Crime Fiction Since 1800: Detection, Death, Diversity

by Stephen Knight

Since its appearance nearly two centuries ago, crime fiction has gripped readers' imaginations around the world. Detectives have varied enormously: from the nineteenth-century policemen (and a few women), through stars like Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple, to newly self-aware voices of the present - feminist, African American, lesbian, gay, postcolonial and postmodern.

Stephen Knight's fascinating book is a comprehensive analytic survey of crime fiction from its origins in the nineteenth century to the present day. Knight explains how and why the various forms of the genre have evolved, explores a range of authors and movements, and argues that the genre as a whole has three parts – the early development of Detection, the growing emphasis on Death, and the modern celebration of Diversity.

The expanded second edition has been thoroughly updated in the light of recent research and new developments, such as ethnic crime fiction, the rise of thrillers in the serial-killer and urban collapse modes, and feel-good 'cozies'. It also explores a number of fictional works which have been published in the last few years and features a helpful glossary. With full references, and written in a highly engaging style, this remains the essential short guide for readers of crime fiction everywhere!

Genres: Nonfiction, Crime

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2010

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Stephen Knight - Thrillers

Reviews

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good overview of crime writing both British and American and how they overlap. It also touches on writing from what were and remain sovereign countries, such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada. This book and those of Lee Horsley on Twentieth Century Crime Fiction and Noir are very good academic approaches to the genre in its English form. What I miss is an engagement with crime fiction from non-English writers. Crime fiction in translation has become a large industry and is deserving of comparison to English crime writing.

[Anna Dowdall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Femmes fatales and Oxford detecting dons scrutinized... Sometimes it's fun to read an academic study of crime fiction. This one is smart, encyclopedic, gently debunks the masculinist tough guy uber-tradition, and offers insights into the writing and reading of crime fiction and social class.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mycket ingående genomgång. Intressant, om än bitvis lite rörigt. Älskar utredningen kring äldre tiders litteratur, uppstarten av genren.