On (17 Sep 96) Fred Runk wrote to Maureen Goldman...
 FR> 1891, Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, Devon.  If Sir Arthur Conan
 FR> Doyle is the father of the mystery story, then Dame Agatha
 FR> Christie has to be the mother.
 MG> There is a reason that the Edgar is not called the Conan.
 FR> Yes, I know--Edgar wrote the first ones, but Doyle I think popularized
 FR> the genre much more than EAP and consequently was much more
 FR> responsible for its growth. It does make for an interesting argument
 FR> though,  doesn't it?  
 FR> As far as that goes, what about the Wilkie?  
 Mysteries have been around since long before either writer (I
 guess that should have been the Arthur, rather than the Conan).
 It seems to me that Poe was supposed to have written the first
 detective story using a pro.  Or something.
 But, sure, the ongoing Holmes stories in newspapers did wonders
 for the genre.  Don't know the date for THE MOONSTONE; it's on
 my shelves somewhere, dauntingly thick.
... Why cats have fur: they'd look real stupid in windbreakers.
--- PPoint 2.00
---------------