"The detective story is the normal recreation of noble minds.

" Philip
Guedalla
http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/etexts/detective/

WILKIE COLLINS: THE MYSTERY OF THE FIRST

DETECTIVE NOVELIST
http://www.bigissue.com/features/interviews/3158/wilkie-collins-mystery-firstdetective-novelist

Biographer Andrew Lycett explores the shadowy world of the 19th century
author, Wilkie Collins

Spurred on from his last work, a biography of Sherlock Holmes

creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Andrew Lycett set off on the trail
of the original detective novelist. His search led to Victorian writer
and fellow north Londoner Wilkie Collins, whose unusual, opiumridden life proved worthy of a detective investigation in itself
Do you agree with the claim that Collins wrote the first
detective novel?
In the 1860s the detective was still a recent phenomenon, with
the division at Scotland Yard only set up in the 1840s. Wilkie
wasnt the first person to write what might be described as a
detective story; one or two others, such as Edgar Allan Poe, had
done that already. Charles Dickens, too, had written about a
detective in his magazine Household Words. But with The
Moonstone, Wilkie was the first person to put it into a novel and
turn it into a page-turning read.

Wilkie realised that within peoples domestic homes lay

deeply held secrets And sensation fiction how does that
fit?
In this period of British history there were increasing numbers of
literate people. Consequently there was a new market for

exciting, page-turning books. Wilkie was one of the inventors of

the so-called sensation school of novel writers in the 1860s,
responding to this demand with stories uncovering dark
mysteries. People had attempted to reel in readers before with
gothic fiction but in sensation novels the events took place in
peoples homes as opposed to some exotic castle. Wilkie realised
that within peoples domestic homes lay deeply held secrets.
Was this related to Wilkies own secretive nature?
Yes, Wilkies personal life was also shrouded in mystery. He had
two families and he wasnt married to either of the women
involved. He met Caroline Graves first, who came from
Gloucestershire, and then Martha Rudd, an agricultural labourers
daughter from Norfolk. Interestingly, I was able to go and look at
the parish records and discover that Caroline was born out of
wedlock, which must have informed Wilkies own writing about
legitimacy. But Wilkie kept his family circumstances to himself. In
fact, the first time anybody officially knew about his double family
life was after his death, as both families were treated equally in
his will.
What impact did this have?
Although there is a grave in Kensal Green cemetery, there were
moves to have Wilkie commemorated in Westminster Abbey
and St Pauls. However, the powers that be ultimately decided
that he wasnt the right sort of person, without making their
reasons entirely clear.
Although a peer of Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins doesnt
have the same profile or legacy that Dickens holds for us
today. Why do you think that is?
Wilkies heyday was in the 1860s but there was a period after of
about 30 years where he wasnt quite the popular novelist he had
been. The taste for sensation fiction had passed and the fin de
sicle writers were in vogue. Yet in the 1920s there was a
resurgence of interest in Wilkies works, beginning with TS Eliot,
who described The Moonstone as the first and greatest of English
detective novels. Towards the end of the 20th century as well,
people were interested in Wilkie as a transgressive figure
examining things beneath the surface of Victorian life, such as the

problems with matrimonial and property laws for women or living

as a disabled person in society.

http://www.librarypoint.org/detective_fiction_origins

Detective and crime-related stories are one of the most popular genres of fiction. In
literary form, detective novels are so numerous that publishing companies devote entire
labels to the genre and release hundreds of entries per year. Detective/crime-related
narratives have become a major part of television programming, with networks basing
their entire primetime schedule around crime-related series.
Detective fiction is such an integral part of the current literary landscape that many
people have difficulty remembering all its subgenres, popular works, and notable
authors. This series explores the history of detective fiction, the authors who were a
major influence on its development, and books and films in its major subgenres.
Gothic Genesis

Despite the continuing widespread popularity of Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes, Doyle
did not originate the detective story. This credit must be given to another author of the
19th century, Edgar Allan Poe. In addition to being a major contributor to the literary traditions of
Gothic horror and romanticism, Poe also originated the detective story with his character C.
Auguste Dupin. When the character first appeared in The Murders in The Rue Morgue
(1841), the word detective did not even exist; the characters name Dupin suggests the
English word dupe, or deception, which Dupin utilizes in order to obtain the information he
requires to solve a case.

Many of Dupins characteristics heavily influenced character portrayals of detectives throughout

the 19th and early 20th centuries. His cold, logical method or problem solving, upper-class
background, and emphasis on intense reading for clues would remain consistent in his
portrayals throughout two other Poe stories, The Mystery of Marie Roget (1842) and The
Purloined Letter (1844). Poe only published three Dupin stories over his lifetime before his
death in 1849, although other authors have used the character--who is now considered public
domain--posthumously in novels such as The Murder of Edgar Allan Poe and The League
of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1. Cinematic adaptations of the Dupin stories are rare in
comparison to films featuring Sherlock Holmes, although Universal
released adaptations of Murders in the Rue Morgue in 1932 andThe
Mystery of Marie Roget in 1942.

