Dashiell Hammett



Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961), born Samuel Dashiell Hammett, was an American author whose name became synonymous with "hard-boiled" detective fiction. His best known creations were Sam Spade, the star of The Maltese Falcon, and Nick and Nora Charles from The Thin Man, all of whom gained greater fame through the many film and television adaptations and sequels. A strong anti-fascist but also a known member of the Communist Party, Hammett was blacklisted in the 1950s.