-
The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction
- Narrated by: David Schmid
- Series: The Great Courses: Genre Fiction
- Length: 18 hrs and 56 mins
- Lecture
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Literary History & Criticism
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $41.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
How Great Science Fiction Works
- By: Gary K. Wolfe, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary K. Wolfe
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robots, spaceships, futuristic megacities, planets orbiting distant stars. These icons of science fiction are now in our daily news. Science fiction, once maligned as mere pulp, has motivated cutting-edge scientific research, inspired new technologies, and changed how we view everyday life - and its themes and questions permeate popular culture. Take an unparalleled look at the influence, history, and greatest works of science fiction with illuminating insights and fascinating facts about this wide-ranging genre.
-
-
Deserves a Hugo of Its Own
- By Carol on 02-01-16
By: Gary K. Wolfe, and others
-
How to Publish Your Book
- By: Jane Friedman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jane Friedman
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 24 eye-opening lectures, Jane Friedman, publishing industry expert and educator, provides you with sought-after secrets of the publishing process that will help you navigate this difficult progression, bypass pitfalls that many novice authors get hung up on, and improve your chances of being considered for publication. She acts as your personal guide though the entire process: from finalizing your manuscript to writing the perfect pitch to reviewing contracts and marketing your book.
-
-
Beyond Expectation Amazing!
- By Travis Smith on 03-09-16
By: Jane Friedman, and others
-
Masterpieces of the Imaginative Mind: Literature's Most Fantastic Works
- By: Eric S. Rabkin, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Eric S. Rabkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many of literature's greatest works, from ancient myths to the works of Nobel laureates, rely on fantasy. Even when there has been a dominant preference for realism, generation after generation of readers have been drawn to stories of the fantastic-not only for what they help us learn about ourselves as individuals or as members of society, but also for what they show about our social values.
-
-
Broad Lit Crit overview of... Mostly Sci Fi
- By T. Brehm on 04-13-16
By: Eric S. Rabkin, and others
-
How to Write Best-Selling Fiction
- By: James Scott Bell, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: James Scott Bell
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most people think the way to write a best seller is to have a lot of talent and even more luck. As you will learn, there is a recipe for success, and luck may be the least important ingredient in creating a best seller. No one has cracked the code better than James Scott Bell. A best-selling author himself, and the author of the number-one best seller for writers, Plot & Structure, Mr. Bell has been teaching the principles of best-selling fiction for over 20 years, principles that apply to any genre or style.
-
-
I'm a writer and this course is to blame.
- By accentrique on 07-22-19
By: James Scott Bell, and others
-
Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story
- By: Angus Fletcher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Angus Fletcher
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you want to write your own scripts or simply gain a deeper appreciation for the great stories you see unfold on the screen, Professor Angus Fletcher is here to show you the way in Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story. Professor Fletcher, Professor of English and Film at The Ohio State University, brings both a personal and scholarly perspective to this craft. As a screenwriter himself, he has experienced the ins and outs of the process first-hand.
-
-
it's great
- By Kindle Customer on 02-11-18
By: Angus Fletcher, and others
-
Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor David K. Johnson PhD University of Oklahoma
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The science fiction genre has become increasingly influential in mainstream popular culture, evolving into one of the most engaging storytelling tools we use to think about technology and consider the shape of the future. Along the way, it has also become one of the major lenses we use to explore important philosophical questions. The origins of science fiction are most often thought to trace to Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, a story born from a night of spooky tale-telling by the fireside that explores scientific, moral, and ethical questions that were of great concern in the 19th century - and that continue to resonate today.
-
-
It only scratches the surface
- By Marcos Trujillo Cue on 06-14-18
-
How Great Science Fiction Works
- By: Gary K. Wolfe, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary K. Wolfe
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robots, spaceships, futuristic megacities, planets orbiting distant stars. These icons of science fiction are now in our daily news. Science fiction, once maligned as mere pulp, has motivated cutting-edge scientific research, inspired new technologies, and changed how we view everyday life - and its themes and questions permeate popular culture. Take an unparalleled look at the influence, history, and greatest works of science fiction with illuminating insights and fascinating facts about this wide-ranging genre.
