​Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason has been a vibrant part of the cultural conversation for nearly 90 years. The titular trial lawyer with a penchant for detective work first debuted in the novel The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933), setting in motion a publishing streak that would eventually become the third best selling series of all time. ​Successful radio, film, and television adaptations soon followed, solidifying the character’s presence within the cultural lexicon. 

The iconic character of Sherlock Holmes has been the test subject for experimentation by many filmmakers. Dissecting the character to fit the audience’s time frame, introducing modernity or an attempt at a comical farce, has resulted in the creation of different avatars of Holmes ranging from an indifferent side character in Enola Holmes (2020) to an elderly beekeeper clutching the strained wisps of his former glory in Mr. Holmes (2015). 
​Since the representation of these characters are elementary, i.e. with a straightforward usage of the name “Sherlock Holmes,” when Christoph Waltz played Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds (2009), it resulted in a delayed response (especially from my part) in discovering the evil Sherlock Holmes that he embodies

The small screen seems to attract serial killer narratives like a magnet, whether in the form of true crime documentaries like Night Stalker, shows that engage directly with serial killer lore (think Mindhunter), or ones that feature serial killers as primary or secondary plot devices (Dexter is a good example, or even The Mentalist on CBS, a show which introduced me to this subgenre as a teenager). In spite of their popularity, I try hard to avoid them. Serial killer narratives have their own tropic elements, most of which make me deeply uncomfortable. ​

The Captivating Criminality Network is delighted to announce its ninth conference. Organised in cooperation with the Gothic in Asia Association [GAA] and the BALAC Programme of the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, this will be the network’s first conference held in Asia taking place via hybrid mode at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Deadline: 31st October 2022
Hybrid Conference: 2nd - 4th of March 2023

This is a final call for chapter proposals for The Routledge Companion to Crime Fiction and Ecology. We are seeking 5 to 6 additional chapters, with particular interest in the following topics and research areas:
Petrofictions, Environmental Thrillers, The Global South, Truth/Post-Truth, Australian Crime Fiction, Energy Conflict. The collection is slated for release in summer 2023.​

This years Captivating Criminality conference in Bamberg will feature a kick-off event for early career researchers on “Studying Detective Fiction: Some Clues” with Professor Mary Evans.

Date: Wednesday, 29th June 2022, 2-5 pm
Hybrid workshop: Online via Zoom and in person at the University of Bamberg 

Crime fiction has been evolving rapidly and finding new exciting forms including queer crime fiction and crime fiction by writers of colour. We have also seen the rise of regional noir, of which the booming Northern Irish crime fiction scene is a splendid example. 

​Deadline: 22 April 2022
Hybrid Event: 20 May 2022 ​