The History of The History of MysteryMystery

From Edgar Allen PoeFrom Edgar Allen Poe

ToTo

GoosebumpsGoosebumps

What’s in a Mystery?What’s in a Mystery?

► A CrimeA Crime► Variety of Variety of

CharactersCharacters► Clues (and Red Clues (and Red

Herrings)Herrings)► Suspense & TensionSuspense & Tension► SolutionSolution

Edgar Allen Poe: Edgar Allen Poe: The Father of MysteryThe Father of Mystery

► Born 1809, Died 1849Born 1809, Died 1849► Introduced first Introduced first

fictional detective, fictional detective, Auguste C. Dupin, in Auguste C. Dupin, in Murders in the Rue Murders in the Rue Morgue Morgue (story)(story)

► ““Locked Room” Locked Room” mysterymystery

► Poe shifted emphasis Poe shifted emphasis from eerie setting to from eerie setting to criminal mindcriminal mind

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Sherlock Holmes MysteriesSherlock Holmes Mysteries

► Born 1859, Died Born 1859, Died 19301930

► Sherlock Holmes’ Sherlock Holmes’ debut in 1887 novel, debut in 1887 novel, A Study in ScarletA Study in Scarlet

►Holmes deduced Holmes deduced clues to solve crimesclues to solve crimes

► Solving of crimes Solving of crimes became a sciencebecame a science Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

penning another mystery . . .

Agatha Christie:Agatha Christie:The “Golden Age of Mystery The “Golden Age of Mystery

Fiction”Fiction”► Born 1890, Died Born 1890, Died

19761976►Wrote more than 80 Wrote more than 80

novelsnovels►Hercule Poirot and Hercule Poirot and

Miss Marple were Miss Marple were Christie’s most Christie’s most famous detectivesfamous detectives

““The Shadow”The Shadow” brings Mystery to brings Mystery to the Radio Airwavesthe Radio Airwaves

► Originally named “The Originally named “The Detective Show”Detective Show”

► On the air from 1930 to On the air from 1930 to 1954 (24 years)1954 (24 years)

► The Shadow was an The Shadow was an invincible crime-fighter invincible crime-fighter who could defy gravity, who could defy gravity, unravel any code, and unravel any code, and “cloud men’s minds” “cloud men’s minds”

► Never seen, only heardNever seen, only heard► http://www.oldradioworld.com/media/The%20Shadowhttp://www.oldradioworld.com/media/The%20Shadow

%201954-03-28%20Death%20in%20the%20Deep.mp3%201954-03-28%20Death%20in%20the%20Deep.mp3

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"

Alfred Hitchcock:Alfred Hitchcock:Mystery Hits the Silver ScreenMystery Hits the Silver Screen

► Born 1899, Died 1980Born 1899, Died 1980► Writer/Actor/Director of over 50 films, beginning Writer/Actor/Director of over 50 films, beginning

with “Number 13” (1922)with “Number 13” (1922)► Explored the notion of terror inflicted on the Explored the notion of terror inflicted on the

unknowing (and sometimes innocent) victimunknowing (and sometimes innocent) victim► Other themes: Guilt, Fear, RedemptionOther themes: Guilt, Fear, Redemption

Rod Serling’s “Twilight Zone”Rod Serling’s “Twilight Zone”

► Born 1924, Died 1975Born 1924, Died 1975► Interest in mysteries Interest in mysteries

from a young agefrom a young age►Wrote TV dramas in Wrote TV dramas in

the early 1950’sthe early 1950’s► Left to create “The Left to create “The

Twilight Zone,” a Twilight Zone,” a science fiction TV science fiction TV series, in 1957series, in 1957

► http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b5aW08ivHUb5aW08ivHU

Today’s Mystery WritersToday’s Mystery Writers

► Joan Lowery Nixon Joan Lowery Nixon ((Nightmare)Nightmare)

► Lois Duncan (Lois Duncan (I Know I Know What you Did Last What you Did Last Summer)Summer)

► John Grisham John Grisham ((Theodore Boone, Kid Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer)Lawyer)

►Dan Brown (Dan Brown (DaVinci DaVinci Code)Code)

Defining Elements of MysteryDefining Elements of Mystery

►Mysterious/Scary Mysterious/Scary SettingSetting►Eerie Eerie AtmosphereAtmosphere►SuspenseSuspense►A determined A determined SleuthSleuth ►Obstacles Obstacles to solving the crimeto solving the crime►Red Herrings Red Herrings that mislead the readerthat mislead the reader►A A Sidekick Sidekick (sometimes) to help solve (sometimes) to help solve

the mysterythe mystery

The Detective’s VocabularyThe Detective’s Vocabulary

►AlibiAlibi: : An excuse that a suspect uses to show that he or she An excuse that a suspect uses to show that he or she was somewhere other than at the scene of the crimewas somewhere other than at the scene of the crime

►BreakthroughBreakthrough: : A development that advances/solves a A development that advances/solves a casecase

►DeduceDeduce: : To derive at a conclusion from something known To derive at a conclusion from something known or assumed; infer or assumed; infer

►EvidenceEvidence: : Something that helps prove who committed the Something that helps prove who committed the crime (may be concrete or circumstantial)crime (may be concrete or circumstantial)

►MotiveMotive: : The reason(s) why a person commits a crimeThe reason(s) why a person commits a crime

►VictimVictim: : Someone who is harmed or suffers some loss due Someone who is harmed or suffers some loss due to the crimeto the crime

►WitnessWitness: : Someone who saw the crime being committed Someone who saw the crime being committed and can provide some informationand can provide some information

Do NowDo Now

1.1. Identify the three great mystery writers Identify the three great mystery writers and their detectives.and their detectives.

2.2. Identify five important elements of a Identify five important elements of a mystery.mystery.

3.3. Identify the “detective’s vocabulary” terms Identify the “detective’s vocabulary” terms that relate to a SUSPECT.that relate to a SUSPECT.

4.4. Identify the terms that relate to an Identify the terms that relate to an INVESTIGATOR.INVESTIGATOR.