Hard Boiled

[close] A place to discuss and share Hard Boiled books. Hard-boiled books are a subgenre of crime fiction characterized by their gritty, realistic style and tough, unsentimental protagonists. These stories often feature private detectives or law enforcement officers who navigate a corrupt and dangerous world. The tone is typically dark and cynical, with a focus on the harsh realities of crime and violence. Some key elements of hard-boiled fiction include: Tough Protagonists: Characters are often hard-edged, morally ambiguous, and resilient. Urban Settings: Stories are usually set in cities, emphasizing the gritty and often corrupt environment. Realistic Dialogue: The language is straightforward and often includes slang or colloquialisms. Complex Plots: The narratives often involve intricate plots with twists and turns. Moral Ambiguity: Characters and situations are rarely black and white, highlighting the complexities of human nature. Classic examples of hard-boiled fiction include works by authors like Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Mickey Spillane. If you're interested in exploring this genre, you might start with Chandler's "The Big Sleep" or Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon."

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[close] Started somewhat as a reaction to the British cozy mystery of the Agatha Christie style (think Murder She Wrote), there came a demand for something more real, action where the stakes were higher, the participants (good and bad) sleazier, the police on the take, the ladies fatal for any would-be patsy. Thus was born, largely in the 1920s, and often in the pulps (foremost among them Black Mask), the American answer to Sherlock Holmes, the genre that in turn became the basis for the film noir revolution of the 1940s. Our original big three writers in this genre are Dashiel Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and James M. Cain. This modest beginning spawned an international phenomenon with writers in other countries picking up the tropes, some adhering to original themes, others blending in other genres such as science fiction dystopia or urban fantasy, to craft a new literature known simply as noir. These writers and settings come from communities as diverse and complex as can be found throughout the modern world. Half our focus is on original hardboiled crime fiction, its formation in the middle third of twentieth century United States. The other half is on modern noir throughout the world as it has developed since. Join in on the fun as the outsider champion of justice tries to bring its criminal elements to account, won't you?