This book provides a concise and lucid overview of the key criticism, from early reviews to twenty-first commentaries, surrounding the popular genre of Victorian sensation fiction.Sensation novels are becoming increasingly studied at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This is one of the first books to survey the full range of major criticism surrounding the genre, from the earliest reviews to the present day. It offers coverage of the major Sensation novels and authors, such as Wilkie Collins, Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Mrs Henry Woods.Assessing the full range of criticism from the frequently strident early responses, through twentieth-century critical engagements, to present-day commentaries, this Guide adopts a thematic approach to explore the key issues, topics and debates typically encountered in Sensation Fiction, and the study of the genre as a whole.