The Best American Noir of the Century book cover by Otto Penzler, James Ellroy

The Best American Noir of the Century

Adult • Anthologies
Stories from the 1920s to today Includes works by James M. Cain Features contemporary authors like Elmore Leonard Diverse narratives of crime and betrayal Illustrates the evolution of noir literature

James Ellroy, the author of such noir classics as The Black Dahlia and L.A. Confidential, joins forces with award-winning editor Otto Penzler to present this treasure trove of stories. Ranging from the 1920s to the present day, this collection represents noir at its best across a century of literary evolution.

From the genre's infancy come gems like James M. Cain's "Pastorale," while its postwar heyday boasts giants like Mickey Spillane and Evan Hunter. Packing an undeniable punch, diverse contemporary incarnations include Elmore Leonard, Patricia Highsmith, Joyce Carol Oates, Dennis Lehane, and William Gay, with many page-turners appearing from the 21st century.

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Edition information

Book details

Publisher
Mariner Books
Publication date
2011
Print length
752 pages
Language
English
ISBN
978-0547577449

Anthologies

Reader guide

What to Know Before Reading The Best American Noir of the Century

Curated by renowned author James Ellroy, 'The Best American Noir of the Century' presents a compelling collection of noir fiction spanning a hundred years. This anthology showcases the genre's most influential and captivating stories, celebrating the dark and complex nature of human experience.

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About the author

Otto Penzler, James Ellroy

Otto Penzler, James Ellroy

ames Ellroy was born in Los Angeles in 1948. He is the author of the acclaimed L.A. Qurtet - The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential and White Jazz, as well as the Underworld USA trilogy: American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand and Blood's a Rover. He is the author of one work of non-fiction, The Hilliker Curse: My Pursuit of Women. Ellroy lives in Los Angeles. Otto Penzler is the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop (www.mysteriousbookshop.com) in New York City and is regarded as the world's foremost authority on crime, mystery and suspense fiction. He founded The Mysterious Press in 1975, which he later sold to Warner Books (1989). He reacquired the imprint in 2010 and it now publishes original books as an imprint at Grove/Atlantic, and both original works and classic crime fiction through MysteriousPress.com (www.mysteriouspress.com), in partnership with Open Road Integrated Media. Penzler is a prolific editor, and has won two Edgar Awards, for Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection in 1977 and The Lineup in 2010. The Mystery Writers of America awarded him the prestigious Ellery Queen Award in 1994 and the Raven--the group's highest non-writing award--in 2003.
A favorite quote

“In the shadows, truth often hides behind a veil of lies.”

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