Imagining the figure of the fictional detective as an archetype in the study of modern culture, the author argues that contemporary detective fiction can help us better comprehend fundamental shifts of the Digital Age—in communication, family, entertainment, society, even the way we think as individuals. The nature of the detective story itself models how we build and share knowledge. Drawing on concepts from literature and media studies, the author reveals clues about modern phenomena like conspiracy theory, groupthink and the nature of our digital identities.

Brendan Riley is an associate professor of English at Columbia College Chicago, where he teaches courses exploring digital rhetoric, writing, detective fiction and zombies. His essays on popular culture topics have been published in several edited collections and journals throughout the last decade.

Brendan Riley
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 204
Bibliographic Info: bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9998-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2775-5
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments  vi
Introduction  1
1—The Age of Electracy  7
2—Hard Wired  21
3—Individual Memory  42
4—Communal Memory  74
5—Conspiracy  94
Interlude  120
6—Assembly Language  121
7—Copyright and Intellectual Property  138
8—Alternate Reality Games  153
Conclusion  177
Works Cited  183
Index  191