Who reads this stuff?
Meta-fiction:
… fiction in which the author self-consciously alludes to the artificiality or literariness of a work by parodying or departing from novelistic conventions (especially naturalism) and traditional narrative techniques.
… a literary style; a term used to refer to a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism, characterized by a rejection of traditional literary conventions and an emphasis on experimentation.
So, yeah, who reads this stuff? Well, besides me?
The P.I. genre (or sub-genre or whatever you call it) has been around long enough that a lot of very smart and clever writers (just ask them) don’t mind putting the boots to it, getting all meta-fictional and post-modern on the Shamus Game.
It’s fiction about fiction; about breaking the third wall, about lifting the lid and getting a good look at the works.
Are these shape-shifting, reality-bending books, films, graphic novels and the like evidence of a genuine love for the game, smug literary putdowns, intentionally over-the-top spoofs or simple cover-ups of the fact the author couldn’t quite pull off a straight private eye tale even if you put a gun to their heads?
Spin the bottle and take your pick.
Accused of excessive use of already overused tropes, clichés and stereotypes (occasionally taken to ridiculous extremes), a recurring theme from writers being called on it is that it’s a satire or a spoof or a parody or whatever, and “not to be taken seriously.”
Except, of course, the writers themselves do want to be taken seriously. Often very seriously.
Among the suspects:
- “Nels Grant, Private Investigator” (1945-46; by Charles Spraggett & Adrian Dingle)
Featuring private eye Nels Grant.
A long-forgotten story serialized in a Canadian comic book, whose breaking the third wall conclusion could arguably have been a prime example of all that followed. No, seriously. - The New York Trilogy (1985-86; by Paul Auster)
Featuring private eyes (maybe) Daniel Quinn, Blue and “Fanshawe’s Friend.” - The Pistolwhip Trilogy (2001-03; by Matt Kindt & Jason Hall)
Featuring private eye Mitch Pistolwhip. - Inherent Vice (2009; by Thomas Pynchon)
Featuring private eye Doc Sportello. - Noir (2010; by Robert Clover)
Featuring private eye Philip M. Noir - The Devil and the Detective (2013; by John Goldbach)
Featuring private eye Robert James. - Woman With a Blue Pencil (2015; by Gordon McAlpine)
Featuring private eye Sam Sumida/Jimmy Park. - The Big Man’s Daughter (2020; by Owen Fitzstephen)
Featuring non-P.I. Rita Gaspereaux. - Subgenre (2023; by Matt Kindt)
Featuring private eye Verge. - Profane (2024; by Peter Milligan and Raül Fernandez)
Featuring private eye Will Profane. - West Heart Kill (2023; by Dann McDorman)
Featuring private eye Adam McAnnis. - Every Arc Bends Its Radian (2024; by Sergio de la Pava)
Featuring private eye Riv del Rio.
Your mileage may vary. Some of these I’ve enjoyed quite a bit. Others? They met my wall with a resounding thud.
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
