SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group discussion

Dashiell Hammett
Donald Hamilton
Ross Thomas

High praise indeed. Believe it? Or not? You can see the rationale, maybe?

I can see why for--the first two--but I don't know nearly enough about Ross Thomas to comment on him.

Anyway, modern names like Clive Cussler, Robert Ludlum, or David Morrell aren't even bothered with by the critics who arrive at this trio. How can that be?

Its because (firstly) Hammett was the pioneer who practically coined the field.

Don Hamilton is nigh an American version (and maybe even a better example) of what Ian Fleming was to British thrillerdom.

Thomas is said to write the most precise thriller plots of any of his peers.

All three authors have a strong, tough, 'individual voices' and write powerfully about action and violence. Their names are lumped together because of their influence; their impact; their ability to be read 'outside their own decade'.

Unlike Ludlum & Cussler, (who write formula) or Morrell (who was merely lucky enough to spark a new trend in big budget thriller flicks) these men are permanent icons in the thriller genre. That's what you'll find if you explore the pulp audience websites out there.

Your reactions...?

Tom Clancy said he was a massive Donald Hamilton fan. He based his character, CIA Special Activities Division officer
John Kelly/Clark on Matt Helm and claimed he made his novel "Without Remorse" a homage to the character

Bill Granger

Would this guy make the cut?
A cross between
Raymond Chandler, Ian Fleming and John LeCarre.
I will admit however that he never achieved the sort of fame Hammett and Hamilton did.

You got me there. I don't know much about him; what I've heard suggests he is somewhere in a 'middle ground' of other competitors. I think there was one movie based on his work? And I think I've seen it.

Anyway just going on the barest information I have (reinforced by what you just provided) I would say that no, Grainger doesn't sound as if he is capable of knocking out either of the other two. If he writes 'elegantly' (in the Chandler tradition) then he is a different style than Hamilton, or Hammett. The reason those two are in there are for their hard-hitting action writing; their tough-mindedness; their authoritative slant on certain sides of American life. This is what I understand from the review I originally read which collected these names into a trifecta.

But I'm completely at a loss because I have no idea how Ross Thomas writes! I'm just following what I perceive as the 'logic' of the critic. Perhaps Grainger is comparable to Ross Thomas, I don't know. I confess I myself am astonished to see Thomas included.

Maybe I should run down what I think of as 'the lineage' of pulp action authors, and contribute it here...stand by..

p.s. thanks for responding--the OP isn't 'combative' or 'dismissive' by the way; its more like 'here is what one reviewer suggests, do you feel you can go along with it or not?'

[The way I see it] ...the action-writing we see in thrillers today comes down to us most strongly and most consistently from the history of great pulp detective fiction authors.

Dashiell Hammett ruled the 1930s (he made his big splash in 1929). He was the star of that day. When he left New York for California it gave his publisher a punch in the gut.

There were lots of crime authors in the 30s & 40s (like Cornell Woolrich & James M. Cain) but they didn't necessarily write detective series. The '30s were 'The Golden Age of Detective Fiction' but the best among them, was Hammett.

However, his heyday couldn't last forever. In terms of action, a more 'polished' style came into vogue with Raymond Chandler. Chandler and his detective ('Marlowe') ruled the 1940s.

In the 1950s there were two main forces of detective fiction to be reckoned with. John D. MacDonald is the first. You know him as the author of 'Cape Fear'. He wrote many one-offs like that before eventually settling on his laid-back 'Travis McGee' character.

Second there was Ross McDonald. Ross McDonald wrote the Lew Archer series; that's how you tell him apart from John D. Because the style of both these talents ultimately led back to Raymond Chandler. Ross M is probably the height of detective-writing talent in post WWII America.

The 1950s & 60s of course, were Jim Thompson's era as well. Thompson--much overlooked in his day--has a special niche with modern critics. In retrospect you can see that he was indeed, outrageously good. Still, not a detective writer...more of an evolution spinning out and away from Woolrich and other '40s crime authors.

In the 60's as the jet age really took hold (and 'international agents' like James Bond took over the public imagination) American action-fiction lost a little ground.

But the USA's answer to Ian Fleming was really Donald Hamilton. Tough, straightforward, brutal. Many critics claim he was better than Fleming because he never wasted time with obsessive maundering about clothes, drinks, cars and other trappings of class elitism. He also infuses the writing with perspective and 'voice' --extra dimensions, above-and-beyond what is strictly necessary for the narrative. Anyway, that's why apparently Hamilton comes second after Hammett in the top-US trio.

(But in my opinion so far, British author Adam Hall brings back the action-packed style of Dash Hammett better than anyone up to that point).

Where does the thread lead to once we get to the '70s? Good question. A lot of the above-mentioned talents were ebbing or disappearing for good.

In the 70s I would nominate Elmore Leonard and George V. Higgins as the best. George V. Higgins wrote 'The Friends of Eddie Coyle'. And Elmore Leonard honed a really super-laconic style consisting mostly of dialog. He also had some of the best success with movie adaptations. He, Robert Towne, and William Goldman as well (Goldman adapted Ross MacDonald).

Thereafter? The field really gets scarce. The era of Robert B. Parker and all his imitators. Parker though, was yet another writer who referred back to Chandler rather than Hammettt. Of all these, I give my nod to author Andrew Vachss.

The best detective author today? Many say it is James Crumley from the west coast (however, he also revives Chandler, not Hammett).

You see just how hard it is to follow in Hammett's footsteps and give true 'action writing'.

As I say, I have not yet investigated Ross Thomas to see just why he holds such esteem among these rankings. I expect to see something really astounding, considering the tier he is being granted access to.

Feliks wrote: "The action writing we see in thrillers comes down to us most strongly and most consistently from the history of great pulp detective fiction authors.

Dashiell Hammett ruled the 1930s (he made his ..."

Leonard was great. The LA Quartet saga was most impressive. I also recall he did a historical fiction/conspiracy thriller series revolving around late 20th century American politics. Forgot the name but it was splendid.

forgot Richard Stark/Donald E. Westlake. He'd go somewhere in there with Elmore Leonard. The Parker series is raw