The Supernatural and Fantastic in Short Detective Fiction

The Supernatural and Fantastic in Short Detective Fiction

Author: Laird R. Blackwell

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2020-11-09

Total Pages: 215

ISBN-13: 1476681287

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Although fantasy and supernatural literature have long and celebrated histories, many critics contend that the fantastic and the supernatural have no place in the logical, rational, world of the detective story. This book is the first extensive study of the fantastic in detective fiction and it explores the highly debated question of whether detective fiction and the fantastic can comfortably coexist. The "locked room" mystery--which often uses the fantastic as a red herring to eventually be debunked by reason and logic--has long been among the most popular subgenres of detective fiction. This book also explores stories featuring almost supernaturally gifted detectives, stories where the supernatural is truly encountered, and stories with ambiguous endings. Close to 500 detective stories from 1841 to 2000, in which the fantastic or supernatural plays a central role, are discussed and analyzed. Although not all the stories are judged to be successful as detective tales, in the great majority, the fantastic enlivens the tale and deepens the mystery without weakening the detective elements.


Book Synopsis The Supernatural and Fantastic in Short Detective Fiction by : Laird R. Blackwell

Download or read book The Supernatural and Fantastic in Short Detective Fiction written by Laird R. Blackwell and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2020-11-09 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although fantasy and supernatural literature have long and celebrated histories, many critics contend that the fantastic and the supernatural have no place in the logical, rational, world of the detective story. This book is the first extensive study of the fantastic in detective fiction and it explores the highly debated question of whether detective fiction and the fantastic can comfortably coexist. The "locked room" mystery--which often uses the fantastic as a red herring to eventually be debunked by reason and logic--has long been among the most popular subgenres of detective fiction. This book also explores stories featuring almost supernaturally gifted detectives, stories where the supernatural is truly encountered, and stories with ambiguous endings. Close to 500 detective stories from 1841 to 2000, in which the fantastic or supernatural plays a central role, are discussed and analyzed. Although not all the stories are judged to be successful as detective tales, in the great majority, the fantastic enlivens the tale and deepens the mystery without weakening the detective elements.

The Supernatural Detective

The Supernatural Detective

Author: Crin Claxton

Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc

Published: 2013-03-01

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 1602829004

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A girl meets girl, girl meets ghosts, funny, fast-paced thriller stretching from the streets of London’s theatre-land to the sand dunes of Provincetown. When Tony Carson wakes to a pretty drag queen perched on her chest of drawers, she thinks she’s dreaming. But it’s Tony’s powers that have awoken, and the ghosts just won’t leave her alone. Struggling with the mystery surrounding the death of her father, attractive herbalist Maya Silva needs Tony more than she knows, and it’s not just for her supernatural detecting. Dark storms are brewing and Tony’s about to discover the spirit world can be a very dangerous world indeed…


Book Synopsis The Supernatural Detective by : Crin Claxton

Download or read book The Supernatural Detective written by Crin Claxton and published by Bold Strokes Books Inc. This book was released on 2013-03-01 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A girl meets girl, girl meets ghosts, funny, fast-paced thriller stretching from the streets of London’s theatre-land to the sand dunes of Provincetown. When Tony Carson wakes to a pretty drag queen perched on her chest of drawers, she thinks she’s dreaming. But it’s Tony’s powers that have awoken, and the ghosts just won’t leave her alone. Struggling with the mystery surrounding the death of her father, attractive herbalist Maya Silva needs Tony more than she knows, and it’s not just for her supernatural detecting. Dark storms are brewing and Tony’s about to discover the spirit world can be a very dangerous world indeed…

