Making the Dead Speak: Spiritualism and Detective Fiction

  • Chris Willis
Chapter

Abstract

The idea of any link between spiritualism and detective fiction seems totally contradictory. Classic detective fiction is a literature of logic in which everything has a scientific explanation. It is concerned with hard facts and encourages scepticism. The reader must learn to doubt everything he or she is told about events and characters and must automatically disbelieve such things as alibis. Spiritualism, on the other hand, involves suspension of logical faculties to believe in events and phenomena which cannot be explained in scientific or logical terms. However, it is interesting to note that the rise of the fictional detective coincided with the rise of spiritualism. Both began in the mid-nineteenth century and were widely popular in Britain from the turn of the century until the 1930s. Both attempt to explain mysteries. The medium’s rôle can be seen as being similar to that of a detective in a murder case. Both are trying to make the dead speak in order to reveal a truth.

Keywords

Short Story Murder Case Spiritualist Activity Supernatural Power Detective Story 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

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Copyright information

© Chris Willis 2000

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  • Chris Willis

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