> So what if a work is excluded from being labeled as
hard-boiled. It
doesn't
> cease to exist does it? No, it's still there to be
enjoyed. Everything
> doesn't have to be labeled "hard-boiled" to be good.
You water it down too
> much and you stretch the genre to the point of
meaninglessness.
A great point, which is why this "definition" stuff is so
funny (and the litmus test line was very true as well). I
find what I call "psychological hard-boiled" (no names to
give. Sorry. I'm writing these stories myself), which doesn't
much resemble traditional h-b, to be a fresh way to look at
contemporary issues and culture in crime writing. And the
hard-boiled part of it is simply convenient--maybe someone
else will think up a better term for the new and vital work
coming out. Until then, crank up the egg timer...
Neil Smith
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