Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) was an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his "hard-boiled" detective fiction and the iconic characters he created for his books, including the Continental Op (Red Harvest and The Dain Curse), Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), and Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man). Hammett is considered one of the finest mystery/detective writers of the 20th century. As a young man, Hammett became an operative for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, but the agency's role in strike-breaking soured Hammett to the Pinkertons and he joined the Army in 1918, serving in World War I. While in the Army, Hammett contracted both the Spanish flu and tuberculosis and the ill-effects of his consumption would plague Hammett's health for the rest of his life. In 1922, Hammett began to publish short stories in some of the popular mystery magazines of the era, particularly Black Mask, for whom he wrote a number of stories featuring his nameless private investigator, the Continental Op. He began producing these stories at a furious rate, eventually expanding into novels - Red Harvest and The Dain Curse - which he serialized in Black Mask prior to publication. In 1930, Hammett wrote The Maltese Falcon, which featured the private investigator Sam Spade, perhaps one of the most popular characters in all of detective fiction. Then, in 1934, Hammett topped himself, creating Nick and Nora Charles, the protagonists of the wildly popular book The Thin Man. Both of these books would later be adapted into successful motion pictures, the latter spawning five sequels. Hammett's left-wing politics got him placed on the "blacklist" and his books were eventually taken almost entirely off the market. His career troubles were exacerbated by his alcoholism and his drinking, in turn, worsened his health. He died of lung cancer in 1961 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Dashiell Hammett is still considered one of the greatest mystery writers of all time and his work proved to be an inspiration to an entire generation of young authors from Ernest Hemingway to Raymond Chandler and many others.