What Is Hardboiled Fiction?

An eternally inebriated detective still wearing his clothes from the day before. A messy office full of cheap furniture and loose files. A mysterious client with a suspiciously easy case. These are the typical images of a hardboiled detective story. Hardboiled...

The Gentleman Thief: A Criminal with Manners

Also known as a phantom thief, the gentleman thief is a popular stock character in fiction. Characterized by impeccable manners and style, they often use guile and charm to commit crimes, unlike common criminals who go straight to violence. Imagine James Bond going...

Deathtraps: What Is in a Villain’s Arsenal?

You’ve seen it in literature and film a thousand times: A string is pulled and an arrow speeds its way to the hero. Someone steps on a pressure plate and the walls begin to close in. Or, perhaps an artifact is lifted from its place and a spherical boulder is...

Red Herrings: Definition, Origin, and Examples

While reading a book or watching a movie, you’ve probably come across some detail of the story that made you so sure what the outcome would be. But when you reached the end, your theory turned out to be wrong. The guy you thought guilty is actually innocent, and...