# Raymond Chandler > American novelist and screenwriter (1888–1959) **Wikidata**: [Q180377](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180377) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Chandler) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/raymond-chandler ## Summary Raymond Chandler (1888–1959) was an American novelist and screenwriter who became one of the most influential writers in the detective fiction genre. He is best known for creating the iconic private detective Philip Marlowe and for novels such as *The Big Sleep* and *The Long Goodbye*, which redefined crime writing with their hard-boiled style and psychological depth. Chandler's work bridged popular pulp fiction and literary acclaim, earning him an Edgar Allan Poe Award and establishing him as a foundational figure in 20th-century American literature. ## Biography - **Born**: July 23, 1888 - **Died**: March 26, 1959 - **Nationality**: American (United States) - **Education**: Dulwich College (London, UK) - **Known for**: Creating the detective fiction genre's most iconic character, Philip Marlowe; pioneering the "hard-boiled" style of American crime writing; blending literary prose with pulp fiction conventions - **Employer(s)**: Screenwriter for Hollywood films; novelist for Alfred A. Knopf and other publishers - **Field(s)**: Detective fiction, crime novels, screenwriting, poetry ## Contributions Raymond Chandler's contributions span multiple facets of 20th-century literature and film: **Novels**: Chandler authored eight novels that became cornerstones of American detective fiction: - *The Big Sleep* (1939) — his debut novel introducing Philip Marlowe - *Farewell, My Lovely* (1940) - *The High Window* (1942) - *The Lady in the Lake* (1943) - *The Little Sister* (1945) - *The Long Goodbye* (1953) — widely considered his masterpiece - *Playback* (1958) - *Poodle Springs* (published posthumously in 1959) **Screenwriting**: Chandler wrote screenplays for major Hollywood films, including adaptations of his own works and collaborations with other studios, helping bring detective fiction to cinematic audiences. **Literary Innovation**: Chandler essentially reinvented the detective novel by combining realistic depictions of Los Angeles, psychological complexity, and prose style previously reserved for literary fiction. His work influenced countless authors across genres. **Awards**: Received the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, recognizing his contribution to the crime fiction genre. ## FAQs ### What is Raymond Chandler best known for? Raymond Chandler is best known for creating Philip Marlowe, the fictional private detective who appears in several of his novels, and for pioneering the "hard-boiled" style of detective fiction that became a defining element of American crime writing. ### Which Raymond Chandler novel is considered his masterpiece? *The Long Goodbye* (1953) is widely considered Chandler's masterpiece, praised for its complex narrative, deeper psychological exploration, and refined prose style that represents the pinnacle of his literary achievement. ### What influence did Raymond Chandler have on other writers? Chandler's work profoundly influenced subsequent generations of writers across multiple genres, including Michael Chabon, Jonathan Lethem, Haruki Murakami, Ian Rankin, and Lorenzo Silva, all of whom have cited him as a major influence on their writing. ### Was Raymond Chandler only a novelist? No, Chandler was also a screenwriter who wrote for Hollywood, adapting his own novels and creating screenplays for film studios during his career. ### What education did Raymond Chandler have? Chandler was educated at Dulwich College in London, England, before moving to the United States where he later pursued his writing career. ### How many novels did Raymond Chandler write? Chandler wrote eight novels, all featuring his famous detective character Philip Marlowe, along with numerous short stories published in pulp magazines. ## Why They Matter Raymond Chandler matters because he fundamentally transformed detective fiction from a formulaic puzzle-solving genre into a form of serious literature. Before Chandler, detective novels typically featured amateur sleuths solving intellectual puzzles in genteel settings. Chandler introduced a world of corrupt officials, beautiful but dangerous women, and a world-weary private investigator operating in the morally ambiguous underworld of Los Angeles. His prose style—spare, poetic, and laced with metaphor—elevated the genre and demonstrated that popular fiction could possess genuine literary merit. The character of Philip Marlowe became the archetype for countless fictional detectives that followed, embodying a code of personal integrity in a corrupt world. Chandler's influence extends far beyond crime fiction. His themes of alienation, moral corruption, and the search for justice in an unjust world resonate throughout modern literature. Writers as diverse as literary novelists like Michael Chabon and genre writers like Ian Rankin acknowledge Chandler's foundational influence. His work demonstrated that genre fiction could explore profound human questions while remaining accessible and commercially successful. Without Chandler, the trajectory of American crime fiction would have been fundamentally different. The hard-boiled school that he helped create became the dominant mode of American detective fiction, influencing film noir, television, and popular culture worldwide. ## Notable For - Creating Philip Marlowe, one of fiction's most enduring detective characters - Pioneering the "hard-boiled" style of American detective fiction - Authoring eight influential crime novels between 1939 and 1959 - Receiving the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel - Transforming detective fiction from puzzle-solving to literary realism - Influencing generations of writers including Haruki Murakami, Michael Chabon, and Ian Rankin - Writing successful screenplays for Hollywood films - Establishing Los Angeles as a primary setting in American detective fiction ## Body ### Early Life and Education Raymond Thornton Chandler was born on July 23, 1888. He received his education at Dulwich College in London, England, one of Britain's prestigious public schools. This British educational foundation would later contrast with his distinctly American literary voice, as Chandler eventually emigrated to the United States and made his career in America. ### Career Beginnings and Transition to Writing Chandler's work period began in 1933, when he started contributing short