The Gothic Genre as the Father of the Suspense in Detective Fiction

Abstract

Literary genres such as horror fiction have evolved from the classic Gothic writing. Undoubtedly, detective stories are another example of a popular genre that grew up from that incredibly popular fiction. Many of the earliest detective stories were written by authors of the Gothic, or incorporated Gothic elements. In fact, as an example of our study, let’s take into account that detective fiction is a relatively young genre, and its origin can be accredited to one of the greatest gothic fathers and masters: Edgar Allan Poe.