The Tell-Tale Art

Greed and guilt, near-indecipherable codes, murder plots born of madness—these motifs drive the best modern mysteries, but they are rooted in the early nineteenth century and the carefully constructed fiction of Edgar Allan Poe. Poe’s methods of storytelling and suspense remain relevant, reappearing in detective novels and on screens large and small. This work examines a wide selection of today’s mystery and thriller novels, films, television programs, and video games to explore Poe’s ongoing influence on popular entertainment. Authors such as Michael Connelly, Stieg Larsson and Dennis Lehane, television shows like The Closer and Dexter, and movies from Laura and Vertigo to Shutter Island and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo all receive attention. The popularity of Poe’s narratives in these contemporary guises is testimony to his visionary genius.
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Christine A. Jackson is a professor of humanities at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she teaches critical and creative writing and literature. She is also a member of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and sits on the planning committee for SleuthFest, a mystery writers’ conference.

Christine A. Jackson
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6318-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8836-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Preface      1
Introduction: A Sound Structure     7

1. The Sidelong Glance      21
2. Codes, Cryptograms, and Crime Scene Investigations      42
3. Poe’s City of the Haunted Mind      57
4. Identity as the Divided Self      67
5. Identity as the Enclosed Self      77
6. Masks of Time      112
7. Poe’s Psycho-Fantastic Voyage into Reality TV      124
8. Over the Chopping Block      133
9. Poe at the Cineplex: Of Dungeons and Dragon Tattoos      144
10. Hurtling through Cyberspace      159

Conclusion      186
Works Cited      187
Index      195

• “Recommended”—Choice
• “This work examines Poe’s relevance in modern popular culture, pulling examples from television, film and fiction”—Reference & Research Book News