query: occupation sam spade
supports: Red Harvest (1929) is a novel by Dashiell Hammett. The story is narrated by The Continental Op, a frequent character in Hammett's fiction, much of which is drawn from his own experiences as an operative of the Pinkerton Detective Agency (fictionalized as the Continental Detective Agency). The labor dispute in the novel was inspired by Butte's Anaconda Road Massacre. Nick and Nora Charles are fictional characters created by Dashiell Hammett in his novel "The Thin Man". The characters were later adapted for film in a series of movies between 1934 and 1947; for radio from 1941 to 1950; for television from 1957 through 1959; as a Broadway musical in 1991; and as a stage play in 2009. A protagonist is the main character in any story, such as a literary work or drama. Samuel Dashiell Hammett (May 27, 1894  January 10, 1961) was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, screenwriter, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ("The Maltese Falcon"), Nick and Nora Charles ("The Thin Man"), and the Continental Op ("Red Harvest" and "The Dain Curse"). The Continental Op is a fictional character created by Dashiell Hammett. He is a private investigator employed as an operative of the Continental Detective Agency's San Francisco office. His name is never mentioned in any story. The Thin Man (1934) is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in the December 1933 issue of "Redbook". It appeared in book form the following month. The Dain Curse is a novel by Dashiell Hammett, published in 1929. Before its publication in book form, it was serialized in "Black Mask" magazine in 1928 and 1929. Sam Spade is a fictional private detective and the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett 's 1930 novel , The Maltese Falcon . Spade also appeared in three lesser - known short stories by Hammett . The Maltese Falcon , first published as a serial in the pulp magazine Black Mask , is the only full - length novel in which Spade appears . The character , however , is widely cited as a crystallizing figure in the development of hard - boiled private detective fiction -- Raymond Chandler 's Philip Marlowe , for instance , was strongly influenced by Spade . Spade was a departure from Hammett 's nameless and less - than - glamorous detective , The Continental Op. Spade combined several features of previous detectives , most notably his detached demeanor , keen eye for detail , and unflinching determination to achieve his own justice .
candidates: author book detective literary private investigator radio screenwriter
answer: private investigator