THE ASSOCIATION BLOG

Louise Penny: A World of Curiosities

11/1/2023

Just before Christmas, Harper Collins published a beautiful special edition hardback of Agatha Christie’s masterpiece The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The introduction was written by the bestselling Canadian writer, Louise Penny. Penny, the author of 18 novels set mainly in the fictional village of Three Pines, which are focused on the character of Armand Gamache, wrote of her love of Christie’s great novel, and added that...

Out and Oz at Twenty-Five: A Note on the Singularities of Natsuo Kirino and Tom Fontana

31/12/2022

Natsuo Kirino’s Out was published twenty-five years ago in the original Japanese. A special edition of Stephen Snyder’s English translation of 2003 was released in August this year, alongside seven other classics of its genre. The occasion was the thirtieth anniversary of the Vintage Crime/Black Lizard imprint. Each of the eight special editions features an introduction by James Ellroy, the author of My Dark Places. By association alone, Kirino enters the foremost ranks of western crime and noir, a development already suggested in 2004 by the nomination of Out for the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the category of ‘Best Novel’.

Captivating Criminality 10: Celebrating Crime Fiction

19/12/2022

The Captivating Criminality Network is delighted to announce its tenth conference, Captivating Criminality 10: Celebrating Crime Fiction, which will be held at Bath Spa University in Bath, UK.

Deadline: 1st May 2023
Conference: 31st August to 2nd September

Blog Series: Guy Richie by Sarah Legron

30/11/2022

The eponymous 2009 film adaptation of Sherlock Holmes probably marks the beginning of the “modern” Sherlock Holmes, introducing a younger generation to the famous detective, his adventures, as well as his allies and enemies.

CFP: Perry Mason and The Case of America’s Favorite Lawyer

26/10/2022

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.

CFP: International Conference on Gender and Communication

15/9/2022

A new edition of GENDERCOM, an international conference on Gender and Communication, traditionally organised by the University of Seville, will be held in October 2022. GENDERCOM is a biennial conference dedicated to the critical analysis of the construction of gender identities in society and the media.

Deadline: 20th September 2022
Conference: 12th to 14th October 2022

The Evil Sherlock Holmes by Aleena Nelson

13/9/2022

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

Blog: Captivating Criminality 8 Reading List

24/8/2022

We know you promised yourselves you wouldn’t add another book to the pile till you’ve read the increasing stack on your nightstand. But can you really say no to the incredible works spoken about at Captivating Criminality 8: Crime Fiction, Masculinities & Femininities? We certainly hope not... Below you’ll find a series of reading lists from the conference panels. Many of our speakers have also kindly provided the bibliographic information of their secondary sources and of research area specific works that you may find interesting/helpful. Happy reading!

The Rise of the Spanish Series in Non-Hispanic Cultures by Basil Singler

9/8/2022

The most popular example being Money Heist (original title La Casa de Papel), a Netflix original series whose second part of the long-awaited fifth and final season was only released in December 2021. The Spanish crime show The Innocent, released in the spring of 2021, is the adaption of a Harlan Coben thriller and the latest in a series of gripping Spanish crime dramas to grace the streaming service Netflix. Recent years have seen a steep rise in the popularity of Spanish-language series in non-Spanish speaking countries.

Community Service: The Female Serial Killer Narrative in Stay Close (2021) by Ciara Gorman

12/7/2022

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.