ABSTRACT
‘The Typology of Detective Fiction’, reproduced in full, encapsulates the structuralist approach to classifying and making sense of large quantities of literary data. The broad genre of ‘detective fiction’ contains within it further ‘types’ – or sub-genres – of story, which develop in accordance with their own, particular rules. The articulation of genres within detective fiction therefore promises to be relatively easy. Certain apparently insignificant features can be codified in either type of detective fiction: a genre unites particularities located on different levels of generality. There is a wealth of literature on the enduring popularity of the detective novel, and the structure and appeal of crime fiction more generally. Tzvetan Todorov’s ‘The Typology of Detective Fiction’ is included because, like many of the readings in this collection, it is a defining example within its field. Crime fiction, and perhaps especially the detective novel, remains one of the most popular forms of media entertainment.
