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Nightmare Town

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"Nightmare Town" is a collection of 20 stories written by Dashiell Hammett between 1924 and 1934, spanning nearly his entire writing career. Seven of the stories feature the indomitable Continental Op: "House Dick", "Night Shots", "Zig Zags of Treachery", "Death on Pine Street", "Tom, Dick, or Harry", "One Hour", and "Who Killed Bob Teal". "Zig Zags of Treachery", about the apparent suicide of a prominent San Francisco surgeon, is superb, perhaps the best story in this collection. The Continental Op is a character rooted in realism whom Hammett based on a fellow detective from his days at Pinkerton Detective Agency, Jimmy Wright, and on himself. Hammett's second most famous detective, Sam Spade, hero of his novel "The Maltese Falcon", is featured in 3 stories: "A Man Called Spade", "Too Many Have Lived", and "They can only Hang You Once". These are the only short stories Hammett wrote about Spade, who was in some ways the flip side of the Continental Op. At first glance, the two detectives have more in common that not, but where the Op represents the way detectives of the era really were, Sam Spade represents the way they wanted to be.

The stories in this anthology demonstrate the variety of writing techniques that Hammett applied to hard-boiled detective fiction. "His Brother's Keeper" and "A Man Named Thin" feature first-person narration, but are otherwise divergent in style. "A Man Named Thin" is narrated by a poet who is a reluctant detective. I can't say that I like the ornate prose style, but it suits the narrator. "The Second-Story Angel" shows that Hammett wasn't above making fun of himself. The last story in this collection is the first ten chapters of a story that Hammett wrote in 1930 and never finished. The editors have called it "The First Thin Man". Hammett apparently intended the story to be called "The Thin Man", but by the time that novel was published in 1934, he had reworked it entirely. The only resemblance this story bares to the later novel is that one of characters is named "Wynant". "The First Thin Man" is interesting, though. It introduces a new detective, John Guild of the Associated Detective Bureau, Inc. Guild's manner is smoother than than Hammett's earlier detectives. The story is pretty good; it's a shame it wasn't completed. Hammett may have intended to make a novel out of it, but it lends itself well to a novella, which would have taken little further work.

"Nightmare Town" offers a broad selection of Dashiell Hammett's short stories, representing a variety of narrative techniques. All but one ("A Man Named Thin") are from the hard-boiled school of detective fiction, which Hammett invented and perhaps perfected. Hammett biographer William F. Nolan has written an informative introduction to the book. So this is an excellent collection for Hammett fans and and a good introduction for newcomers as well. If you have other Hammett short story collections and are wondering what might be repeated in this one: Nothing from the two Vintage Crime collections, "The Continental Op" and "The Big Knockover", is found in "Nightmare Town". Four short stories plus the novel fragment "The First Thin Man" in "Nightmare Town" are also found in the Library of America's "Hammett: Crime Stories and other Writings".

We are jaded. At the end of the twentieth century, our society has lost sight of the horrors of crime; we listen idly to reports of yet another school shooting, yet another cross-burning. Somehow, we have come to equate crime with visible, tangible violence, and we demand an ever-growing level of gore to deem an act criminal. The true measure of a crime, however, lies in its effects upon society, not in the amount of bloodshed. We have forgotten that real crime requires subtlety, alacrity, cunning. Dashiell Hammett's Nightmare Town, however, a collection of stories from early in the author's career, reminds us that crime is not only visible violence; it is the hidden schemes of the villainous, the ones that may never come to light, which contain the frightening truth of evil.

At first, the reader might find some details predictable. But if such tropes have become conventional now, it is thanks to Hammett's masterful creation of them. Hammett, once an operative for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, understood the inner workings of the nefarious underworld. Writing during Prohibition, he delved into the machinations of the criminal mind. His tales fail to privilege gore and mindless violence; rather, he constructs a constant battle of wits between the calculating crook and the equally crafty detective.

In Nightmare Town's eponymous first story, Steve Threefall has no qualms about staying in a dreary desert outpost town, even after watching one businessman pull a gun on another. An innocent man dies in "Zigzags of Treachery," but while the detective knows the murderer and the motive, the issue is left to resolve itself when the primary mystery¡Va tale of extortion¡Vis solved. For Hammett, violence was not a problem in itself, but rather an indication of deeper evil lurking beneath. He repeatedly leads us down a winding path of calculations and conjectures, based on an intimate knowledge of the crook's modus operandi, into a world where no one really knows the good from the wicked. And while today we may have become cynical enough to believe that its ubiquity and violence have made crime less detrimental to society, Hammett's stories chill us into remembering that the most serious crimes remain invisible - and there lies the true horror of evil.

echo through the twenty short stories and novellas by Dashiell Hammett contained in Nightmare Town.

