Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) was a pioneering American novelist and one of the most important voices in hardboiled crime fiction. Before turning to writing, Hammett worked as a private detective for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, an experience that shaped his approach to crime writing and gave his work the gritty authenticity that would redefine the genre. Rather than elegant puzzles or country-house murders, Hammett wrote about the world he knew: crooked politicians, desperate criminals, compromised heroes, and cities where justice was uncertain and survival wasn't guaranteed. His prose was sharp, unsentimental, and cinematic-built on dialogue, observation, and implication rather than florid description. This style became the backbone of noir literature, influencing generations of writers and filmmakers. The Maltese Falcon, first published in 1930, remains Hammett's most iconic achievement and introduced the world to Sam Spade, a private investigator whose intelligence, cynicism, and moral ambiguity broke new ground in detective fiction. The novel's blend of hardboiled realism, psychological tension, and sharp dialogue helped establish noir as a major literary movement and inspired one of the most celebrated film adaptations of all time. Hammett's influence extends far beyond mystery fiction. He is regarded as a foundational figure in American literature, a writer who brought sophistication and emotional weight to genre storytelling. His legacy endures not only in libraries and classrooms, but in every modern crime novel that values character, consequence, and the uncomfortable truths of human behavior. Brutal, brilliant, and decades ahead of his time, Dashiell Hammett changed crime fiction forever-and The Maltese Falcon remains the proof.