Hammett

Hammett is a surname most closely associated with Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961), an American writer whose hardboiled detective fiction helped redefine the genre. Born in Philadelphia, Hammett produced novels and short stories known for economical prose, brisk pacing, and morally complex inquiries into crime and corruption. His work often drew on real-world investigative experience and early 20th-century social conditions.

His best-known books include The Maltese Falcon (1930), The Dain Curse (1929), Red Harvest (1929), and The Glass Key (1931). He popularized the hardboiled detective, most famously Sam Spade, and his stories contributed to the development of film noir in American cinema. Many of Hammett's works were adapted for film and other media; notably, The Maltese Falcon became a landmark 1941 film noir directed by John Huston.

In addition to fiction, Hammett's life and career were the subject of the 1982 biographical film Hammett, directed by Wim Wenders. The name Hammett is therefore most commonly encountered in discussions of American detective fiction, where Dashiell Hammett's legacy is central.