Occult detective fiction Occult detective fiction Occult detective fiction combines the tropes of detective fiction with those of supernatural horror fiction. Unlike the traditional detective, the occult detective is employed in cases involving ghosts, curses, and other supernatural elements. Some occult detectives are portrayed as being themselves psychic or in possession of other paranormal powers. Edgar Allan Poe wrote three stories featuring a detective involved with the occult named C. Auguste Dupin, starting with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" which was first published in 1841. Fitz James O’Brien’s character Harry Escott is another contender for first occult detective in fiction. A specialist
C. Auguste Dupin The two met by accident while both were searching for "the same rare and very remarkable volume" in an obscure library. This scene, the two characters searching for a hidden text, serves as a metaphor for detection. They promptly move to an old manor located in "Faubourg Saint-Germain". For hobbies, Dupin is "fond" of enigmas, conundrums, and hieroglyphics. He bears the title "Chevalier", meaning that he is a knight in the Légion d'honneur. Dupin shares some features with the later gentleman detective, a character type that became common in the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. He is acquainted with police