Crime fiction is a generic term used in literature for a genre of
fiction that deals with crimes, their detection, criminals and their
motives. As such, it is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction
and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction. It
should be noted, however, that boundaries can be, and indeed are,
blurred. It has several sub-genres, including detective fiction,
mystery fiction, legal thriller, courtroom drama, and hard-boiled
fiction. Crime fiction began to be considered as a serious genre only
as late as 1900. The earliest inspiration for books and novels from
this genre came from earlier dark works of Edgar Allan Poe. The
evolution of locked room mysteries was one of the landmarks in the
history of crime fiction, as it helped involve the reader to a major
extent. Sherlock Holmes mysteries are said to have been singularly
responsible for the huge popularity in this genre. Later a set of
stereotypic formulae began to appear to cater to various tastes.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_fiction
Today's selected anniversaries:
4004 BC The universe was created, according to the Ussher-Lightfoot
Calendar.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ussher%2dLightfoot_Calendar)
1911 First use of aircraft in war: an Italian pilot flew from
Libya to survey Turkish lines during the Italo-Turkish War.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo%2dTurkish_War)
1958 Belgian cartoonist Peyo introduced a new set of comic strip
characters, The Smurfs.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smurfs)
1983 Suicide bombers destroyed two barracks of the international
peacekeeping force in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 U.S.
Marines and 58 French Paratroopers.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_barracks_bombing)
2002 Moscow theater siege: Terrorists seized a crowded theater
in Moscow, took approximately 700 theatergoers and
performers hostage and demanded the immediate and
unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_theater_hostage_crisis)
Wikiquote of the day:
"There's a time when a man needs to fight, and a time when he needs
to accept that his destiny is lost, that the ship has sailed, and
that only a fool would continue. The truth is, I've always been a
fool." ~ Albert Finney as "Ed Bloom" in Big Fish
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Big_Fish)