Les Habits Noirs is the creation of Paul Féval, père, a 19th French century mystery writer. It is a sprawling criminal saga written over a twelve year period, comprised of a dozen novels. Paul Henri Corentin Féval, père (17 September 1817 - 8 March 1887) was a French novelist and dramatist. ...

By its methods, themes and characters, Les Habits Noirs is the precursor of today’s conspiracy and organized crime fiction. Féval’s heroes, from Gregory Temple, the first “detective” in modern detective fiction, to Remy d’Arx, the investigative magistrate, are also the first modern characters of their kind. Sherlock Holmes, pipe-puffing hero of crime fiction, confers with his colleague Dr. Watson; together these characters popularized the genre. ... Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centres upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ...

In 1862, Féval founded the magazine Jean Diable, named after his eponymous Habits Noirs novel, and Émile Gaboriau, future creator of the police detective Monsieur Lecoq, a hero seemingly unrelated to the villainous Lecoq of the Habits Noirs, was his assistant. Émile Gaboriau (November 9, 1832 - September 28, 1873), was a French writer, novelist, and journalist, and a pioneer of modern detective fiction. ... Monsieur Lecoq is the creation of Emile Gaboriau, a 19th French century mystery writer, novelist, and journalist. ...

Books

• Les Mystères de Londres [The Mysteries of London] (serialized in Le Courrier Français, 1843-44; rep. Comptoir des Imprimeurs Réunis, 1844)
• Bel Demonio (serial. in Le Pays, 1850; rep. Permain, 1850)
• Les Compagnons du Silence [The Companions of Silence] (serial. in Le Journal Pour Tous, 1857; rep. Cadot, 1857)
• Jean Diable (serial. in Le Siècle, 1862; rep. Dentu, 1863)
• Les Habits Noirs [The Black Coats, aka The Parisian Jungle] (serial. in Le Constitutionnel, 1863; rep. Hachette, 1863)
• Coeur d’Acier [Heart of Steel] (serial. in Le Constitutionnel, 1865; rep. Hachette, 1865)
• L’Avaleur de Sabre [The Sword Swallower] (serial. in L’Époque, 1867; rep. Dentu, 1867)
• La Rue de Jerusalem [Jerusalem Street] (serial. in Le Constitutionnel, 1867-68; rep. Dentu, 1868)
• L’Arme Invisible [The Invisible Weapon] (serial. in Le National, 1869; rep. Dentu, 1869-70)
• Les Compagnons du Trésor [The Companions of the Treasure] (serial. in Le National, 1870, then after the war 1871-72; rep. Dentu, 1872)
• La Bande Cadet [The Cadet Gang] (serial. in L’Evènement, 1874-75; rep. Dentu, 1875)

English translations

• John Devil (2005) (Jean Diable (1861) translated by Brian Stableford) ISBN 1932983155
• The Black Coats: 'Salem Street (2005) (Les Habits Noirs: La Rue de Jérusalem (1868) translated by Brian Stableford) ISBN 1932983465

forthcoming: Brian Stableford (born July 25, 1948) is a British science fiction writer who has published more than 50 novels. ...

• The Black Coats: The Invisible Weapon (2006) (Les Habits Noirs: L'Arme Invisible (1869) translated by Brian Stableford) ISBN 1932983805
• Gentlemen of the Night (2006) (Les Mystères de Londres stage play adaptation (1848) translated by Frank J. Morlock) ISBN 1932983813

External Links

• The French Wold Newton Universe - Les Habits Noirs
• Black Coat Press, American publisher of the series