tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post6921925435981076908..comments2024-03-26T17:48:56.627+00:00Comments on 'Do You Write Under Your Own Name?': Golden Age reflectionsMartin Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-31141848932094024142022-08-01T21:22:13.597+01:002022-08-01T21:22:13.597+01:00I second that idea. I second that idea. Robert Garninoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-4606373738210042402014-12-31T16:40:46.896+00:002014-12-31T16:40:46.896+00:00Deb, great comment as ever, and it's never too...Deb, great comment as ever, and it's never too late to come to the party! A good point about abstruse info (bell ringing etc) We tend to think of this as a newish trend, but as you say, it really emerged in the Golden Age.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-64531903299932663132014-12-31T16:39:15.426+00:002014-12-31T16:39:15.426+00:00Thanks, Stephen. I shall ring you next week and lo...Thanks, Stephen. I shall ring you next week and look forward very much to speaking to you.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-21579090871267414012014-12-31T16:10:59.742+00:002014-12-31T16:10:59.742+00:00As usual, Deb is late to the party--and my respons...As usual, Deb is late to the party--and my response to your question about the resurgence of Golden Age mysteries has already been touched upon in the comments, but here goes anyway: I think Golden Age mysteries are becoming popular again because, even aside from the mystery element, they tend to be well-written with strong characters and descriptive elements, and they also illuminate gone or forgotten corners of society (bell ringing, making apple cider, how petrol was stored prior to WWII, it's all there in the Golden Age). I also think the internet has done its part: even obscure books can usually be found (admittedly for a price) and blogs like yours and John at Pretty Sinister Books and many others share your love and admiration for these "forgotten" books, generating more interest. I hope the publication rights to many of these books get worked out so some publication houses can reprint them and get them circulating around again.<br /><br />Sorry for being so long-winded. Happy New Year--I look forward to reading your books and blog in 2015!Debnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-199740323586731962014-12-31T13:08:03.147+00:002014-12-31T13:08:03.147+00:00Dear Mr Edwards ,
My email is - stephenleadbeatte...Dear Mr Edwards ,<br /><br />My email is - stephenleadbeatter@hotmail.com - <br /><br />but I much prefer the telephone 02920790264 .<br /><br />Happy New Year .<br /><br />Stephen Leadbeatterstephen leadbeatternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-22087192896592863522014-12-29T22:13:22.229+00:002014-12-29T22:13:22.229+00:00Thanks, TomCat. I really like your blog article, n...Thanks, TomCat. I really like your blog article, needless to say, and will comment on it shortly.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-45831094088187765172014-12-29T21:31:29.094+00:002014-12-29T21:31:29.094+00:00The response I was initially writing turned into a...The response I was initially writing turned into a blog post, which you can read <a href="http://moonlight-detective.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-renaissance-era-of-detective-fiction.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>, if you're interested. I hope it isn't too long and rambling. <br /><br />Love the cover art for <i>The Golden Age of Murder</i>!TomCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415176301265218101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-89747353908539948872014-12-29T21:14:16.464+00:002014-12-29T21:14:16.464+00:00Hope you enjoy it, Tracy. And thanks.Hope you enjoy it, Tracy. And thanks.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-54779300305722945182014-12-29T20:08:41.081+00:002014-12-29T20:08:41.081+00:00I have preordered The Golden Age of Murder. Thanks...I have preordered The Golden Age of Murder. Thanks for letting me know.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-47629100307332201912014-12-29T18:10:46.491+00:002014-12-29T18:10:46.491+00:00Nice to hear from you, Gigi, and a very good point...Nice to hear from you, Gigi, and a very good point about technology.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-64485027200754354782014-12-29T17:20:55.330+00:002014-12-29T17:20:55.330+00:00I adore Golden Age mysteries, and I'm having s...I adore Golden Age mysteries, and I'm having such fun making my way through so many fantastic books.<br /><br />I loved reading popular Golden Age authors when I was a kid, but it was only recently that I've been able to FIND more obscure books and authors. Both eBooks and inexpensive sets of used books on eBay have helped my Golden Age reading habit. <br /><br />Plus, blogs such as this one (and online listserves and Goodreads) turn me on to books I wouldn't have otherwise discovered. <br /><br />In other words, I think modern technology has helped this rediscovery. Gigi Pandianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15378365974242102657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-81028494019063613982014-12-29T16:20:43.646+00:002014-12-29T16:20:43.646+00:00Sappho, a great comment, thanks. I must re-read Mr...Sappho, a great comment, thanks. I must re-read Mr Stone. I share your admiration of Sayers.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-45899106582361797772014-12-29T16:19:44.907+00:002014-12-29T16:19:44.907+00:00Karabekirus, I share your enthusiasm for concisene...Karabekirus, I share your enthusiasm for conciseness in a novel!Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-12222145016188723042014-12-29T16:19:08.263+00:002014-12-29T16:19:08.263+00:00Tim, it certainly is, though I think it is pretty ...Tim, it certainly is, though I think it is pretty well known. There are some very familiar stories in my anthologies, but I'm trying to come up with a mixed bag for each book.