A Scandal in Bohemia

Detective fiction first took shape in the 19th century. The publication of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is regarded as the debut of the genre. Inspired by Poe’s genius super sleuth Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin, Doyle brought the genre into mainstream popularity with his Sherlock Holmes stories. Technology also played a role in the development of detective fiction.

The 19th century saw the transformation of Victorian-era life due to the rise of mass-scale industrialization. Two developments in this century enabled the fictional detective to thrive: urban migration and the rise of the newspaper industry. The industrial growth of steam-powered factories across virtually every city center in Victorian England led to a spike in urban populations. People migrated from the country to the city for job opportunities. In tandem, the rise of newspapers meant that more people had access to information. An increase in printing and distribution capabilities led to a more literate population. As a result, papers serialized fiction, and sensationalized columns recounting allegedly true episodes of city crime became popular. Detective fiction writers exploited this growing fascination with crime and had a wider

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