Noir is its own thing. It isn't just about crime and punishment, or love and revenge, though all those are a part of the best noir stories. Real noir is a dark blend of murder and despair, of characters trying briefly to do good before giving into the easier and seedier way of life. Great noir fiction has a way of telling relatable stories through over-the-top means, and though they don't often land on the required reading lists for college lit classes, that doesn't make them less entertaining or worthwhile. Consider this list a primer for the world of noir. Some authors are repeated because, well, they're just that good.

1. The Killer Inside Me, Jim Thompson: Jim Thompson's 1952 novel is one of the darkest and most violent noir stories ever committed to paper. (It was turned into an equally unsettling film this year.) The grim story follows a sheriff's deputy in a small Texas town who spends his evenings committing atrocious murders. A hallmark of hardboiled noir, and a bleak but gripping existential examination of a soulless killer.
2. Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Cornell Woolrich: Cornell Woolrich, who appears more than once on this list, is one of the unsung heroes of the mid-century noir movement, with more noir screenplays adapted from his stories and novels than from any other author's. Night Has a Thousand Eyes revolves around a phony psychic who starts to experience real visions of a dark future. An underappreciated classic.
3. The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett: Legendary detective Sam Spade only appears in this novel and a few other stories, but it was enough to make him one of the most popular characters in all of noir. A classic tale of a hard-bitten private eye fending off goons and dames with equal skill.
4. The Postman Always Rings Twice, James M. Cain: The first novel from an author who would go on to become a titan in the field, The Postman Always Rings Twice is a quintessential work of noir fiction. It's a simple, gritty story about a drifter and an alluring woman who conspire to kill the woman's husband. Slender, lightning-quick, and unforgettable.
5. Double Indemnity, James M. Cain: Cain's 1943 novel has it all: a femme fatale, a hapless guy who loves her, and a plan that's destined to go awry. When the married Phyllis Nirdlinger recruits insurance agent Walter Huff to help her kill her husband, they opt for a railroad mishap because insurance pays double in such situations. A great novel with a simple plot that grows believably more complex by the page.
6. Dirty Snow, Georges Simenon: Belgian author Georges Simenon wrote more than 200 novels and stories in his time. Dirty Snow, from 1948, revolves around a hustler named Frank who drifts through the dark underbelly of occupied France during World War II. A character study on par with Jim Thompson, and definitely a novel to check out.
7. Shoot the Piano Player, David Goodis: Originally published as Down There before being retitled after the film adaptation, this solid noir outing centers on Eddie, a former concert pianist who now plays at a dive bar. He's forced to choose a path when his brother, a criminal, returns and tries to rope Eddie back into the game.
8. Farewell, My Lovely, Raymond Chandler: Chandler's Philip Marlowe shines again in this crime novel about a muder laced with racial tension. Some of the dialogue is a bit dated and, by today's standards, less than politically correct. If you can roll with it, though, you're in for a ride.
9. The Friends of Eddie Coyle, George V. Higgins: This 1972 novel came from an unlikely place: George Higgins was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Boston when he wrote it. The spare tone and broken-down characters are a glorious refusal on Higgins' part to glamorize the crime world. As a result, the novel is one of the most realistic noirs ever written.
10. Night and the City, Gerald Kersh: The inspiration for yet another film noir classic, this 1938 novel is set in London and follows a petty criminal trying to become a wrestling promoter. The more bridges he burns, the worse his situation gets.
11. L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy: James Ellroy's got a load of titles worth exploring, but L.A. Confidential is a great place to start. At once sprawling in scope and tightly focused, the modern crime classic follows three LAPD detectives in the 1940s as they work to unravel a seedy mess of corruption and murder.
12. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Michael Ledwidge: An intricate but ultimately effective crime thriller, Ledwidge's novel works as a noir because it showcases a man at the end of his rope, willing to do anything. The action centers on a cop facing a murder charge for shooting a criminal on the job; convinced he'll do time, the man opts to partner with his uncle for a major heist. Lots to follow, but worth the effort.
13. Matchstick Men, Eric Garcia: Mixing comedy with crime, this engaging novel from Eric Garcia has the same level of twists and turns as any classic noir novel, plus modern neuroses and daddy issues. Worth reading on its own merits and as an example of how old-school cons influenced modern books.
14. Payback, Russell James: Another great British noir that reflects the gray mood of London, Payback centers on a boxer (apparently every noir needs one) who investigates the potentially shady death of his brother and winds up exploring the criminal underworld.
15. Shoedog, George Pelecanos: Crime novelist George Pelecanos also lent his talents to The Wire, aka the best television series ever made, so he knows what he's doing when it comes to telling a story. Shoedog has drawn parallels to James Cain for its tale of a drifter who winds up living the life of a criminal only to see the double-crosses become too much.
16. He Died With His Eyes Open, Derek Raymond: Another sadly overlooked novel that feels at home with the genre's classics, He Died With His Eyes Open pushes the noir envelope in terms of hopelessness as it follows a British investigator charged with solving and avenging strange deaths.
17. The Glass Key, Dashiell Hammett: Considered one of Hammett's best (and that's saying something), The Glass Key is a barreling whodunit that takes the noir world beyond its typical borders and involves politicians, businessmen, and media moguls.
18. The Bride Wore Black, Cornell Woolrich: In addition to having one of the best noir titles ever dreamed up, Woolrich's black novel follows a woman brutally murdering a series of seemingly unconnected men and the detective convinced there's a pattern to the deaths. A fantastic tale of obsession and revenge.
19. The Getaway, Jim Thompson: Twice adapted into films (including a 1994 misfire with Alec Baldwin), this uncompromising and pulpy noir revolves around a husband and wife who pull off a deadly bank heist before hitting the road in an attempt to escape to Mexico. Relentlessly grim, but completely entertaining.
20. The Hunter, Richard Stark: Writing as Richard Stark, Donald Westlake cooked up the Parker character for The Hunter in the early 1960s. At his editor's (wise) suggestion, Westlake changed the ending to allow Parker to live, setting up multiple sequels. In this initial installment, Parker is shot and left for dead only to seek revenge on the wife and partner who betrayed him. Fantastically dark and pitch-perfect, from the bleak humor to the shocking death. What more could you want?