J.E. Preston Muddock
Encyclopedia
James Edward Preston Muddock also known as "Joyce Emmerson Preston Muddock" and "Dick Donovan" (May 28, 1843 – January 23, 1934), was a prolific British journalist and author of mystery and horror fiction. For a time his detective stories were as popular as those of Arthur Conan Doyle
. Between 1889 and 1922 he published nearly 300 detective and mystery stories.
, England
to sea captain James Muddock and Elizabeth Preston. At 14 he travelled to India
. During his journalistic career he travelled to China, the United States, and Australia
. Muddock's father had made poor investments and so was compelled to work overseas, so Muddock rarely saw his father in his early years. By 1870 Muddock had started publishing serial stories in English newspapers.
Detective, named for one of the 18th Century Bow Street Runners
. The character was so popular that later stories were published under this pen name. Muddock also wrote true crime stories, horror, and 37 novels, most as "Dick Donovan". His non-fiction included four history books, seven guidebooks for areas in the Alps
and his autobiography. His stories were used by The Strand Magazine in months when there were no Sherlock Holmes
stories available.
Muddock's detective stories differ from the psychological investigation of character in modern detective fiction, and they are described as having sensational plots but little character development. Atmospheric details of the setting were minimal, perhaps to ensure acceptance in markets of both the U.K. and the U. S. Deduction and logical thought in the "Donovan" stories are of significantly less importance than in the nearly contemporary Sherlock Holmes
stories.
takes its name from the lead character in a 1905 paperback novel by Muddock. In The Sunless City
, Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin pilots a submarine through a bottomless lake. Upon passing through a hole lined with gold, he finds a strange underground world. A prospector Thomas Creighton
found the book in the wilderness. When he discovered a rich vein of almost pure copper
, by a deep lake, it reminded him of the book. So he called it Flin Flon's mine, mercifully shortening the name.
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
. Between 1889 and 1922 he published nearly 300 detective and mystery stories.
Life
Muddock was the third of four children, born near SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to sea captain James Muddock and Elizabeth Preston. At 14 he travelled to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. During his journalistic career he travelled to China, the United States, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Muddock's father had made poor investments and so was compelled to work overseas, so Muddock rarely saw his father in his early years. By 1870 Muddock had started publishing serial stories in English newspapers.
Works
Most of Muddock's stories featured his continuing character Dick Donovan, the GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
Detective, named for one of the 18th Century Bow Street Runners
Bow Street Runners
The Bow Street Runners have been called London's first professional police force. The force was founded in 1749 by the author Henry Fielding and originally numbered just six. Bow Street runners was the public's nickname for these officers, "although the officers never referred to themselves as...
. The character was so popular that later stories were published under this pen name. Muddock also wrote true crime stories, horror, and 37 novels, most as "Dick Donovan". His non-fiction included four history books, seven guidebooks for areas in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and his autobiography. His stories were used by The Strand Magazine in months when there were no Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories available.
Muddock's detective stories differ from the psychological investigation of character in modern detective fiction, and they are described as having sensational plots but little character development. Atmospheric details of the setting were minimal, perhaps to ensure acceptance in markets of both the U.K. and the U. S. Deduction and logical thought in the "Donovan" stories are of significantly less importance than in the nearly contemporary Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories.
Flin Flon, Manitoba
The town of Flin FlonFlin Flon
Flin Flon is a Canadian mining city located on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within Manitoba.- Founding :...
takes its name from the lead character in a 1905 paperback novel by Muddock. In The Sunless City
The Sunless City
The Sunless City: From the Papers and Diaries of the Late Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin is a dime novel written by J. E. Preston Muddock in 1905. The novel is about a prospector named Josiah Flintabbaty Flonatin who explores a bottomless lake in a submarine, and discovers a land where everything is...
, Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin pilots a submarine through a bottomless lake. Upon passing through a hole lined with gold, he finds a strange underground world. A prospector Thomas Creighton
Thomas Creighton
Thomas Creighton was a prospector who found mineral deposits in Saskatchewan.With his partners Jack and Dan Mosher, Creighton discovered gold on the west side of Amisk Lake in 1913. This was the first significant mineral in the area, leading to an influx of more than a thousand men and women from...
found the book in the wilderness. When he discovered a rich vein of almost pure copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, by a deep lake, it reminded him of the book. So he called it Flin Flon's mine, mercifully shortening the name.