The Supernatural in Short Fiction of the Americas

The Supernatural in Short Fiction of the Americas

Author: Dana Del George

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2001-08-30

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 0313073996

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The continuing cultural encounters of the Americas, between European and indigenous cultures, and between scientific materialism and premodern supernaturalism, have originated new narrative forms. While supernatural short fiction of the Americas belongs to the broad category of the fantastic, which is generally approached synchronically, reading audiences of the past 200 years have shifted their beliefs about the supernatural several times. While nineteenth-century readers understood science as real and the supernatural as imaginary, modern audiences recognize both as inaccurate, a shift which allows authors of supernatural fiction to celebrate premodern indigenous beliefs which were once disdained by a materialist culture. This book situates supernatural short fiction of the Americas within the changing cultural and epistemological contexts of the last 200 years and explores how authors have drawn upon a wealth of indigenous traditions. The book begins with a discussion of theories of the supernatural and the fantastic. It then looks at some of the first encounters of European and Native American supernatural beliefs and points to the common elements of these early traditions. The volume next focuses on American literature of the nineteenth century, which has a complex fusion of materialist biases and metaphysical fascinations. The final portion of the book gives greater attention to Spanish-American literature and the blending of the supernatural with attitudes of nostalgia and uncertainty.


Book Synopsis The Supernatural in Short Fiction of the Americas by : Dana Del George

Download or read book The Supernatural in Short Fiction of the Americas written by Dana Del George and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2001-08-30 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The continuing cultural encounters of the Americas, between European and indigenous cultures, and between scientific materialism and premodern supernaturalism, have originated new narrative forms. While supernatural short fiction of the Americas belongs to the broad category of the fantastic, which is generally approached synchronically, reading audiences of the past 200 years have shifted their beliefs about the supernatural several times. While nineteenth-century readers understood science as real and the supernatural as imaginary, modern audiences recognize both as inaccurate, a shift which allows authors of supernatural fiction to celebrate premodern indigenous beliefs which were once disdained by a materialist culture. This book situates supernatural short fiction of the Americas within the changing cultural and epistemological contexts of the last 200 years and explores how authors have drawn upon a wealth of indigenous traditions. The book begins with a discussion of theories of the supernatural and the fantastic. It then looks at some of the first encounters of European and Native American supernatural beliefs and points to the common elements of these early traditions. The volume next focuses on American literature of the nineteenth century, which has a complex fusion of materialist biases and metaphysical fascinations. The final portion of the book gives greater attention to Spanish-American literature and the blending of the supernatural with attitudes of nostalgia and uncertainty.

Murder in a Few Words

Murder in a Few Words

Author: Charlotte Beyer

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2022-02-22

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 1476641714

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The clue-puzzle, legal thriller, and classic whodunit are just a few of the subgenres within the widely popular crime fiction genre. However, despite its popularity among readers, the crime short story genre has yet to be fully explored by scholars. This book offers a deep-dive into crime short stories written by a wide range of authors, tracing the history and evolution of the crime short story. The book offers an accessible and original examination of crime short stories, focusing on compelling themes such as miscarriage of justice, feminism, environmental crime and toxic masculinity.


Book Synopsis Murder in a Few Words by : Charlotte Beyer

Download or read book Murder in a Few Words written by Charlotte Beyer and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2022-02-22 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The clue-puzzle, legal thriller, and classic whodunit are just a few of the subgenres within the widely popular crime fiction genre. However, despite its popularity among readers, the crime short story genre has yet to be fully explored by scholars. This book offers a deep-dive into crime short stories written by a wide range of authors, tracing the history and evolution of the crime short story. The book offers an accessible and original examination of crime short stories, focusing on compelling themes such as miscarriage of justice, feminism, environmental crime and toxic masculinity.

Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature

Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature

Author: Mark A. Fabrizi

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2023-12-06

Total Pages: 371

ISBN-13: 1538166054

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Stories of vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, goblins, mummies, and other supernatural creatures have existed for time immemorial, and scary stories are among the earliest types of fiction ever recorded. Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature is an invaluable aid in studying horror literature, including influential authors, texts, terms, subgenres, and literary movements. This book contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 400 cross-referenced entries covering authors, subgenres, tropes, awards, organizations, and important terms related to horror. Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about horror literature.