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-13158398509232972092014-12-29T16:18:04.611+00:002014-12-29T16:18:04.611+00:00Tracy K, thanks. I'm sure that, as you say, di...Tracy K, thanks. I'm sure that, as you say, digital publishing and increased availability are playing a part. And I'm glad to say the Golden Age book is now available for pre-order on Amazon!Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-45513338608829864422014-12-29T13:48:39.551+00:002014-12-29T13:48:39.551+00:00I find the resurgence of interest in Golden Age my...I find the resurgence of interest in Golden Age mysteries fascinating too, but not surprising. So many of us are heartily sick of serial killers, extreme violence, monsters, and other devices. <br /><br />And speaking just for myself, I simply enjoy glimpses into the vanished world of early 20th-century England. Many times I enjoy the slice-of-life action before the murders (or whatever the mystery is) happens as much as solving the riddles; Robert Player's superb The Ingenious Mr. Stone is a great example, with the middle-aged Scottish spinster describing life at a girls' boarding school in all its intricacies. And then there are cases when the quality of writing is so good, the dialogue and characters so entertaining, that the mystery is simply the vehicle for showing them off. I think Dorothy L. Sayers is the best example (for my taste) of this.<br /><br />Long-winded response, but I believe that mysteries enable writers to describe everyday life in a way that we don't otherwise see much of it in literature: the places people work, the routines of their life at home which are typically overlooked or taken as unnecessary to describe in "straight" novels, where the emphasis is elsewhere.Sapphonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-84706052837902297422014-12-29T00:32:34.032+00:002014-12-29T00:32:34.032+00:00As a reason for revival of interest in Golden Age ...As a reason for revival of interest in Golden Age detective fiction, I might point out that they do their job in less than 200 pages.karabekirushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12007472970720410225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-1119437983076811782014-12-28T20:02:14.172+00:002014-12-28T20:02:14.172+00:00Belatedly I return to your final question, but wit...Belatedly I return to your final question, but with an answer that probably violates the terms of your question because the story might be too well known. In any case, I have always been fond of "The Adventurous Exploit of the Cave of Ali Baba" by Dorothy Sayers. I think it combines all that is "typical" of Golden Age stories. And it is a lot of fun.R.T.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13220814349193561823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-67679721948589776192014-12-28T19:56:43.766+00:002014-12-28T19:56:43.766+00:00Martin, I have always divided my mystery reading h...Martin, I have always divided my mystery reading half and half between Golden Age and current writing, and I have been reading mysteries at least half a century. So I could not answer why a revival of interest. Maybe with ebooks and the internet some people now have better access to the books? Whatever the reason I am very glad you are doing a reference book on the Golden Age mysteries and I will be getting a copy as soon as it is available in the US.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-37104672365398114632014-12-28T18:41:58.020+00:002014-12-28T18:41:58.020+00:00Les, thanks very much. It's many years since I...Les, thanks very much. It's many years since I read either the Klaw stories or Challenge to the Reader, and you're right, I should refresh my memory. I don't remember 'Haunting of Grange' at all.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-45711142336237882152014-12-28T18:00:04.582+00:002014-12-28T18:00:04.582+00:00While I'm at it, are you familiar with one of ...While I'm at it, are you familiar with one of Ellery Queen's best anthologies, <i>Challenge to the Reader</i>? Published in 1938, EQ chose a number of stories of (then)-famous detectives in some of their more obscure stories, changed the name of the central character, along with one or two secondary ones as needed, and challenged the reader to identify the detective and the author based on method of detection, setting, etc. The stories, generally ones that are not frequently anthologized, feature some well-known names and a few who were famous in 1938 but are largely forgotten today (Astro, anyone? Dr. Hailey?), and the challenge adds a nice touch to the stories.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-84789061064189457452014-12-28T17:51:37.831+00:002014-12-28T17:51:37.831+00:00Martin, how about "The Haunting of Grange,&qu...Martin, how about "The Haunting of Grange," by Sax Rohmer - one of his tales about Moris Klaw, "The Dream Detective"? It's not a great mystery as such, but it's Golden Age (1925, I believe)and full of the atmosphere Rohmer always managed to put in his stories, and it has a fine ending.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-73030973905181352292014-12-28T16:28:41.883+00:002014-12-28T16:28:41.883+00:00Hello Avid Mystery Reader. The Holding is a book I...Hello Avid Mystery Reader. The Holding is a book I have - but I have to confess, I haven't read it yet. Ed Gorman, a very wise chap, is a big fan of Holding too.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-46351768941009020502014-12-28T16:27:41.686+00:002014-12-28T16:27:41.686+00:00Hello Stephen, good to hear from you. Barry Pike s...Hello Stephen, good to hear from you. Barry Pike suggested a while back I should contact you. Thanks for the suggestion, and would you mind letting me have your email address, please?Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7291823984059320518.post-17371808503188959542014-12-28T16:26:45.043+00:002014-12-28T16:26:45.043+00:00Tim, very interesting as always. Thank you.Tim, very interesting as always. Thank you.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.com