<DIV>A unique publication from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, <I>The Hunter and Other Stories</I> includes new Hammett stories gleaned from his personal archives along with screen treatments long buried in film-industry files, screen stories, and intriguing unfinished narratives.<br><BR>Hammett is regarded as both a pioneer and master of hard-boiled detective fiction, but these dozen-and-a-half pieces, which explore failed romance, courage in the face of conflict, hypocrisy, and crass opportunism, show him in a different light.<BR><BR>The title story concerns a dogged PI unwilling to let go of a seemingly trivial case, and the collection also includes an unfinished Sam Spade story and two full-length screen treatments: ?On the Make,” about a corrupt detective, and ?The Kiss-Off,” the basis for <I>City Streets</I> (1931), in which Gary Cooper and Sylvia Sydney are caught in a romance complicated by racketeering’s obligations and temptations. Rich in both story and character, this is a volume no Hammett fan should do without.</div>