Elementary, my dear Watson--An Icon Is Born

If Poe was the inventor of the detective novel, it was Arthur Conan Doyle
who truly cemented it as a popular literary genre. The first obvious difference between the two
authors was in the sheer volume of output. As opposed to Poe, who only created three stories
featuring Dupin, Doyle created 56 short stories and four novels featuring Sherlock Holmes. The
four Holmes novels Doyle wrote are; A Study in Scarlet (1887), The Sign of the
Four (1890), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901) and The Valley of Fear (1914). The
first series of short stories appeared in the Strand Magazine in 1891, and was responsible for
the dramatic rise in the characters popularity. They were also published the collections The
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of
Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

One major difference between Doyles detective tales and Poes is Doyles
inclusion of a sidekick character to assist Holmes. Dr. Watson, although
steadfastly loyal to Holmes, stands in sharp contrast to him. His
approaches to problem-solving are populist and simplistic while those of
Holmes are complex and sophisticated. He sees the surface of the crime
while Holmes tries to plunge into the psychological depths of the criminal.
He is emotional while Holmes is scientific. Yet it is overwhelmingly
Watson who gives the Holmes stories their point of view, supplying
narration for 53 of the short stories and all four of the novels. The interaction between Holmes
and Watson and their differing methods of problem solving is just as enjoyable for the reader as
the actual mystery to solve. This relationship is perhaps even more important in the various film
adaptations of the Holmes stories.

Holmes in the Age of Cinema

The Holmes stories were one of the earliest mystery series to have film adaptations produced,
beginning with the 1914 version of A Study in Scarlet, all prints of which are now completely
lost. Although individual adaptations of other Holmes stories starring different actors would
continue to be made, the definitive Holmes film series began with 1939s adaptation of The
Hound of the Baskervilles, starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as
Watson. Although 20th Century Fox did not create the film with the intent of starting a series,
Rathbone and Bruce proved so popular with audiences as Holmes and Watson that a
sequel, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, was produced which incorporated elements of
several Holmes stories. Following Adventures, Universal obtained the rights to the series from
20thCentury Fox and continued making films with Rathbone and Bruce as the lead characters.

Universals Holmes films were considerably different from those of 20th Century Fox. The setting
was updated from the Victorian era to WWII England and, instead of going against the schemes
of Moriarty and other villains from Doyles stories, Holmes and Watson were pitted against Nazi
spies and other WWII-era dangers. The entries in this series were; Sherlock Holmes and the
Voice of Terror,Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, Sherlock Holmes in
Washington, Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, The Spider Woman,The Scarlet
Claw, The Pearl of Death, The House of Fear, The Woman in Green, Pursuit to
Algiers, Terror by Night, and Dressed to Kill. Four of them, Sherlock Holmes and the
Secret Weapon, Woman in Green, Dressed to Kill,
and Terror by Night, are public domain, and these are the
most frequently shown on television.

A Case of Identity"

Considered by many to be the most influential Holmes and Watson, the portrayals of Rathbone
and Bruce left an indelible mark in the public imagination through their portrayals of the
characters. It is Rathbones stern, clever, driven Holmes and Bruces blundering, comical
Watson that most audiences today see when they read the original Holmes stories, despite the
fact that only one entry in the Rathbone series was actually based on a Doyle story. Rathbone
and Bruce were so connected to the characters in public perceptions that they played the roles
of Holmes and Watson on the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes from
1939 to 1947. Audio samples of Rathbone and Bruce from this drama were used for the voices
of Holmes and Watson in Disneys animated film The Great Mouse Detective, a testament to
the enduring appeal of Rathbone and Bruce in the roles.

The Sherlock Holmes stories remain popular to this day, and many film and television
adaptations have been made after the end of the Rathbone/Bruce series. Among modern actors
to play Holmes, Jeremy Brett is perhaps most associated with the role, having played Holmes

in several acclaimed television series. Other notable actors to play Holmes include Christopher
Lee, Rupert Everett, and, in a Russian-language adaptation popular in the former Soviet
Union, Vasili Livanov. A new adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr., is
set to be released on December 25. Certainly the enduring popularity of Conan Doyles original
stories and the many adaptations already produced in the public domain
ensure that the character will remain popular for years to come.

Ironically, Holmes was perhaps too popular for the two people most
associated with his success. Despite being best remembered today for
the Holmes stories and adventure fiction such as The Lost World, Doyle
greatly disliked having to write popular literature and felt it was
distracting him from more important subjects. Doyle attempted to kill
Holmes by having him fall to his death in a struggle on Reichenbach Falls with his arch-nemesis
Moriarty in the story The Adventure of the Final Problem, published in 1893, but received a
continuing deluge of negative press and angry fan mail that forced him to revive Holmes inThe
Hound of the Baskervilles.

Basil Rathbone also grew tired of his continued association with the Holmes character
and quit the film and radio series in 1946, although Nigel Bruce remained Dr. Watson on
the radio series until 1947. Despite a long and distinguished acting career in everything
from horror to prestige pictures, Holmes remains Rathbones best-known role. One
does not have to have the brilliance of a master detective to understand that the publics
fascination with the character of Sherlock Holmes can never be erased, even by the
efforts of his creators.
Top 10 Detective and Crime Novels and their Authors!