-
-
Deserves a Hugo of Its Own
- By Carol on 02-01-16
By: Gary K. Wolfe, and others
-
How to Publish Your Book
- By: Jane Friedman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jane Friedman
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 24 eye-opening lectures, Jane Friedman, publishing industry expert and educator, provides you with sought-after secrets of the publishing process that will help you navigate this difficult progression, bypass pitfalls that many novice authors get hung up on, and improve your chances of being considered for publication. She acts as your personal guide though the entire process: from finalizing your manuscript to writing the perfect pitch to reviewing contracts and marketing your book.
-
-
Beyond Expectation Amazing!
- By Travis Smith on 03-09-16
By: Jane Friedman, and others
-
Masterpieces of the Imaginative Mind: Literature's Most Fantastic Works
- By: Eric S. Rabkin, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Eric S. Rabkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many of literature's greatest works, from ancient myths to the works of Nobel laureates, rely on fantasy. Even when there has been a dominant preference for realism, generation after generation of readers have been drawn to stories of the fantastic-not only for what they help us learn about ourselves as individuals or as members of society, but also for what they show about our social values.
-
-
Broad Lit Crit overview of... Mostly Sci Fi
- By T. Brehm on 04-13-16
By: Eric S. Rabkin, and others
-
How to Write Best-Selling Fiction
- By: James Scott Bell, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: James Scott Bell
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most people think the way to write a best seller is to have a lot of talent and even more luck. As you will learn, there is a recipe for success, and luck may be the least important ingredient in creating a best seller. No one has cracked the code better than James Scott Bell. A best-selling author himself, and the author of the number-one best seller for writers, Plot & Structure, Mr. Bell has been teaching the principles of best-selling fiction for over 20 years, principles that apply to any genre or style.
-
-
I'm a writer and this course is to blame.
- By accentrique on 07-22-19
By: James Scott Bell, and others
-
Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story
- By: Angus Fletcher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Angus Fletcher
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you want to write your own scripts or simply gain a deeper appreciation for the great stories you see unfold on the screen, Professor Angus Fletcher is here to show you the way in Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story. Professor Fletcher, Professor of English and Film at The Ohio State University, brings both a personal and scholarly perspective to this craft. As a screenwriter himself, he has experienced the ins and outs of the process first-hand.
-
-
it's great
- By Kindle Customer on 02-11-18
By: Angus Fletcher, and others
-
Sci-Phi: Science Fiction as Philosophy
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor David K. Johnson PhD University of Oklahoma
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The science fiction genre has become increasingly influential in mainstream popular culture, evolving into one of the most engaging storytelling tools we use to think about technology and consider the shape of the future. Along the way, it has also become one of the major lenses we use to explore important philosophical questions. The origins of science fiction are most often thought to trace to Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, a story born from a night of spooky tale-telling by the fireside that explores scientific, moral, and ethical questions that were of great concern in the 19th century - and that continue to resonate today.
-
-
It only scratches the surface
- By Marcos Trujillo Cue on 06-14-18
-
How Science Shapes Science Fiction
- By: Charles L. Adler, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Charles L. Adler
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Science fiction can often seem to be pure imaginative fantasy, but many authors are more fluent in real science than many readers and viewers may realize. Professor Charles L. Adler of St. Mary’s College of Maryland was the perfect choice for this subject, as he is both a longtime science-fiction fan and a real-world scientist. Professor Adler’s talent for using literature to shine a light on science - both the accurate and not-so-accurate versions employed by creators, spanning two centuries - makes this course a great survey for fans of both science fact and science fiction.
-
-
A+ Science behind Sci-Fi lecture series
- By Annabells on 11-19-20
By: Charles L. Adler, and others
-
Great American Short Stories: A Guide for Writers and Readers
- By: Jennifer Cognard-Black, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Cognard-Black
- Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you want to write short stories, simply want better insight as a reader, or even if you are looking for a new lens through which to view American history, the 24 rich and informative lectures of Great American Short Stories: A Guide for Writers and Readers will show you the ins and outs of this infinitely adaptable - and intrinsically American - literary form. Professor Jennifer Cognard-Black of St. Mary’s College of Maryland guides you through the technical aspects of the short story, while also digging deep into the history of the form in the United States.