Book Synopsis Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature by : Mark A. Fabrizi

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature written by Mark A. Fabrizi and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2023-12-06 with total page 371 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stories of vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, goblins, mummies, and other supernatural creatures have existed for time immemorial, and scary stories are among the earliest types of fiction ever recorded. Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature is an invaluable aid in studying horror literature, including influential authors, texts, terms, subgenres, and literary movements. This book contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 400 cross-referenced entries covering authors, subgenres, tropes, awards, organizations, and important terms related to horror. Historical Dictionary of Horror Literature is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about horror literature.

Clues from the Couch

Clues from the Couch

Author: Laird R. Blackwell

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2022-06-13

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1476688370

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The detective story--the classic whodunit with its time-displacement structure of crime--according to most literary historians, is of relatively recent origin. Early in its development, the whodunit was harshly criticized for its tightly formula-bound structure. Many critics prematurely proclaimed "the death of the whodunit" and even of detective fiction altogether. Yet today, the genre is alive, as contemporary authors have brought it into modern times through a significant integration of elaborate character development and psychology. With the modern psychological detective story emerging from the historical cauldron of detective fiction and early psychology, the genre continues to develop a complexity that reflects and guides the literary sophistication needed. This book, the first of its kind, analyzes over 150 whodunit novels and short stories across the decades, from The Moonstone to the contemporary novels that saved the genre from an ignominious death.


Book Synopsis Clues from the Couch by : Laird R. Blackwell

Download or read book Clues from the Couch written by Laird R. Blackwell and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2022-06-13 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The detective story--the classic whodunit with its time-displacement structure of crime--according to most literary historians, is of relatively recent origin. Early in its development, the whodunit was harshly criticized for its tightly formula-bound structure. Many critics prematurely proclaimed "the death of the whodunit" and even of detective fiction altogether. Yet today, the genre is alive, as contemporary authors have brought it into modern times through a significant integration of elaborate character development and psychology. With the modern psychological detective story emerging from the historical cauldron of detective fiction and early psychology, the genre continues to develop a complexity that reflects and guides the literary sophistication needed. This book, the first of its kind, analyzes over 150 whodunit novels and short stories across the decades, from The Moonstone to the contemporary novels that saved the genre from an ignominious death.

Supernatural Noir

Supernatural Noir

Author: Ellen Datlow

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2023-02-28

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 1504082729

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Sixteen tales that combine the otherworldly with hardboiled crime fiction—from Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Paul G. Tremblay, Melanie Tem, and others. Here are the femme fatales, the tough guys, the down-on-their-luck detectives—but with a twist. Collected by Hugo and Bram Stoker Award–winning editor Ellen Datlow, these stories of the murderous and macabre will take you onto the dark streets of worlds unlike our own, where the monstrous stalk their prey. At the behest of a beautiful blonde client, a small-town East Texas private eye is drawn into a case of grave robbing by someone—or something—with an unholy interest in “Dead Sister” by Joe R. Lansdale. Elizabeth Bear’s “The Romance” takes partygoers on a wild ride when the centerpiece of a birthday celebration turns out to be a haunted merry-go-round. After robbing a pawnshop, a group of small-time crooks get their shocking comeuppance as they flee the scene in “The Getaway” by Paul G. Tremblay. “Little Shit” by Melanie Tem follows a college student with a very unique skill set as she makes money on the side taking down criminals. Supernatural Noir also includes bone-chilling tales from Lucius Shepard, Laird Barron, Brian Evenson, Gregory Frost, Richard Bowes, Jeffrey Ford, Lee Thomas, Tom Piccirilli, Nate Southard, Nick Mamatas, and John Langan. “This anthology has some of the most exciting fiction published in 2011. This is fiction that will make you uncomfortable, that will haunt you, that will show up in your dreams. . . . Horrifyingly wonderful.” —Fantasy Literature


