The Hard-Boiled Genre is a type of crime fiction that originated in the 1920s and 1930s. It is characterized by its gritty, realistic depictions of crime and violence, often featuring a detective as the protagonist. The term 'hard-boiled' was first used to describe this genre in 1929, and it is sometimes referred to as 'NOIR, ' a French word meaning 'BLACK.' Hard-boiled stories often feature themes of corruption, moral ambiguity, and fatalism. Popular authors of this genre include Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and James M. Cain.