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When literary critics had a negative reaction to Spillane's writing, citing the high content of sex and violence, Spillane answered with a few terse comments: "Those big-shot writers could never dig the fact that there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar... If the public likes you, you're good."

In July 2006, at the age of 88, Mickey Spillane, the last major mystery writer of the twentieth century, passed away. He stood among a select few in the genre—Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, and Raymond Chandler—who achieved such iconic status. Spillane’s place in literary history is unique. Though often criticized by mainstream critics and even envied by his contemporaries, he had a profound influence on mystery fiction and popular culture as a whole.

Spillane’s success, particularly through the paperback reprints of his violent and sensual novels, helped ignite the rise of “paperback originals,” a market that would dominate for the next 25 years. His redefinition of the action hero—a tough, unflinching figure who exacted revenge on villains and romanced beautiful women—became a lasting influence, with works like Sin City serving as a modern-day homage.

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Despite facing criticism from both left and right-wing critics—some labeling him a fascist, others a libertine—Spillane’s readership grew immensely. His first six Mike Hammer novels became some of the bestselling private-eye books ever published. Hammer's influence spread across media, with radio shows, comic strips, and television series, including portrayals by Darren McGavin and Stacy Keach. Films such as Kiss Me Deadly (1955), directed by Robert Aldrich, further cemented Spillane's impact on pop culture.

Mike Hammer paved the way for iconic tough-guy characters like James Bond, Shaft, Dirty Harry, and Jack Bauer, with more recent heroes like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher following in his footsteps. As we celebrate Spillane’s centenary—he was born on March 9, 1918—I’m excited to join forces with Hard Case Crime to present readers with two unpublished works, one from early in his career and the other the final novel he completed just weeks before his passing.

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