Category Archives: Genre

“Today’s Literary Mystery—It’s Not What Your Granny Used to Read” (by Scott Loring Sanders)

Scott Loring Sanders teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech. He’s also a novelist and an award-winning short-story writer. His topic for this post—pigeonholing by publishers and booksellers—is something he knows about from personal experience. His first novel, The Hanging Woods, … Continue reading

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“Just Send Me Back” (by Mary Jane Maffini)

There’s always at least a touch of humor in Mary Jane Maffini’s fiction—a spice that suits the traditional mystery. The Canadian author has won two major awards for stories in EQMM, and she’s also the author of three series of … Continue reading

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PULL UP A CHAIR

Starting in mid-October this year, most big retailers where I live had their halls decked with Christmas trees right beside the Halloween goblins. The effect was bizarre, but it did get me thinking early about holiday plans, especially holiday dinners—anticipating … Continue reading

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“A Familiar Face” (by Tim L. Williams)

Tim L. Williams is one of the best short-story writers to enter the mystery field over the past decade. His EQMM story “Half-Lives” won the International Thriller Award for best short story of 2011; he’s received two nominations for the … Continue reading

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“What’s in a Name?” (by Charles Ardai)

Charles Ardai has deep roots in nearly every area of the mystery field: He once worked in the subsidiary rights department for our fiction magazines (EQMM, AHMM, Analog, and Asimov’s), and in that capacity he edited and co-edited many short-story … Continue reading

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THE IMPORTANCE OF STORY

Last week in Albany, New York, 1,500 readers, writers, editors, agents, and booksellers gathered for the 44th Bouchercon World Mystery convention. Bouchercons provide opportunities for authors to enjoy the company of other authors, and for business connections to be made, … Continue reading

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“Brazilian Crime Fiction: Vibrant, Original, and Multifaceted” (by Clifford E. Landers)

Professor Clifford E. Landers’s July 10th post for this site left me wanting to know more about Brazilian crime fiction; he covers additional aspects of the subject here, with examples of how several different subgenres of the mystery have developed … Continue reading

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“Call for Michael Shayne” (by Mark Evan Walker)

Two weeks ago, when Mark Evan Walker posted about his career as an illustrator, I mentioned that he is also a knowledgeable fan of crime and mystery fiction. This week he shares with us some reflections on a character who’s … Continue reading

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“Illustrator, Author, Fan” (by Mark Evan Walker)

Mark Evan Walker had been an EQMM illustrator for years before, in 2011, we received a copy of his first novel, The Case of the Blood Red Stars. What a surprise that was—though perhaps it shouldn’t have been, for a … Continue reading

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Free Advice from James Lincoln Warren

On this site posts seldom involve explicit advice to writers, but James Lincoln Warren wrote an engaging piece for Criminal Brief, a blog site he founded, several years ago that we thought readers as well as writers would enjoy. He … Continue reading

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