Noir author. Born March 9, 1918 to a
bartender and his wife in
Brooklyn,
NY. Made captain in the
US Air Force during
World War 2, and became a
Jehovah's Witness in 1952. Married three times, twice divorced.
Spillane is best known for creating some of the bloodiest novels of his time. One of his recurring characters, Mike Hammer, also spawned a television series. Generally hated by critics and loved by readers, Mickey claims he just writes what he likes to read. Like most controversial authors, he set a precedent in literature, and whether you love or hate his work, the impact he had on the noir genre is undeniable.
A famous incident that does a good job of illustrating his penchant for gratuitous violence occured when he tried to incorporate a scene into one of his novels that had Mike Hammer mowing down 80 men with a machine gun. His publishers simply wouldn't have it, so he compromised and instead had only 40 people killed. The revision was accepted.