Quote:
Originally Posted by Barty
Did Christie write about serial killers? I think hers were multiple murderers. The serial killer as we think of him (a wacko who kills out of some psychosexual compunction) is a pretty modern development. I think it peaked with Lambs. I think Thomas Harris recognized it and decided to voluntarily jump the shark with "Hannibal"
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I think the serial killer was we think of him came about because modern inventions made it possible for people to travel so much more easily. But even before modern times, I think there were many people who qualified as serial killers, even before people knew what to call them. Some were rulers, some worked for rulers, and some hid among other members of society.
In The Serial Killer Files, Harold Schechter argues that the FBI description of serial killers is too broad as it might include, for example, Billy the Kid or other Western outlaws. He classifies multiple homicide as serial, spree, and mass killings. But Peter Vronsky has different views, and you can preview his books here (
http://www.serialkillerchronicles.com/).
Just to keep this discussion relevant to ebooks, you can find Harold Schechter's books on the
Kindle and
Nook!
And Peter Vronsky is also available on the
Kindle and
Nook.