Fictional Worlds III: Tragedy & Mystery (Storytelling on Screen)

Fictional Worlds III: Tragedy & Mystery explores our relationships with the Unknown and attraction to mysteries. A guide to writing mystery plays, thrillers and suspense, this book investigates the cultural needs behind these narrative forms. It examines their origins, linked to ritual riddles, and complex connections among such genres as tragedy, crime drama, detective fiction, police procedural, thriller, and film noir.

Employing a range of approaches from the anthropology of storytelling to tips for writing “suspense,” Fictional Worlds III looks into what makes a “perfect mystery,” and its role in culture. What does this spectrum of genres offer society, community and identity-building, as well as our own sense of self? What are the relationships between mystery and knowledge? How do we explore the world by means of crime investigation plays? Who are their typical heroes and villains? What do we know about the “usual suspects,” a familiar cast of characters – the hardboiled detectives, the femme fatale, ruthless killers, sneaky con artists, and a variety of shadowy figures and unreliable witnesses?