Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,7, University of Wuppertal, course: Seminar Literaturwissenschaft "Edgar Allan Poe", language: English, abstract: This seminar paper investigates the role of Poe in the history of the detective story as a genre. It tries to find out if Poe really is the inventor of detective fiction or if there had been any detective stories prior to his Dupin works. As a first step, this paper introduces to the characteristics of a typical detective story. It also informs about the current state of research about the origins of detective fiction and appoints compositions that are discussed in scientific productions to be ancestors of the detective genre. The last focus on this thesis is the adaption of the characteristics of a typical detective story to easily check if Poe’s "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a real detective story. At the end of this seminar paper, the following questions should be answered: Has nobody ever written a detective story before or are there preforms that are related to detective stories? Is Edgar Allan Poe really the inventor of detective fiction? Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most famous American authors, who is especially famous for his over seventy short stories. He was a master of suspense and of the macabre and succeeded in many different types of literature such as horror, poetry, criticism, mystery, tales and sketches. Furthermore, many claim him to be the father of the detective story.

Between 1841 and 1844, Edgar Allan Poe invented the genre of detective fiction with three mesmerizing stories of a young French eccentric named C. Auguste Dupin. Introducing to literature the concept of applying reason to solving crime, these tales brought Poe fame and fortune. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in Graham's Magazine in 1841. It has been claimed as the first detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". As the first true detective in fiction, the Dupin character established many literary devices which would be used in future fictional detectives including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Many later characters, for example, follow Poe's model of the brilliant detective, his personal friend who serves as narrator, and the final revelation being presented before the reasoning that leads up to it. Dupin himself reappears in "The Mystery of Marie Rog�t", and "The Purloined Letter"."The Mystery of Marie Rog�t", often subtitled A Sequel to "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" was written in 1842. This is the first murder mystery based on the details of a real crime. It first appeared in Snowden's Ladies' Companion in three installments, November and December 1842 and February 1843. "The Purloined Letter" is the third of his three detective stories featuring the fictional C. Auguste Dupin. These stories are considered to be important early forerunners of the modern detective story. It first appeared in the literary annual The Gift for 1845 (1844) and was soon reprinted in numerous journalsand newspapers.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MATTHEW PEARL Edgar Allan Poe invented detective fiction with these three mesmerising stories of a young eccentric named C. Auguste Dupin: 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Mystery of Marie Rogêt' and 'The Purloined Letter'. Dorothy L. Sayers would later describe these tales as 'almost a complete manual of detective theory and practice'. Indeed, Poe's short mysteries inspired the creation of countless literary sleuths, among them Sherlock Holmes. Today the unique Dupin stories still stand out as utterly engrossing page-turners. This edition includes the definitive text of these stories and an introduction and appendix on 'The Earliest Detectives' by Matthew Pearl.

Auguste Dupin is the character created by Edgar Allan Poe and made his first appearance in Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), widely considered the first detective fiction story. He reappears in "The Mystery of Marie Roget" (1842) and "The Purloined Letter" (1844), all included in this book. Dupin is not a professional detective and his motivations for solving the mysteries change throughout the three stories. Using what Poe termed "ratiocination," Dupin combines his considerable intellect with creative imagination, even putting himself in the mind of the criminal. His talents are strong enough that he appears able to read the mind of his companion, the unnamed narrator of all three stories. Poe created the Dupin character before the word detective had been coined. The character laid the groundwork for fictitious detectives to come, including Sherlock Holmes, and established most of the common elements of the detective fiction genre."

With an essay by D. H. Lawrence. '... an agility astounding, a strength superhuman, a ferocity brutal, a butchery without motive, a grotesquerie in horror absolutely alien from humanity...' Horror, madness, violence and the dark forces hidden in humanity abound in this collection of Poe's brilliant tales, including - among others - the bloody, brutal and baffling murder of a mother and daughter in Paris in 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', the creeping insanity of 'The Tell-Tale Heart', the Gothic nightmare of 'The Masque of the Red Death', and the terrible doom of 'The Fall of the House of Usher'. The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

This vintage book contains a fantastic collection of short stories by Edgar Allen Poe, including 'Thou art the Man', 'The Black Cat', 'The Gold-Bug', 'The Imp of the Perverse', 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Mystery of Marie Roget', 'The Purloined Letter', and 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. These marvellous examples of Poe’s masterful fiction writing prowess are highly recommended for lovers of the detective genre, and would make for worthy additions to any collection. Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American author, editor, poet, and critic. Most famous for his stories of mystery and horror, he was one of the first American short story writers, and is widely considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre. Many antiquarian books such as this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. We are republishing "Bon-Bon” now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Edgar Allan Poe invented and perfected the model for modern detective fiction, including Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and many others. The formula: an extremely intelligent amateur sleuth out-thinks the official police, with a story often narrated by his not-so-bright companion. In Poe's case, he set the scene in Paris, with French characters. His three stories - The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Roget, and The Purloined Letter were set as a series, each succeeding one referring to the previous. But, despite the immediate popularity of the genre, Poe moved on to other fiction and poetry experiments. The three stories together elaborate on the psychological analysis that Poe saw as relevant to human life. If everybody believes something, he concluded, it must be wrong. He goes into a trait that distinguishes humans from all other animals -- the ability to see into the minds of others, anticipating their motives and actions. The introduction by Sasha Newborn is peppered with comments from critics and psychologists alike as to the meaning of Poe's contribution. This unique genre has lasted over a hundred and fifty years and occupies a large section in most bookstores; the appetite for such fascinating stories seems to be unending. Another novel that highlights the reach, or overreach, of reason, is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (www.createspace.com/3683197. Three characters, the captain, Victor Frankenstein, and the Creature himself all seek to know or to do more than is considered possible.