RARA-AVIS: Carroll John Daly more influential than Dashiell Hammett?

From: Brian Thornton ( tieresias@worldnet.att.net)
Date: 26 Feb 2007


Dear Fellow Rare Birds-

While researching the work on Ross MacDonald, I came across this gem:

http://www.blackmaskmagazine.com/carroldaly.html

which may have been kicked around the playing field a time or two before.

However, since I think (with all due respect) that Mr. Mertz is wrong about Carroll John Daly being more influential than Hammett (as if there were any doubt. My opinions relative to the work of Carroll John Daly and Dashiell Hammett are a matter of some record here on Rara Avis), and especially take exception to the notion that Daly was more influential on Chandler than Hammett (After all, Chandler seemed to consider Hammett a definite spiritual predecessor), I thought I'd post it to the list and see what the rest of you thought.

Also, I predict that Terrill and Jim D. will patch up their differences over Altman in opposition to my basic premise that Daly was a hack of the first order. Kenneth Robeson should have been so bad. I can practically hear the hairs being split now:

Jim D.: "But what is the definition of 'hack'? And does he have to be 'good' (and what is the definition of 'good'?) in order to be 'influential'? And what is the definition of 'influential'?....

Terrill: "Notice that Mr. Mertz did not claim that he was 'better' than Hammett,' merely that he was 'more influential.'....

;D

Am I wrong?

Discuss!

*ducking*

Brian

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