stories to pulp magazines. Before turning to writing professionally, Chandler worked in various positions, including time as a journalist and insurance company executive. His entry into fiction writing came relatively late—he published his first novel, *The Big Sleep*, in 1939 at age 51. ### The Philip Marlowe novels Chandler's literary legacy rests primarily on his eight novels, all featuring the private detective Philip Marlowe. These works established the template for American hard-boiled detective fiction: - *The Big Sleep* (1939): Chandler's debut novel introduced readers to Philip Marlowe, a cynical but principled private investigator navigating the dark underbelly of Los Angeles society. The novel established themes that would define Chandler's work: moral ambiguity, corrupt wealth, and the difficulty of distinguishing good from evil. - *Farewell, My Lovely* (1940): This novel further developed Marlowe's character and the atmospheric Los Angeles setting that would become a Chandler trademark. - *The High Window* (1942): Demonstrated Chandler's ability to weave complex plots with his distinctive prose style. - *The Lady in the Lake* (1943): Notable for its title story, which appeared in the collection of the same name. - *The Little Sister* (1945): Continued Chandler's exploration of crime and morality in Los Angeles. - *The Long Goodbye* (1953): Widely regarded as Chandler's masterpiece, this novel represents the culmination of his literary achievement. It features deeper psychological complexity, more nuanced character development, and prose that reaches poetic heights while maintaining the hard-boiled edge that defined his style. - *Playback* (1958): Chandler's penultimate novel continued the Marlowe saga. - *Poodle Springs* (1959): Published posthumously, this novel completed Chandler's literary output. ### Literary Style and Innovation Chandler's writing revolutionized detective fiction. He brought to the genre a literary sensibility previously associated with "serious" fiction, using metaphor, atmospheric description, and complex narrative structures. His Los Angeles is not merely a backdrop but a character itself—a city of sunshine and shadows, where corruption lurks beneath glamorous surfaces. The "Chandleresque" style became a defining element of American crime writing: short, declarative sentences punctuated by longer, more complex passages of observation and reflection. His dialogue crackled with wit and tension, while his descriptions of people and places possessed a poetic quality that elevated the genre. ### Screenwriting Career In addition to his novels, Chandler worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood. He wrote adaptations of his own works and collaborated on other film projects, helping to bring the detective genre to cinematic audiences. This aspect of his career demonstrated the versatility of his talents and expanded his influence beyond literature into film. ### Influence on Other Writers Chandler's influence on subsequent writers is profound and far-reaching. The list of authors who have acknowledged his influence includes: - **Dashiell Hammett**: Though an earlier pioneer of hard-boiled fiction, Hammett and Chandler are often discussed together as the two giants of the genre. - **Michael Chabon**: The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist has cited Chandler as a major influence on his work. - **Jonathan Lethem**: Contemporary American novelist who has written extensively about Chandler's influence. - **Ian Rankin**: Scottish crime writer whose Inspector Rebus novels show Chandler's influence. - **Haruki Murakami**: The Japanese novelist has explicitly acknowledged Chandler's influence on his own detective fiction, including works like *A Wild Sheep Chase*. - **Lorenzo Silva**: Spanish novelist who has noted Chandler's impact on his crime writing. This broad influence across nationalities and generations demonstrates Chandler's foundational place in crime fiction. ### Awards and Recognition Chandler received the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, one of the most prestigious honors in American crime fiction. This recognition cemented his status as a master of the genre. ### Legacy Raymond Chandler's legacy is multifaceted. He transformed detective fiction into literature while maintaining its popular appeal. He created one of fiction's most enduring characters in Philip Marlowe. He established Los Angeles as a primary setting in American crime fiction. And he influenced countless writers who followed, creating a tradition of American detective fiction that continues to thrive today. Chandler demonstrated that genre fiction could explore profound themes of morality, justice, and human nature while remaining accessible to a wide audience. His work bridged the gap between literary fiction and popular entertainment, proving that the best popular fiction possesses lasting artistic value. The Philip Marlowe character has become a cultural icon, representing a particular vision of American masculinity, moral integrity, and resistance to corruption. Adaptations of Chandler's novels continue to appear in film, television, and other media, demonstrating the enduring appeal of his creation. Without Raymond Chandler, the landscape of American crime fiction would be fundamentally different. The hard-boiled school of detective fiction that he helped create became the dominant mode of the genre in America, influencing not only writers but also filmmakers, particularly those associated with film noir. Chandler's influence pervades modern popular culture, from contemporary crime novels to television shows and movies featuring world-weary investigators navigating moral complexity. ## References 1. Integrated Authority File 2. BnF authorities 3. The Fine Art Archive 4. [Source](https://edgarawards.com/category-list-best-novel/) 5. International Standard Name Identifier 6. CiNii Research 7. MusicBrainz 8. SNAC 9. Find a Grave 10. Internet Speculative Fiction Database 11. Discogs 12. filmportal.de 13. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie 14. Vegetti Catalog of Fantastic Literature 15. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana 16. Babelio 17. Proleksis Encyclopedia 18. Munzinger Personen 19. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 20. Virtual International Authority File 21. [Source](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1945) 22. CONOR.SI 23. BBC Things 24. Goodreads 25. The Movie Database 26. LIBRIS. 2012 27. Raymond Chandler | LibraryThing. LibraryThing 28. Virtual Study of Theatre Institute