By

monika pareek
. Published on August 18, 2014 0

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Its one of the best genres of popular literature. It has been read extensively since ages and is
something that always stays. I am talking about nothing else but detective or crime fiction.
Detective and crime-based novels are so popular that publishing houses decide to dedicate an
entire label to their release. With the coming in of the BBC Version of Sherlock Holmes, we
have all become familiar with the character Sir A C Doyle created almost a hundred years ago,
but it still creates and impact and leaves the audience enthralled and amused.
Though all the credit for the popularity of detective fictions goes to Arthur Conan Doyle; but the
truth is that he did not really invent this form of writing.
So who was the master behind these detective stories that we so eagerly watch and read today?
All the credit goes to the 19th century author, Edgar Allan Poe. He made major contributions to
the literary traditions of dark romanticism and gothic fiction. Poe is known to be the pioneer of
detective fiction because he created a character called C.Auguste Dupin. Initially the word
detective was unknown to all. This characters name Dupin which is suggestive of dupe
(meaning deception), used deception to obtain information and inquire about his case. Hence the
word detective came up. His was a character that influenced all the other detective characters
that were created in the 19th and the 20th century.
Here is a list of some of the most famous criminal and detective novels of all times:

10. Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles

Year: 1931

Herbert R Armstrong was a guy who was charged and finally hanged for murdering his wife in
1922. He was called the Hay poisoner and is definitely believed to be an inspiration
behindMalice Aforethought. The story is about the adulterous physician called Devon who plans
to slowly poison his wife to death. Then he starts eliminating those who he thinks, know his
mystery. Its a psychological paced, and has got a catchy twist at the end.

9. They Shoot Horses, Dont They? by Horace McCoy

Year : 1935

Its set during the time of the Great Depression. Something that is really surprising about this
book is that even today it shocks the reader as much as it did at the time when it was published.
It is an extremely gripping book since the very beginning where the narrator is charged guilty for
an unknown crime. The writing style is brilliant and it has got an unbelievable ending.
8. Night and the City by Gerald Kersh
Year: 1938

It is Kershs best known work. Its the tale of Soho Denizen, a pimp and a gangster known as
Harry Fabian. He attempts to blackmail people and fails and a number of attempts at boxing
promotions go off the track too. He is not an admirable person but still the reader tends to start
liking him through the course of the read, until Harry betrays Zoe, and it all ends terribly for him.

7. Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

Year: 1942

When one talks of detective fiction, how can one not mention the name of the greatest detective
fiction writers of all times, Agatha Christie?
Its the story of a painter Amyas Crale who wants to paint the picture of a young Elsa. However,
he gets murdered under suspicious circumstances where he is poisoned to death. His daughter
decides to find who the murderer is, with the help of Hercule Poirot. It has got all the hallmarks
that Christie has in her novels- subplots, a last minute reveal, and psychological thrill.
6. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Year: 1950

Its Patricia Highsmiths first novel and the story is really simple. The story is about two men who
meet on a train and each one of them has encumbrances against an inconvenient father and an
adulterous wife. Its a brilliant psychological thriller, and the themes range from guilt, adultery,
desire to unconscious behaviour. And the most amazing fact avbout the book is that the author
was in her 20s when she wrote the book.
5. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
Year: 1958

This book by Green is set in Cuba at the time of the Batista regime. It was published at a when a
great political upheaval was just three months away. Its a story about a guy called Jim Wormold,
who is simple guy working as a salesman , but becomes a British Secret Service agent
inadvertently. Things turn awry when the Head Quarters in London send a man to help him at
work.
4. The Collector by John Fowles
Year: 1963

The first part of the book talks from the point of view of a loner called Frederick Clegg who
works at the city hall and has a peculiar hobby of collecting butterflies. He is obsessed with a
young, Fine Arts student named Miranda. He seems a psychopath when he drugs Miranda and
kidnaps her and locks her up in a cellar. The end is rather disturbing but I wouldnt throw any
spoilers here.
3. Christie Malrys Own Double-Entry by B.S. Johnson
Year: 1973

Its a story of a young accountant who has a very intriguing way of balacing his books. For
each of his sufferings in life, he entitles himself to take revenge. Soon, minor vandalism becomes
huge terrorist activities. Its a black comedy and was published just before the author committed
suicide at 41.
2. A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell
Year: 1977

The opening lines begins with Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could
not read or write, so you can imagine that how gripping can the novel be throughout. Its a
commentary on the British class system and succeeds in delivering an absolutely fantastic
mystery.
1. Laidlaw by William McIlvanney
Year: 1977

A local hardmans teenage daughter is found murdered and D.J Laidlaw comes to investigate the
case. The proses are richly gothic and Mcllvanney is known as the father of the Scottish Noir.
The book is about violence and sentimentality and is definitely a must read.