Before turning to a full-time writing career, Hammett traveled around the country holding a series of different jobs. Most notably he spent considerable time as a detective for the Pinkerton Agency. He worked in Baltimore, San Francisco, and in mining towns throughout the American west. He was exposed to murderers, grifters, con artists, graft, violent union-busting by the Pinkertons (which he abhorred and which help turn him into a lifelong radical) and corporate and governmental corruption. He made friends with other hardboiled detectives and saw first hand how life was on the dark side of town. He drank in bars that served `hard drinks for hard men. These experiences suffused Hammett's writings and the ultra-realistic atmosphere he created lifted almost single-handedly the detective genre from parlor room mysteries to the very real, very gritty streets of the country.

Although best known as the author of such detective classics as The Thin Man, The Maltese Falcon, and The Glass Key, Hammett wrote almost one hundred stories in a twelve-year period from 1922 to 1934 for pulp detective magazines such as Black Mask, True Detective Stories, and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Many of the stories in Nightmare Town have not been seen in print since their original publication. Some of the stories are rough around the edges but they are all terse and well-written. It is easy to see how Hammett's craft evolved from these short stories evolved into his full length classic.

The title story, "Nightmare Town", is a barn-burner. Steve Threefall awakens from a drunken bender in a small-town jail on the California-Nevada border. The town is violent and corrupt. From the time he awakes from his drunken stupor until the stories climax the reader is taken on a dramatic roller coaster ride. This short story reminded me of a classic boxing match between Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns which lasted under three short rounds but which many boxing fans claim to be the most intense nine minutes of boxing they have seen. This is early Hammett and the story is not terribly polished but it is immensely enjoyable. This sea-change brought about by Hammett was described succinctly by Raymond Candler (noted in William Nolan's excellent introduction): "He took murder out of the Venetian vase and dropped it into the alley. Hammett gave murder back to the people that commit it for reasons, not just to provide a corpse."

In "Ruffian's Wife" we see the hard-edged life through the eyes of the wife of a seemingly violent thug. She takes delight in having such a husband and living on the edge of violence, until the violence comes to her door step. There are stories involving Sam Spade and the Continental Op, two figures made famous in Hammett's full-length novels. The cynical world-weary view of the world is already apparent even if it is clearly a work in progress. In an unusual turn the detective in "The Assistant Murderer" is painted by Hammett as fat, squat, and ugly. No matinee idol for Hammett.

The last story is perhaps the most intriguing. Entitled "The First Thin Man", it is an early, incomplete, draft of The Thin Man. The story line is dramatically different even if some of the characters remained the same. Further, Nick and Nora Charles are nowhere to be found. It is the equivalent of a literary archeological dig and well worth the price of the book on its own.

Nightmare Town may not be the best place to start for someone who has not yet read Hammett. Because these stories represent some of Hammett's earliest work I think it best for a reader to start with The Thin Man, Maltese Falcon, and the like. Once someone reads those books I think it a safe bet they will thirst for more. Nightmare Town is an excellent way for someone to drink in a bit more Hammett than I previously thought existed. These are terrific stories.

L. Fleisig

Dashiell Hammett is The Man. He wrote with such realism and truth, he was so dead-on right in almost anything he said, and he managed to convey important lessons and wisdom, sometimes without you even realizing that you were retaining these valuable pieces of information. Nightmare Town, a collection of a variety of his short stories has a few brilliant selections, a few average ones, and yes, even a few not so good fictions. The title story is one of the strongest in the book, and the Continental Op stories-- my favourite ones in the book overall-- are above-average as well. Even the stories that aren't all that excellent usuallly do have a good punchline at the end-- contrary to what those not in the know believe, Dash Hammett did have a great sense of humour, and if you read carefully enough, you'll be amazed at the wit and irony you'll find. Even though this book doesn't do him the best justice and others are superior to it, this collection is great for the non-fan as well as the Hammett lovers. Bing, bang, boom-- 5 stars!

I bought this book for its snappy cover and intro on Hammett's fascinating life. But the stories themselves are mostly a let-down. Hammett really hit his stride with the novels, and it's hard to tell from these early magazine pieces how good a writer he'd become. Still, the violence, corruption and sexy seediness that make his other work so much fun are here in embryo. If you're already a Hammett fan, reading these stories is like watching an all-star's warm up swings before he nails a home run. If not, let "The Maltese Falcon" or "Red Harvest" knock your socks off before you make the trip to Nightmare Town.

These stories were printed in the 1920s by "Black Mask" magazine, one of the monthly pulp magazines that entertained America before radio and television. Some of the stories were repeated in later works ("Who Killed Bob Teal") and never reprinted in Samuel Dashiell Hammett's lifetime. The stories are still entertaining today, and also provide a glance at a life that few of us know.

SDH worked as a Pinkerton detective for years, seeking fun, travel, adventure. The stories reflect his life as a private detective would see it: a world of crime and corruption. Would this work damage an operative expecially when de didn't have a normal family and home life? Does this reoccur today?

