Chandler, Raymond (1888-1959), was one of the leading writers of the “hard-boiled” school of detective fiction. His stories are noted for their realism, violence, and colorful style. Chandler created the private eye (private investigator) Philip Marlowe. Marlowe roams the Los Angeles area, acting as a modern knight who protects the helpless and brings the guilty to justice.
Chandler was born on July 23, 1888, in Chicago. He published his first story in 1933 in Black Mask, a magazine that specialized in detective stories. Chandler wrote slowly and carefully. He produced only seven novels. They are The Big Sleep (1939), Farewell, My Lovely (1940), The High Window (1942), The Lady in the Lake (1943), The Little Sister (1949), The Long Goodbye (1953), and Playback (1958). A collection called The Simple Art of Murder (1950) includes short stories and a famous essay on Chandler’s philosophy of detective-story writing.
Chandler died on March 26, 1959. In 1995, the Library of America published authoritative editions of his Stories and Early Novels and Later Novels and Other Writings.
See also Big Sleep, The.
