Detective stories

Arthur Conan Doyle in 1914 (Photo Walter Benington)

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Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland. “A Study in Scarlet”, the first Sherlock Holmes novel, was published in 1887 and was a great success. 56 short stories and three more novels about the famous detective were published in the following years: “The Sign of Four” (1890), “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1902) and “The Valley of Fear” (1915). At a certain point the author made Holmes die in the short story “The Final Problem”, which introduces his archenemy Moriarty, but the readers’ reaction convinced him to find a way to change the detective’s destiny.

The novel “The Lost World” (1912) became a classic among modern science fiction precursors. Arthur Conan Doyle re-used the character of Professor Challenger for some other novels and short stories that today can be considered science fiction.

On July 7, 1930, Arthur Conan Doyle suffered a heart attack at his country home in Windlesham. At the time of his death, the character of Sherlock Holmes had already become the protagonist of some movies and a number of short films, quickly becoming an icon far beyond literature. He’s a crucial character in the detective story / mystery genre but the author is also remembered for other important works in various genres, also often adapted in cinema and television productions.

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David Boreanaz was born on May 16, 1969 in Buffalo, New York, USA. During his school years, David Boreanaz practiced various sports at a good level but at the Ithaca University he graduated in cinema and photography in 1991 with the intention of starting an acting career.

The great change in David Boreanaz’s career came when he was cast to play Angel in the TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, which began in 1997. Starting in 2005, David Boreanaz played FBI agent Seeley Booth in the TV show “Bones”. In 2017 David Boreanaz started playing Jason Hayes in the TV show “SEAL Team”, which follows the missions of a Navy SEAL unit.

Edgar Allan Poe in 1848

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Edgar Poe, this was his birth name, was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Edgar Allan Poe’s life was complex since he was very young since his father abandoned his family in 1810 and his mother died of tuberculosis in 1811. Little Edgar was entrusted to the merchant John Allan, hence the change of his name. His new family was wealthy and had him study in Great Britain.

Initially, Edgar Allan Poe’s works were partially successful because some were successful but others received a lot of criticism. Stories that today we would call detective fiction such as “The Gold-Bug” (1843) gave him more fame in the short term than his horror stories. For the author luck was evanescent and his personal situation got worse when, in 1842, his wife Virginia started manifesting serious symptoms of tuberculosis, which got worse until her death, which occurred in 1847.

For years Edgar Allan Poe had problems with alcoholism and the last years of his life were particularly tough. His death seemed one of his stories because, on October 3, 1849, he was found in delirium in Baltimore and was taken to a hospital, where he died on October 7. The exact cause of his death is still the subject of discussion.

Gillian Anderson in 2011

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Gillian Leigh Anderson was born on August 9, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Gillian Anderson’s first experiences as a professional actress were in stage plays. In 1992 she moved to Los Angeles, initially looking for a career in cinema. Not finding work, she decided to accept roles for television productions and, after a small role, she auditioned for “The X-Files” and was cast for the role that changed her life, that of FBI agent Dana Scully. FOX wanted an actress with more experience and sex appeal but showrunner Chris Carter wanted Gillian Anderson and she got the role.

Gillian Anderson is now an actress appreciated on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and in the coming months the movie “UFO” and the Tv show “Sex Education” are scheduled to be released, two projects in which she participated. In short, even if “The X-Files” had really come to an end, her fans can still see her in other productions.

Harlan Ellison address fans at Minicon 41 (photo ©David Dyer-Bennet)

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The news came of the death of writer and screenwriter Harlan Ellison: the cause hasn’t been released but he died yesterday in his sleep.

Harlan Ellison’s character was certainly not easy but behind his disputes there was an artist who worked in various ways, sometimes not easy to notice immediately. He wrote very few novels so his visibility has always been lesser than that of many colleagues and the fact that he became famous and appreciated for the courage of his works says a lot about his importance in the field of science fiction.