Meny

Theme article

History of crime fiction

By: Johan Wopenka

Depending upon how one wishes to define the concept ‘crime fiction’, it is possible to trace its history and roots back in time. When Dorothy L. Sayers compiled her comprehensive three-volume anthology Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror (1928–34) she started with two stories from the Old Testament, and when Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee (alias Ellery Queen) wrote their fundamental The Detective Short Story : A Bibliography (1942), they listed eight Chinese collections of short stories which are believed to have been written down between 600 A.D. and 1800 A.D., some of them containing stories based on an older, oral tradition.

Further reading

Literary figure

Henry Wilson

Gender: Male

Stubborn, skilful and respected Scotland Yard superintendent, the main character in a long series of novels and short stories by the couple G.D.H. and Margaret Cole. Henry Wilson is ordinary, with no special features. He is a bachelor – married to his work. On one occasion, he exposes corrupt politicians, and must leave the police force to work as a private detective, but after a while is back i...

Further reading