Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939. In addition to his short stories, Chandler published seven novels during his lifetime (an eighth in progress at his death was completed by Robert B. Parker). All but Playback have been made into motion pictures, some several times. Chandler had an immense stylistic influence on American popular literature, and is considered as one of best writers, of the hard-boiled school of detective fiction. Three of his books are often considered as masterpieces: Farewell, My Lovely (1940), The Little Sister (1949), and The Long Goodbye (1953).
