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The Drood Review Mystery's Second Century A forum on the future of the genre Original essays Our thoughts Follow-ups This site is copyright (c) 2000-3 by The Drood Review. The Drood Review
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Archer Mayor Several things occur to me when I think of "the mystery’s second century." Immediately, I hope that the genre will continue to be a podium for talented writers who have more on their minds than a good guy, a bad guy, a dead guy, and a puzzle. One of the great plusses of reading recent mystery for me has been to find-in the context of an entertaining tale-much insight about ourselves, our culture, and the many worlds beyond our knowledge. I hope this not only continues, but expands. In asking the question, "What will lure our youth from the screen to the page?" one time-honored solution has been to couch what it is we wish them to know in terms they may comfortably embrace — and the thoughtfully crafted mystery might be one of many such methods. That "luring" however, may end up being a two-way street, as Internet entrepreneurs slowly discover ways to profitably streamline the communication between writers and readers. I don’t believe this will happen in a rush, but eventually — like it or not — publishers and book sellers — if they don’t plan ahead — will end up in a world in which they have become technological horses-and-buggies. The trouble then, unfortunately, will be a lack of quality control. Even while cumbersome, antique, and all-too-often fickle, publishers, booksellers, and the marketplace they serve all function as worthwhile filters. It is a real fear that if writers get to present their works directly to an audience, some of them may in fact get royalties they only dream about now, but the rest will wallow amid a huge glut of dubiously qualified peers, very little quality control, and an utterly baffled audience seeking guidance. It is a golden opportunity for creative, daring, far-reaching publishers to anticipate the future and better serve the writers and readers they purportedly exist to reward. Revolutionary times are looming — and much gnashing of teeth. Archer Mayor is the author of ten police procedurals featuring Joe Gunther, most recently Occam’s Razor. |