On May 15, our research team had the pleasure of participating in the XIII edition of the Festival Aragón Negro with the lecture “Crime Fiction Through History: Milestones and Myths”, delivered by our predoctoral researcher and team member María Abizanda-Cardona. The event offered a valuable opportunity to reflect on the historical evolution of crime fiction and its enduring relevance within contemporary cultural and academic debates.
Hosted in collaboration with the Comarca Campo de Daroca and the Fundación Campo de Daroca, the session brought together readers, students, and members of the local community for an engaging discussion on the development of the genre, its most influential authors, and some of the myths that continue to shape public perceptions of crime fiction today.
Throughout the lecture, attendees explored how crime fiction has evolved from classic detective narratives to contemporary noir and speculative crime fiction, examining the ways in which the genre reflects social anxieties, political tensions, technological change, and ethical dilemmas across different historical periods. Particular attention was given to the idea that crime fiction has never been “just entertainment,” but rather a literary form deeply connected to questions of justice, power, inequality, and cultural transformation.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Comarca Campo de Daroca and the Fundación Campo de Daroca for their warm welcome and excellent organization, as well as to the Festival Aragón Negro for continuing to promote spaces dedicated to cultural dissemination, critical dialogue, and public engagement with literature and the humanities.
We are also especially thankful to everyone who attended the event and contributed to the conversation with their questions, reflections, and enthusiasm. It was a genuine pleasure to share this space for dialogue and critical thinking with such an engaged audience.
This activity forms part of our ongoing research on crime fiction as a framework for exploring the social, ethical, and technological challenges that shape contemporary society.