-
-
-sigh-
- By Michael C. on 06-03-21
By: Jennifer Cognard-Black, and others
-
The Real History of Secret Societies
- By: Professor Richard B. Spence, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Richard B. Spence
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to The Real History of Secret Societies, a historical look at the true-life groups which, if you believe the myths, are the unspoken power behind some of the world’s major turning points, from controlling the British crown to holding back the electric car and keeping Martians and Atlantis under wraps. Prepare yourself. In this course brought to you in partnership with HISTORY®, you will be visiting some of history’s deepest rabbit-holes, across centuries and continents, in search of secret societies in all their varieties.
-
-
Far more politics than fraternity.
- By Tp on 11-25-19
By: Professor Richard B. Spence, and others
-
Books That Have Made History: Books That Can Change Your Life
- By: Rufus J. Fears, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Rufus J. Fears
- Length: 18 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why do "Great Books" continue to speak to us hundreds and even thousands of years after they were written? Can they deepen our self-knowledge and wisdom? Are our lives changed in any meaningful way by the experience of reading them?Tackle these questions and more in these 36 engaging lectures. Beginning with his definition of a Great Book as one that possesses a great theme of enduring importance, noble language that "elevates the soul and ennobles the mind," and a universality that enables it to "speak across the ages," Professor Fears examines a body of work that offers extraordinary wisdom to those willing to receive it.
-
-
A course that will open you to new ideas.
- By Kristi R. on 07-06-14
By: Rufus J. Fears, and others
-
Effective Editing
- How to Take Your Writing to the Next Level
- By: Molly McCowan, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Molly McCowan
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Book coach and editor Molly McCowan takes you through the self-editing process in 13 detailed lessons, using a step-by-step method designed to reduce overwhelm and to structure the revision process in the most productive way possible. Working from the big to the little picture of your work, Molly shows you how to strengthen character development, find and fix plot holes, build stronger scenes, focus on smooth pacing and point-of-view issues, elevate your language, and much more.
-
-
This is excellent
- By Phillip J. Fitzsimmons on 08-19-21
By: Molly McCowan, and others
-
Why Evil Exists
- By: Charles Mathewes, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Charles Mathewes
- Length: 19 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether we view it in theological, philosophical, or psychological terms, evil remains both a deeply intriguing question and a crucially relevant global issue. Now, Professor Mathewes offers you a richly provocative and revealing encounter with the question of human evil - a dynamic inquiry into Western civilization's greatest thinking and insight on this critical subject.
-
-
But What's Puzzling You is the Nature of My Game
- By W Perry Hall on 09-28-15
By: Charles Mathewes, and others
-
A Day's Read
- By: The Great Courses, Emily Allen, Grant L. Voth, and others
- Narrated by: Arnold Weinstein, Emily Allen, Grant L. Voth
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Join three literary scholars and award-winning professors as they introduce you to dozens of short masterpieces that you can finish - and engage with - in a day or less. Perfect for people with busy lives who still want to discover-or rediscover-just how transformative an act of reading can be, these 36 lectures range from short stories of fewer than 10 pages to novellas and novels of around 200 pages. Despite their short length, these works are powerful examinations of the same subjects and themes that longer "great books" discuss.
-
-
Wonderful Introduction to Short Fiction
- By Kindle Customer on 01-17-18
By: The Great Courses, and others
-
Understanding the Dark Side of Human Nature
- By: Professor Daniel Breyer, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Daniel Breyer
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear about someone committing a violent, reprehensible, even evil, act. And each time it happens, before we know anything about the circumstances, we are already sure of one thing: We are nothing like that perpetrator. But how can we be so sure? After all, we are all human. In Understanding the Dark Side of Human Nature, Professor Daniel Breyer takes us on a fascinating philosophical journey into many of the deepest and darkest questions that have engaged humanity for millennia.
-
-
A Great Cross-Cultural Conversation
- By Anonymous User on 09-09-19
By: Professor Daniel Breyer, and others
-
English Grammar Boot Camp
- By: Anne Curzan, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Anne Curzan
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grammar! For many of us, the word triggers memories of finger-wagging schoolteachers, and of wrestling with the ambiguous and complicated rules of using formal language. But what is grammar? In fact, it's the integral basis of how we speak and write. As such, a refined awareness of grammar opens a world of possibilities for both your pleasure in the English language and your skill in using it, in both speech and the written word.
