Mystery fiction

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mystery-fiction

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the genre originator?Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' (1841)
2. What is the archetypal detective?Sherlock Holmes, known for observation and deduction
3. Who started the detective story in mystery fiction?Edgar Allan Poe wrote "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" in 1841, and it is considered the first detective story. He created the idea of a clever detective using logic to solve a crime.
4. What is a "whodunit" and where did it become popular?A whodunit is a mystery where the reader tries to find out who did the crime. It became popular during the Golden Age of detective fiction in the early 1900s, with authors like Agatha Christie.

Ratiocination: The process of logical reasoning, especially in solving mysteries.
Pulp Magazines: Affordable magazines popular in the early 20th century featuring genre fiction.
Police Procedural: A mystery subgenre focusing on the detailed methods of law enforcement.