tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post7145447030278032744..comments2024-03-27T22:32:02.739+01:00Comments on Beneath the Stains of Time: The Renaissance Era of Detective Fiction TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-44891915571460720462014-12-30T21:40:27.595+01:002014-12-30T21:40:27.595+01:00The background of writers, with exception of race,...The background of writers, with exception of race, is probably as diverse now as it was back then, but what isn't as diverse now is, well, what you've read here above. <br /><br />I think publishers lost quite a bit of money on readers like us, because we simply went somewhere else for alternatives. I still pop into a bookstore, from time to time, but, usually, no longer than a minute. It's always the same type of crime novels and thrillers with the same, interchangeable covers and pretentious cover blurbs. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-52209483088192484772014-12-30T20:30:28.518+01:002014-12-30T20:30:28.518+01:00One more observation, if I may--I had thought, inc...One more observation, if I may--I had thought, incorrectly, that there was precious little diversity among GA writers. But as you point out, there was probably more diversity then than there is now among crime writers. There are so many kinds of stories to explore.Joe Allegrettihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13032453985256342838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-55478007419493506062014-12-30T19:49:03.255+01:002014-12-30T19:49:03.255+01:00The pleasure of informing you about these lost cla...The pleasure of informing you about these lost classics was entirely ours, I assure you. Enjoy the ride! TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-10527684498014530162014-12-30T19:15:06.565+01:002014-12-30T19:15:06.565+01:00Thanks for your insightful post. I have recently s...Thanks for your insightful post. I have recently switched from contemporary crime books to earlier writers. I feel...as if...some sort of burden has been lifted. All those books I read because I thought I "should" or because they were "important." Now I find myself enjoying what I read. E-books have been a great boon--it's so easy now to try a new writer for a few pennies. That's how I discovered Dr. Thorndyke! And I rely a lot on sites like yours and those of Les Blatt and Martin Edwards. Thanks to all.Joe Allegrettihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13032453985256342838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-60075456497748160712014-12-30T17:35:57.645+01:002014-12-30T17:35:57.645+01:00If I'm right, about our little Renaissance Era...If I'm right, about our little Renaissance Era, the Nordic "mystery" novel will be seen as the pinnacle of the genre's Dark Age. I gave them a go once, but barely got a quarter through, before I started skimming and don't even mention Sjöwall & Wahlöö! <br /><br />What they produced nearly gave me an allergic reaction to detective fiction. If I hadn't read Appie Baantjer and Agatha Christie before them, I probably wouldn't have continued reading mysteries. TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-79729022590870964912014-12-30T17:31:56.267+01:002014-12-30T17:31:56.267+01:00Rue Morgue editions are a must have and not just f...Rue Morgue editions are a must have and not just for the great introductions, but also for the added list with the cast-of-characters, most of the cover art and how well a shelf full of Rue Morgue books looks.<br /><br />I'll have to give one of your books a try in the new year. Judgment is coming! ;) TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-34188956983489125892014-12-30T00:09:03.326+01:002014-12-30T00:09:03.326+01:00I'm with you. Let us quit wallowing in this No...I'm with you. Let us quit wallowing in this Nordic mysteries nonsense, the product of a culture whose birth rate is well below replacement level. Their mysteries show a culture in defeat. The universe is almost infinite. Let's see what it has to offer. Sometimes you have to look to the past to obtain the energy and determination to move to the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516189026477178777.post-41267796959481012502014-12-29T23:15:54.116+01:002014-12-29T23:15:54.116+01:00A fascinating and very well argued post, and I'...A fascinating and very well argued post, and I'm delighted that my original blog thoughts prompted you to write it. I'm glad you mentioned Rue Morgue, who have done great work in this field over a number of years. Their books have excellent and informataive introductions.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.com