Book Synopsis Supernatural Noir by : Ellen Datlow

Download or read book Supernatural Noir written by Ellen Datlow and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-02-28 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sixteen tales that combine the otherworldly with hardboiled crime fiction—from Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Paul G. Tremblay, Melanie Tem, and others. Here are the femme fatales, the tough guys, the down-on-their-luck detectives—but with a twist. Collected by Hugo and Bram Stoker Award–winning editor Ellen Datlow, these stories of the murderous and macabre will take you onto the dark streets of worlds unlike our own, where the monstrous stalk their prey. At the behest of a beautiful blonde client, a small-town East Texas private eye is drawn into a case of grave robbing by someone—or something—with an unholy interest in “Dead Sister” by Joe R. Lansdale. Elizabeth Bear’s “The Romance” takes partygoers on a wild ride when the centerpiece of a birthday celebration turns out to be a haunted merry-go-round. After robbing a pawnshop, a group of small-time crooks get their shocking comeuppance as they flee the scene in “The Getaway” by Paul G. Tremblay. “Little Shit” by Melanie Tem follows a college student with a very unique skill set as she makes money on the side taking down criminals. Supernatural Noir also includes bone-chilling tales from Lucius Shepard, Laird Barron, Brian Evenson, Gregory Frost, Richard Bowes, Jeffrey Ford, Lee Thomas, Tom Piccirilli, Nate Southard, Nick Mamatas, and John Langan. “This anthology has some of the most exciting fiction published in 2011. This is fiction that will make you uncomfortable, that will haunt you, that will show up in your dreams. . . . Horrifyingly wonderful.” —Fantasy Literature

Dark Detectives: An Anthology of Supernatural Mysteries

Dark Detectives: An Anthology of Supernatural Mysteries

Author: Stephen Jones

Publisher: Titan Books (US, CA)

Published: 2015-03-17

Total Pages: 571

ISBN-13: 178329129X

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CRIMES OF TERROR AND DARKNESS In the battle between good and evil, the supernatural investigators form the first line of defense against the unexplainable. Here are eighteen pulse-pounding tales featuring uncanny sleuths battling against the weird, written by Clive Barker R. Chetwynd-Hayes Basil Copper Neil Gaiman William Hope Hodgson Brian Lumley Brian Mooney Kim Newman Jay Russell Peter Tremayne Manly Wade Wellman Featuring the entire ‘’Seven Stars” saga by Kim Newman, pitting the Diogenes Club against an occult object with the power to ultimately annihilate mankind!


Book Synopsis Dark Detectives: An Anthology of Supernatural Mysteries by : Stephen Jones

Download or read book Dark Detectives: An Anthology of Supernatural Mysteries written by Stephen Jones and published by Titan Books (US, CA). This book was released on 2015-03-17 with total page 571 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CRIMES OF TERROR AND DARKNESS In the battle between good and evil, the supernatural investigators form the first line of defense against the unexplainable. Here are eighteen pulse-pounding tales featuring uncanny sleuths battling against the weird, written by Clive Barker R. Chetwynd-Hayes Basil Copper Neil Gaiman William Hope Hodgson Brian Lumley Brian Mooney Kim Newman Jay Russell Peter Tremayne Manly Wade Wellman Featuring the entire ‘’Seven Stars” saga by Kim Newman, pitting the Diogenes Club against an occult object with the power to ultimately annihilate mankind!

The Weiser Book of Occult Detectives

The Weiser Book of Occult Detectives

Author: Judika Illes

Publisher: Weiser Books

Published: 2017-10-01

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 1633410668

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A compilation of vintage occult mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle, Algernon Blackwood, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, and Helena Blavatsky, and others. Whether they investigate paranormal mysteries or use their own supernatural gifts to solve crimes, occult detectives maintain an extraordinary hold on our imaginations. From X-Files to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are no shortage of contemporary examples. In The Weister Book of Occult Detectives, esoteric scholar Judika Illes delves into the literary roots of this enduring subgenre. Among the ranks of occult detectives featured in this book are beloved favorites such as Dr. Hesselius, Dr. Taverner, Thomas Carnacki, and John Silence. They are joined by the more obscure or unjustly forgotten sleuths such as Shiela Crerar and Diana Marburg. Their investigative techniques range from palmistry and clairvoyance to psychometry, mesmerism, dreams, and good old deductive reasoning.


