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supernatural and fantastic in short detective fiction
Although fantasy and supernatural literature have long and celebrated histories, many critics and readers of detective fiction 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, but it is not the only type of celebrated detective story. This book also explores stories featuring almost supernaturally gifted detectives, stories where the supernatural is truly encountered, and stories with ambiguous endings. Almost 500 detective stories from 1841-2000, 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.
Introduction: Bringing the fantastic and the detective together -- The apparently fantastic shown to be natural -- Locked-room murders and other impossible crimes -- Other fantastic scenarios -- Superstitions, prophecies, and curses -- The charlatan occult detective -- A touch of the fantastic. The super-sensitive detective -- The fanciful, the fabled, and the psychological -- The truly supernatural. The supernatural experienced or investigated -- The supernatural combatted -- Supernatural or natural? The Intrigue of unanswered questions -- Conclusion: The detective, the rational, and the fantastic.
Includes bibliographical references and index.