A Criminology Of Narrative Fiction

This book answers the question of the usefulness of criminological fiction. Criminological fiction is fiction that can provide an explanation of the causes of crime or social harm and could, in consequence, contribute to the development of crime or social harm reduction policies. The book argues that criminological fiction can provide at least the following three types of criminological knowledge: (1) phenomenological, i.e. representing what certain experiences are like; (2) counterfactual, i.e. representing possible but non-existent situations; and (3) mimetic, i.e. representing everyday reality in detail and with accuracy. The book employs the phenomenological, counterfactual, and mimetic values of fiction to establish a theory of the criminological value of narrative fiction. It begins with a critical analysis of current work in narrative criminology and current criminological work on fiction. It then demonstrates the phenomenological, counterfactual, and mimetic values of narrative fiction using case studies from fictional novels, graphic novels, television series, and feature films. The argument concludes with an explanation of the relationship between the aetiological and pedagogic values of narrative fiction, focusing on cinematic fictions in virtue of the vast audiences they reach courtesy of their place in global popular culture.