Introduction

Magic, and especially performance magic, has been a part of crime fiction since its inception: both art forms surged in popularity in Western Europe in the second half of the nineteenth century and influenced each other in profound ways. This collection of essays provides an in-depth look at this phenomenon and covers a variety of writers, across multiple languages, cultures, and traditions as well as multiple subgenres (Victorian autobiography, classic detective tales, pulp fiction, fantasy mystery, etc.). From historical studies examining the rise in popularity of magician narratives in mystery and detective fiction, to essays documenting the number of professional magicians who double as crime fiction writers, to theoretical studies analyzing the narrative and functional overlap between illusion, prestidigitation, and literary criminals and detectives, this collection of essays provides readers with a range of perspectives and approaches from a variety of scholarly backgrounds.