Dispatches From Noir

thegirlwhowasthursday asked: Your Tumblr has been an eye opener for me - I've been working my though Chandler et al. and am nearing the end of authors suggested in an earlier post written by you. I was wondering though if you had come across any authors who are basing their noir in the 90's upwards? I would be interested if the genre translates well.

I’m delighted to hear that you’ve taken my suggestions, and I’d be very curious to know which authors you’ve read and what you thought of them.  That might help me extrapolate your preferences to more recent hardboiled/noir fiction.  (And there is a difference between the two terms, as I’ve discussed previously.)

Dennis Lehane has written excellent hardboiled (The Kenzie-Gennaro novels) and noir (Mystic River) fiction recently.  Walter Mosley is most famous for his Easy Rawlins series, which traces the African American detective from 1948 to 1967.  But his more recent Leonid McGill novels have a contemporary setting.  Hard Case Crime publishes a mixture of reprints and original novels.  Some of the original novels are period pieces, but some have modern settings.  

George Pelecanos’ crime novels are very good.  And Elmore Leonard has written a number of good novels since the Nineties started more than twenty years ago.  

I often focus on the classics here on this blog, but I review recent crime fiction at Crime Fiction Lover.  My reviews there may be of some utility.  My ask box is, of course, always open.  And, as always, I invite feedback from readers.  What did I leave out?  What would you recommend, tumblchums?

itswhatpeopledo asked: I absolutely love the Noir genre and hard-boiled detective fiction etc etc. So far, I'm trying to read all of Raymond Chandler's novels with Philip Marlowe because I absolutely looove it. Any suggested authors? You can give me a long list, because I plan on reading as many as I can. Movies/directors too if you can! I would also love to learn about the general time period (Pretty much the 1900s-1950s, more or less), so if you know some good ways to do that, it would also be much appreciated.

The hardboiled/noir trilogy is Hammett, Chandler and Cain.  I would advise reading them to understand the foundations of the genre (if we can it a genre—and this is debated).  But it’s important to know that hardboiled/noir splits into two streams: hardboiled and noir.  I’ve addressed the difference before, but I think it’s important to keep in mind.  

You seem more interested in hardboiled P.I. fiction than noir, so I’ll focus on that.  But I think Cain (noir) is important reading for any fan of crime fiction, as are Cornell Woolrich, Jim Thompson.  My personal favorite is Dorothy B. Hughes, who blends hardboiled dialogue with noir plots and writes thrillers that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

There is so much hardboiled fiction.  I’ve stacks and stacks of it in my living room (I now have seven stacks instead of five—and all of them are taller than they were two months ago).  Hammet and Chandler are essential starting points.  The hardboiled trinity is Hammett, Chandler and Ross Macdonald (of whom more shortly).  But from there it just branches out.  John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee series (most of the novels are set in South Florida) is a favorite of mine.  Walter Moseley’s Easy Rawlins novels are top-notch mysteries.  What’s more, they are brilliant explorations of race and the American experience.  Early Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker have some of the best tough-guy dialogue ever put on paper.  Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer makes a lot of other hardboiled dicks look like sissies.

I can go on and on and on recommending hardboiled literature.  Not all hardboiled heroes are private detectives.  Michael Connelly’s Harry Busch is a cop, as are the characters in Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct series.  

I think that would be a good start, and you can always peruse the Currently Reading tag.  I’m always reading new books, so keep an eye out for my recommendations.  If you want a detective from a specific place (Denver, Miami, etc.) or with a distinguishing feature (African American, gay, female, etc.), I’d be happy to give some specific recommendations.  

There is infinite variety in hardboiled literature.  I would advise wading in and just read as widely as possible.