Book Synopsis The Weiser Book of Occult Detectives by : Judika Illes

Download or read book The Weiser Book of Occult Detectives written by Judika Illes and published by Weiser Books. This book was released on 2017-10-01 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compilation of vintage occult mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle, Algernon Blackwood, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, and Helena Blavatsky, and others. Whether they investigate paranormal mysteries or use their own supernatural gifts to solve crimes, occult detectives maintain an extraordinary hold on our imaginations. From X-Files to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are no shortage of contemporary examples. In The Weister Book of Occult Detectives, esoteric scholar Judika Illes delves into the literary roots of this enduring subgenre. Among the ranks of occult detectives featured in this book are beloved favorites such as Dr. Hesselius, Dr. Taverner, Thomas Carnacki, and John Silence. They are joined by the more obscure or unjustly forgotten sleuths such as Shiela Crerar and Diana Marburg. Their investigative techniques range from palmistry and clairvoyance to psychometry, mesmerism, dreams, and good old deductive reasoning.

The Best of Jules de Grandin

The Best of Jules de Grandin

Author: Seabury Quinn

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2020-06-30

Total Pages: 512

ISBN-13: 1949102424

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"Hercule Poirot meets Fox Mulder . . . raises genuine shivers. "—Kirkus Reviews A collection of the 20 greatest tales of Jules de Grandin, the supernatural detective made famous in the classic pulp magazine Weird Tales. Today the names of H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, and Clark Ashton Smith, all regular contributors to the pulp magazine Weird Tales during the first half of the twentieth century, are recognizable even to casual readers of the bizarre and fantastic. And yet despite being more popular than them all during the golden era of genre pulp fiction, there is another author whose name and work have fallen into obscurity: Seabury Quinn. Quinn’s short stories were featured in well more than half of Weird Tales’s original publication run. His most famous character, the supernatural French detective Dr. Jules de Grandin, investigated cases involving monsters, devil worshippers, serial killers, and spirits from beyond the grave, often set in the small town of Harrisonville, New Jersey. In de Grandin there are familiar shades of both Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, and alongside his assistant, Dr. Samuel Trowbridge, de Grandin’s knack for solving mysteries—and his outbursts of peculiar French-isms (grand Dieu!)—captivated readers for nearly three decades. The Best of Jules de Grandin, edited by George Vanderburgh, presents twenty of the greatest published works featuring the supernatural detective. Presented in chronological order with stories from the 1920s through the 1940s, this collection contains the most incredible of Jules de Grandin's many awe-inspiring adventures.


Book Synopsis The Best of Jules de Grandin by : Seabury Quinn

Download or read book The Best of Jules de Grandin written by Seabury Quinn and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-06-30 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Hercule Poirot meets Fox Mulder . . . raises genuine shivers. "—Kirkus Reviews A collection of the 20 greatest tales of Jules de Grandin, the supernatural detective made famous in the classic pulp magazine Weird Tales. Today the names of H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, and Clark Ashton Smith, all regular contributors to the pulp magazine Weird Tales during the first half of the twentieth century, are recognizable even to casual readers of the bizarre and fantastic. And yet despite being more popular than them all during the golden era of genre pulp fiction, there is another author whose name and work have fallen into obscurity: Seabury Quinn. Quinn’s short stories were featured in well more than half of Weird Tales’s original publication run. His most famous character, the supernatural French detective Dr. Jules de Grandin, investigated cases involving monsters, devil worshippers, serial killers, and spirits from beyond the grave, often set in the small town of Harrisonville, New Jersey. In de Grandin there are familiar shades of both Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, and alongside his assistant, Dr. Samuel Trowbridge, de Grandin’s knack for solving mysteries—and his outbursts of peculiar French-isms (grand Dieu!)—captivated readers for nearly three decades. The Best of Jules de Grandin, edited by George Vanderburgh, presents twenty of the greatest published works featuring the supernatural detective. Presented in chronological order with stories from the 1920s through the 1940s, this collection contains the most incredible of Jules de Grandin's many awe-inspiring adventures.