-
-
This book is mostly about the history of grammar
- By Amazon Customer on 10-04-18
By: Anne Curzan, and others
-
How to View and Appreciate Great Movies
- By: Eric Williams, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Eric Williams
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sit down with renowned professional filmmaker, author, and award-winning professor Eric R. Williams to unpack the elements of more than 250 “great” movies to gain insights and secrets that will change the way you view films. You’ll discover how from the moment you sit down, great filmmakers control every sensation the movie experience evokes: tremors or tears, goosebumps or giggles, and why it is that we invite them to do this.
-
-
very informative
- By Greg Bensch on 01-18-21
By: Eric Williams, and others
-
Espionage and Covert Operations: A Global History
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Step into the real world of the spy with this detailed and unforgettable tour of the millennia-long history and enduring legacy of espionage and covert operations. While most of us associate this top-secret subject with popular fiction and film, its true story is more fascinating, surprising, and important than you could possibly imagine. These 24 thrilling lectures survey how world powers have attempted to work in the shadows to gain secret information or subvert enemies behind the scenes.
-
-
depends what you're after
- By Rachel on 08-20-14
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
-
The Symphony
- By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From its humble beginnings in the 17th-century Along the way, it has embraced nearly every trend to be found in Western concert music.In this series of twenty-four 45-minute lectures, Professor Greenberg guides you on a survey of the symphony.
-
-
Another wonderful series from Robert Greenberg
- By Kindle Customer on 09-09-17
By: Robert Greenberg, and others
Publisher's Summary
Great mystery and suspense writers have created some of the most unforgettable stories in all of literature. Even those who don't consider themselves fans of this intriguing genre are familiar with names such as Hercule Poirot, Sam Spade, Hannibal Lecter, and Robert Langdon, and understand the deep and lasting impact this writing has had on literature as a whole. An utterly captivating and compelling genre, mystery and suspense has leapt off the pages of the old dime store paperbacks, magazines, and comic books onto big screens, small screens, radio serials, podcasts, websites, and more. You'll find elements, characters, and references permeating popular culture and news reports worldwide, and bleeding into other literary genres such as romance, political thrillers, sports stories, and even biographies. Nearly 200 years old, the genre of mystery and suspense literature is only growing more popular.
How did it become so prevalent? Why is mystery and suspense a go-to genre for so many around the world? What makes the dark and sometimes grisly themes appealing? In 24 lectures of The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction, Professor David Schmid of the University at Buffalo examines these questions, as he guides you through an examination of the many different varieties of the genre, including classic whodunits, hard-boiled crime fiction, historical mysteries, courtroom dramas, true crime narratives, espionage fiction, and many more.
Fans of the genre will be delighted by the breadth and depth of information presented, guaranteed to uncover gems they had not yet discovered. But anyone, whether they are admirers of mystery on radio and film, or simply fans of literature, history, or pop culture, will find something to enlighten and entertain in this study of a genre with such tremendous impact.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C. Buczkowski
- 01-25-18
As someone else said, “mis-titled”
This course is enjoyable enough for what it is. The problem is, the title implies something different than what the course actually is.
This course isn’t an analytical look at the nuts and bolts of what makes good mystery and suspense fiction work, but often more a history lesson (and not an unenjoyable one) of the genre. There’s some surface-level attention to broad themes and the arc such stories have taken historically, but don’t expect a detailed look at what makes the stories themselves successful from a writing perspective, or enjoyable from a reading perspective.
Of course, I should have done a bit more homework before downloading the course. As long as you know what you’re getting beforehand, it IS a high quality course.
51 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Keenan
- 11-30-17
Mixed feelings
The professor has a large fund of information available to him, and, as a result, I have been introduced to intriguing authors and works. However, he tends to draw unsupported inferences regarding features and developments of various subgenres, so many that I lost count. And I wonder if he is as familiar with seminal works as he should be. For instance, in one lecture, he posed the question, Why did Agatha Christie only write about murders? The answer is, professor, she didn't.
Finally, he redefines cozy to include Golden Age and implies that the modern cozy subgenre is a devolution of mystery writing. Golden Age and cozies are two distinct genres, distanced by time and geography. Golden Age is what the rest of us call traditional mystery and is the trunk of the mystery family tree. As for cozies: they may not be literature, sir, but the fact that, it has an audience shows that it serves a purpose.
On the plus side, he has a very nice voice.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gidget007
- 03-21-17
Eye Opening and Enjoyable
Would you listen to The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction again? Why?
