Episode 14: The Misfortunes of Melbourne

Perry and David talk about: Follow-up Listening to our own episodes Getting our facts wrong Perry's views on diversity in the SF field Do the awards truly indicate quality? Other awards in the field Interview with Lucy Sussex Discovering Mary Fortune Ellen Davitt 'Force and Fraud' - Australia's first murder mystery Mary Fortune's reputation Anticipates the police procedural Police looked down on French writer Émile Gaboriau Australian interest in true crime Wilkie Collins and 'The Moonstone' Fascination with Australian settings Mary Braddon Ellen Wood Marcus Clarke and 'His Natural Life' 'The Mystery of a Hansom Cab' 'Blockbuster' Fergus Hume Melbourne the centre of theatre Nailed colonial Victoria Unusual structure of the novel Victoria's Chinese detective Concept of The Great Detective Crime novels as commentary on society Marvellous Melbourne - only for some 'Blockbuster' story of a publishing phenomenon Frederick Trischler Print run of 5,000 Hume sells copyright for £50 Kicks off interest in crime fiction Interest in Australia Pirated in the United States Literature a dicey business Theatrical versions Hume goes to England Was Hume gay? Oscar Wilde Blackmail? Theosophy Spiritualism - Doyle, Houdini Hume's connections in England Haddon Chambers Lucy's further research Anne Perry Further research Windup Image: section of the cover of The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume.