This document discusses the genre of detective fiction across various mediums such as film, literature, and television. It explores common elements of detective stories, including the character of the detective as either a professional or amateur, working alone or in a team. Investigations often center around solving mysteries related to a specific person, object, or crime. The genre also examines psychological themes through the portrayal of murderers with mental disorders and traumatic pasts. Across media, detective fiction blurs generic boundaries and may incorporate elements of other genres like science fiction, documentaries, comedy, horror, and thriller.

1. Detective Fiction Detective can be: Female/male Professional/amateur Loner/in a team (CSI?)

2. Detective Fiction II. Subjects of investigation: Specific person, object, artifact etc. (- medical investigation?) Self-reflective (identity, mystery, origin/life etc.)

3. Generic unstability I. Sci-fi: e.g. Blade Runner, Paycheck, Minority Report

4. Generic unstability III. Documentary: The Thin Blue Line Directed by Errol Morris Soundtrack by Philip Glass

5. Generic unstability IV. Comedy: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Naked Gun 33 1/3

6. Generic unstability V. Horror/thriller: The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Se7en, Memento

7. „ Butterfly” - effect

8. Memento (2000) Backward chronology (not just the detective story, but the traditional Hollywood-narrative cinema is undermined)

9. Memento Identity search Double mystery (Who killed his wife? Who is he? ) Helper? Tools of investigation: notes, tattoos etc.

10. „ Evil” in Detective Fiction More emphasis on psychlogical issues (Dr. Mabuse, Primal Fear or Hannibal Tetralogy ) Murderers suffering from psychological disorders, like: multiple personality disorder – in Identity (2002) or traumas

11. Hannibal Tetralogy The enemy helps the detective to progress the investigation

12. Silence of the Lambs Multiple levels Lecter as psychiatrist and Starling as a detective Question the roles within detective fiction e.g. Who’s the detective? (Starling or Lecter?) Who/ What’s the object of investigation (Starling, … murder)

13. Trauma Francis Dolarhyde „Tooth Fairy” Cleft-lip  synechdoche Th(r)aumatrope

14. Lecters knows it all “ This is a very shy boy, Will. I’d love to meet him. Have you considered the possibility that he is disfigured, or that he may believe he is disfigured?” –Lecter to Graham

15. Conclusion Yet undefined, as other genres Certain characteristics can be observed,like A „detective”, a „villain”, an object/person of importance, investigation