. It has several sub-genres, including detective fiction (including the whodunnit), legal thriller, courtroom drama, and hard-boiled fiction.
History of Crime Fiction
Crime fiction began to be considered as a serious genre only around 1900. The earliest known crime novel is "The murder of machine operator Rolfsen" by Norwegian Mauritz Hansen, published in 1839. Yet more known are the earlier dark works of Edgar Allan Poe (e.g., "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (http://www.amazon.com/Murders-Morgue-Oxford-Bookworms-Library/dp/0194790789/dreamindemon-20) (1841), "The Mystery of Marie Roget" (http://www.amazon.com/The-Mystery-of-Marie-Roget/dp/B000FA5OZQ/dreamindemon-20)(1842), and "The Purloined Letter" (http://www.amazon.com/Purloined-Letter-Tale-Blazers/dp/089598752X/dreamindemon-20) (1844). The evolution of locked room mysteries was one of the landmarks in the history of crime fiction. The Sherlock Holmes mysteries, probably based upon C. Auguste Dupin and Émile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq, are said to have been singularly responsible for the huge popularity in this genre. A precursor was Paul Féval, whose series Les Habits Noirs (1862-67) feature Scotland Yard detectives and criminal conspiracies.
Crime fiction and mainstream fiction
When trying to pigeon-hole fiction, it is extraordinarily difficult to tell where crime fiction starts and where it ends. This is largely attributed to the fact that love, danger and death are central motifs in fiction. A less obvious reason is that the classification of a work may very well be related to the author's reputation.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Paget_holmes.png/275px-Paget_holmes.png
"Sherlock Holmes, pipe-puffing hero of crime fiction, confers with his colleague Dr. Watson; together these characters popularized the genre."
Crime fiction is the genre of fiction that deals with crimes, their detection, criminals, and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred. It has several sub-genres, including detective fiction (including the whodunnit), legal thriller, courtroom drama, and hard-boiled fiction.
History of Crime Fiction
Crime fiction began to be considered as a serious genre only around 1900. The earliest known crime novel is "The murder of machine operator Rolfsen" by Norwegian Mauritz Hansen, published in 1839. Yet more known are the earlier dark works of Edgar Allan Poe (e.g., "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (http://www.amazon.com/Murders-Morgue-Oxford-Bookworms-Library/dp/0194790789/dreamindemon-20) (1841), "The Mystery of Marie Roget" (http://www.amazon.com/The-Mystery-of-Marie-Roget/dp/B000FA5OZQ/dreamindemon-20)(1842), and "The Purloined Letter" (http://www.amazon.com/Purloined-Letter-Tale-Blazers/dp/089598752X/dreamindemon-20) (1844). The evolution of locked room mysteries was one of the landmarks in the history of crime fiction. The Sherlock Holmes mysteries, probably based upon C. Auguste Dupin and Émile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq, are said to have been singularly responsible for the huge popularity in this genre. A precursor was Paul Féval, whose series Les Habits Noirs (1862-67) feature Scotland Yard detectives and criminal conspiracies.
Crime fiction and mainstream fiction
When trying to pigeon-hole fiction, it is extraordinarily difficult to tell where crime fiction starts and where it ends. This is largely attributed to the fact that love, danger and death are central motifs in fiction. A less obvious reason is that the classification of a work may very well be related to the author's reputation.