| The Gay Detective Novel: Lesbian and Gay Main Characters and Themes in Mystery Fiction Contributor(s): Markowitz, Judith A. (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0786419571 ISBN-13: 9780786419579 Publisher: McFarland and Company, Inc. OUR PRICE: $29.65 Product Type: Paperback Published: October 2004 Annotation: This survey examines series and groundbreaking stand-alone novels published since 1964, analyzing main characters, themes, plot elements and more. Author interviews provide insights that are incorporated into the analyses. The work begins with an overview of gay and lesbian detective fiction, and an outline of the mystery genre's development. Subsequent chapters, arranged by the main character's profession, examine the series or work in the contexts of mainstream mystery fiction and gay and lesbian culture. The final chapter covers series-spanning gay and lesbian themes, and provides a list of works and authors. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Mystery & Detective Fiction |
| Dewey: 813.087 |
| LCCN: 2004019458 |
| Physical Information: 0.72" H x 6.02" W x 8.98" (0.93 lbs) 302 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Gertrude Stein called it the only really modern novel form that has come into existence, yet the mystery genre was a century old before it featured its first gay main character in a novel. Since then, gay and lesbian detective fiction has been one of the fastest growing segments of the genre. It incorporates gay and lesbian cultural elements and offers crossover appeal. Its authors call upon a century of development in the mystery genre, while providing new, more accurate images of lesbians and gay men than generally found in mainstream literature and popular media. This groundbreaking study of gay and lesbian detective fiction examines mystery series and historically significant stand-alone novels published since the early 1960s. Part I is an overview that describes how these novels make gay and lesbian life visible and forge new, powerful images. It also examines how they fit into the larger history of mystery fiction. The series analyses in Part II are grouped according to the type of main character (police officer, private investigator, amateur sleuth, etc.). Each section discusses main and secondary characters of that type, characteristic themes for the group, and more. The analyses of individual series cover main characters, themes, plot points and other elements. Comments from authors interviewed for this book play a central role in those analyses. Part III lists series-spanning themes (e.g., homophobia, the closet, gay marriage) and the novels and series that address each of those themes. |