The Gold-Bug given. Nevertheless, the Legrand character is often compared to Poe's fictional detective C. Auguste Dupin due to his use of "ratiocination". "Ratiocination", a term Poe used to describe Dupin's method, is the process by which Dupin detects what others have not seen or what others have deemed unimportant. Poe originally sold "The Gold-Bug" to George Rex Graham for "Graham's Magazine" for $52 but asked for it back when he heard about a writing contest sponsored by Philadelphia's "Dollar Newspaper". Incidentally, Poe did not return the money to Graham and instead offered to make it up to him with reviews he
Fictional detectives Dupin. Later, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes became the most famous example and remains so to this day. The detectives are often accompanied by a Dr. Watson-like assistant or narrator. However, in several of her novels where he appears, Agatha Christie gives reference to Hercule Poirot being the greatest detective in all the world. Fictional detectives generally fit one of four archetypes: Notable fictional detectives and their creators include: Fictional detectives Fictional detectives are characters in detective fiction. These characters have long been a staple of detective mystery crime fiction, particularly in detective novels and short stories. Much of