I would so listen to this again. It was interesting and informative and I liked the narrator's personal views on certain subject matters. This lecture has turned me on to new reading possibilities that I would never have known about if not for this lecture. It made my work day more enjoyable as I listened while at the office.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction?
When Professor Schmid spoke of the Native American mysteries it perked up my ears. It sounded fascinating and now I'm interested in reading some of the books that were mentioned. I also liked when he talked about the Cozy Mysteries and how professor Schmid didn't find them low brow as some critics have stated. I like thrillers and suspense but a cozy mystery is very comforting to read and immensely enjoyable. Critics be damned but I am with Professor Schmid when it comes to the Cozy Mysteries.
Which character – as performed by Professor David Schmid – was your favorite?
There were no characters as this was a lecture and not a book. I liked the Professor's style of lecture. It wasn't wooden or pretentious. There was warmth and insight and knowledge and passion in what he had to say.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This was not a book but a lecture and so it mainly fascinated me.
Any additional comments?
I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture by Professor David Schmid and will be interested to listen to other lectures by him as I enjoyed the sound of his voice, the cadence in which he spoke, and his passion for the subject.
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Carol
- 12-05-16
I Admit I Cut a Few Classes
This course might have been better off with 30 or even 24 lectures instead of these 36 too-often painfully repetitious segments. Although the course outline looks like it would be inclusive and stimulating, in fact many of the lectures sound the same. I quit listening to several of them when what I thought was going to be a new and interesting topic became a reiteration of previous material.
Not that there aren’t some enlightening and interesting lectures on a couple of unexpected topics such as "Latino Detectives on the Border" and "The American Dime Novel," but for the most part Professor Schmid keeps returning to a few favorite themes.
The first and most repeated theme is the foundational (the professor is fond of such adjectives) roots of mystery and suspense fiction, which he attributes to Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Agatha Christie. It would be pretty hard to argue with these choices, but their work (especially Poe’s "The Murders in the Rue Morgue") is referred to so often, and usually using similar words to make the same points over and over, that I began to wonder whether we’d make it into the 21st century. We do in fact get there, and in the process spend a lot of time with The Private Eye, another pet topic--again a fair choice that I thought it was overemphasized.
This is definitely a college “lit” course, of a type that emphasizes subjective analysis ("why does Dashiell Hammett tell us that Sam Spade's eyes 'burned yellowly'?") and literary criticism ("The noted critic xxx zzz has proposed that...."). It’s also a very academic presentation, heavy on the "here’s what I’m about to tell you, I’m telling you this, here’s what I just told you" formula. For what it presents, it is authoritative, and I did learn some interesting things, but it did not inspire me to explore the work of any of the new-to-me authors, or to try my own hand at mystery and suspense writing (at which I admit I would be awful, so that last is probably just as well).
54 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Steve and/or Jodene
- 10-28-19
Some things to know before buying this
Professor Schmid mentions and discusses many different works over the course of the 36 lectures, but he keeps coming back, over and over, to Edgar Allan Poe, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, and Raymond Chandler. I suspect this is partly because he's interested in showing how the key elements of the genre can be traced back to those early works, and how later authors were influenced by or differ from them; and that it's partly because he's used to teaching an actual, semester-long class with a limited reading list of works he expects his students to read and discuss during the semester.
Are there spoilers of the works he discusses? Some, but not a lot. If you've never read Poe's "Murders in the Rue Morgue" or Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," this will spoil them for you.
In some of the lecture series released by The Great Courses and others, including this one, the lectures sound like articles that the presenter has written down ahead of time and is reading to you verbatim, Other series sound more like the lecturer is talking to you directly. I prefer lectures to be this latter kind, but "The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction" is one of the former.
The performance isn't bad. Professor Schmid's voice is clear and easy to listen to, but he has a very choppy narration style.
The main focus, in case it needs to be said, is on written works (novels, short stories, and a bit on true crime narratives). Works from other media (movies, TV, radio) do get mentioned, but mostly for how they relate to the written works.