Great addition to the works of Hammett. I'm only half way through it, but the first story is worth the price of admission. I wish the slime that sent Dash to prison could see how beloved he is today. For that matter, I wish he could. Thank you, Black Lizard. The Continental Op lives. For those who remember, even Dorothy Parker said nice things about Hammett. For those who don't, you might start with "The Maltese Falcon", "The Glass Key", (which became "Yosimbo" and " A Fist Full of Dollars"), or "The Big Knockover". This is the guy who created"Crime Fiction", and Big Jim Thompson, John McDonald and Ross McDonald would be the first to credit him. If those names mean nothing to you, you are very fortunate, you have some great reading to do! If you know who they are, you have probably already ordered this so enjoy! Black Lizard, More Please!

Nightmare Town and other stories presents twenty noir classic tales by Dashiell Hammett. Many of the stories were out of print until 1999 when this superb collection was published by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard Company.
Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) is along with Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain one of the masters of the noir hardboiled school of detective fiction which emerged into prominence in the 1920's and 1930's. Hammett is best known for such classic novels as "The Maltese Falcon"; "Red Harvest': "The Glass Key" and "The Thin Man".
Nightmare Town and other stories is a good introduction to Hammett and his world of double dealing, thieving and murderous low life types. The stories are violent and brutal. The best stories in this collection are:
Nightmare Town: The secrets of a corrupt town are revealed as detective Steve Threefall finds murder, corruption and a love affair in a tough California town.
House Dick-murder A murder in a hotel room is solved by the house detective.
His Brother's Keeper-A dumb boxer tells the story of his murdered brother and a life of hard knocks on the fight circuit.
Hammett is good in his use of slang among members of the underworld.
the Second-Story Angel-A sexy girl thief falls into the window of Carter Brigham a crime writer.
Too Many Have Lived- A San Francisco poet is murdered.
A Man Named Thin and The First Thin Man-Hammett used these early tales as prelimnary sketches to his famous "The Thin Man" novel. Nick and Nora Charles do not appear in the stories.
Famous Hammett detective Sam Spade of San Francisco appears in a "Man Called Spade" and two other stories in this book.
Also appearing are the Continetal Op Detective.
This is an uneven collection; some storie are better than others as is natural in an anthology of an author's oeuvre. The stories are complicated and contain several characters. An enjoyable read!

The Black Mask publishings and novels of Dashiell Hammett are the genesis of noir fiction. However, as Dashiell Hammett was in fact a private eye, he has a credibility and a realism not found in other Noir. The origin of his writing was in paperwork on his missions as a private detective. As for this particular collection, the title story opens with the proverbial bang. The character of this story with his drunken ride through the southwest and use of a cane as a weapon is vastly unique, entertaining, and fun. One can see the unique quality of the work that only a man of Hammett's past and originality could write.

This was my introduction to Hammett, but I'll now seek out some of the novels mentioned in other reviews.

A collection of short stories from a guy understandably highly praised and acknowledged by Raymond Chandler. He loved the contrast between these gritty urban stories and mannered English country manor crime stories (makes me think of the relish with which so many fans embraced the authentic feel of cyberpunk's chipped, messy worlds (Bladerunner) as an escape from the traditionally sanitised future visions (Star Trek)). Moreover Hammett actually worked as a private detective and was a wonderful source of authentic elements. But these stories are hardly documentary: indeed several are over the top pulp fiction, such as the densely violent title story.

They're a mixed bunch, hardly perfect but always engaging. Some feel a bit like experiments he never quite got back to polishing: a few times I felt he just dumped a couple of pages of explanation at the end of a story when it would have been nicer to have the problem more gradually worked through. That being said, the characters and mood are strong enough that the stories don't stand or fall on some clever piece of detection (although there are even a few instances of Holmes style clever observation and interpretation). Others are classic neat, single idea, lightly humorous magazine stories - such as the self-referencing `Second Story Angel', `Afraid of a Gun', and `A man named Thin' (OK, maybe this one has a couple of ideas). A couple of stories unusually give more thought to feminine perspectives: `Ruffian's Wife' and the excellent, tragic, stinging western style `The Man Who Killed Dan Odoms'. Some are all about mood. Curiously I think I found the only character I'd heard of before, Sam Spade, one of the least satisfying.

Much as he's an entirely capable writer who has his moments, he never soars with wit like Chandler. However here we find the backbone of Chandler's stories (what makes him more than an excellent comedic writer): straight talking streetwise detectives with their own moral code (although in contrast Hammett's guys generally get along well with the cops - although there's plenty of reference to corruption); high density urban living; and a cast of criminals, some with a good heart, grifters, women who've seen a bit much, cops good, bad, and somewhere in between.

These stories are not only worth reading as background for Chandler - they stand alone. Apart from the other merits previously mentioned, they've got that wonderful dark mood.