The development of crime fiction

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,3, University of Bayreuth, language: English, abstract: 1. Introduction

Crime fiction belongs to the top selling literature long ago. But not at all times the same type of crime fiction has been favored. Already the bible contains narrations about crime, like the story of Cain and Abel, the most famous fratricide all over the world. The motive of crime draws through literature continuing and develops in various directions. Focusing on the main genres which emerged: detective fiction, Golden Age crime fiction, American hard-boiled crime fiction, the police procedural, and the thriller; this paper will concentrate on the development of crime fiction from the early beginnings up to now. Origins and characteristics will be analyzed and differences as well as similarities between the different genres will be represented.