Professor Schmid is to be commended for the breadth of his coverage. He knows his field. Some people will find these 36 lectures to be overkill, and some will wish he had included some works or topics that he left out. I admit, there were times when I thought to myself, "Do we really need a whole lecture on this?" but mostly I was glad he was so thorough.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- K.D. Keenan
- 07-01-17
Disappointed, But Maybe My Fault
When I downloaded this Great Course, I thought it would be about WRITING mystery and suspense. It isn't. It's sort of an overview of the literature, from "Murders in the Rue Morgue" to "The Da Vinci Code.' If you are already a devoted reader of mysteries and suspense, there will be little fresh material here, though I did get some leads on mystery authors I haven't yet read. If you want to discover new authors, keep a pad and pen with you--I have forgotten most of the authors and book titles already.
On the plus side, the lecturer knows his material backward and forward, and is a true devotee of the genre. He talks about Sherlock Holmes as though he knew him personally, and his depth of knowledge about these writers and their work is phenomenal. It just didn't happen to be what I wanted, which is not the fault of the course.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Avery Milieu
- 07-09-17
Mis-titled
What made the experience of listening to The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction the most enjoyable?
Interesting enough material, but it wasn't instructive for someone wanting to learn how to write about the subject matter.
It was an entertaining overview of how Mystery and Suspense is and has been written. A great selection of authors analyzed, but it didn't actually concern itself with the listener writing. It was a reader's study.
Would you be willing to try another book from The Great Courses? Why or why not?
I take them on occasionally. Generally I find them instructive, often entertaining.
What does Professor David Schmid bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
This question is irrelevant to the nature of the title being reviewed, since it was an academic study, not an actual story.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
This question is irrelevant to the nature of the title being reviewed, since it was an academic study, not an actual story.
Any additional comments?
Re title the series: How Mystery and Suspense Is Written. It lack the necessary instruction about beats and high points, timing and other details of story construction. Thirty-six half hours later I found myself still wondering how to do this. The various "lessons" I've found for writing "genre Romance" have been much more helpful to that end. Was hoping for something like here.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J. Johnson
- 09-06-19
Narrator is out of breath
I wanted to listen to this but the lecturer is so out of breath it's making me anxious. Interesting info but I'm exchanging this.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Steven
- 03-14-17
not what I expected but enjoyable
I wouldn't say it's the secrets of mystery and suspense. this is more a history and complete treatise on the elements of the genre.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- john
- 03-29-18
Contains less secrets and more of the already seen
If you could sum up The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction in three words, what would they be?
Summary of Mystery Genres
Who was your favorite character and why?
N/a
What about Professor David Schmid’s performance did you like?
Pretty good performance but could tell when cuts were made.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
N/a
Any additional comments?
Thought this would be more about the technical aspects of writing mystery books but instead it just goes over the different kinds of mystery and suspense types. Was less about secrets and more about what already is known in the industry.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Adrian Marriette
- 06-30-17
Disappointing
What would have made The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction better?
Shorter more focussed course or a wider choice of examples.
I reached the stage of gritting my teeth every time he mentioned Edgar Allen Poe. It felt like every few minutes. Whilst I grant the man the innovation in the genre he only wrote three stories !! I cannot see mysteries about crazed orangutans getting very far nowadays
Would you listen to another book narrated by Professor David Schmid?
No
What character would you cut from The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction?
Edgar Allen Poe
Any additional comments?
I really wanted to enjoy this
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 05-02-17
Excellent Depth and Analysis
Fantastic listening to these lectures. Provided great insight into the history and how great mysteries are written. will enjoy them much more now. only thought is that he missed a section on medical mystery stories.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- EmilyK
- 08-01-21
Rare miss by Great Courses
I found this a slog. That’s really odd for me with GreatCourses which usually are my first choice of listen. I’m not sure what all bothered me. There was way too much on Edgar Allan Poe. Even though I’ve been a mystery reader my whole life, I didn’t actually find much coverage of authors that I was expecting. And I felt the professor’s delivery was more reading his notes than either a lecture or an audiobook.
I did learn some interesting things. And I can see from other reviews that it really hit the mark for other listeners. So I don’t want to totally pan it ~ but I would listen to a sample before buying.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Philip Saunders
- 01-06-19
Chapters skipping and out of order
The chapters are jumbled and out of order. Would have expected better from The Great Courses. The content itself is good and well put together, so this review is more about the presentation and structuring of the audio book itself, which spoils it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tradjick
- 02-11-17
Pushing a feminist agenda
The narrator can't help but push his political ideology into what.could have been an interesting subject. So painful, I was unable to finish this tripe
3 people found this helpful