Spenser: Difference between revisions

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Parker died in 2010. Following his death, mystery novelist Ace Atkins was hand-picked by Parker's family to continue the Spenser series. ''Lullaby'' is Atkins's first book.

A short series based upon the characters, "Spenser: For Hire," aired on prime time television in the [[The Eighties|1980s]], starring Robert Urich as Spenser, with [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine|Avery Brooks]] as Hawk. Urich and Brooks reprised the roles for a series of TV movies on Lifetime (''The Judas Goat'', ''Ceremony'', and ''Pale Kings and Princes'', among others) later on.

A short series based upon the characters, "Spenser: For Hire," aired on prime time television in the [[The Eighties|1980s]], starring Robert Urich as Spenser, with [[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Avery Brooks]] as Hawk. Urich and Brooks reprised the roles for a series of TV movies on Lifetime (''The Judas Goat'', ''Ceremony'', and ''Pale Kings and Princes'', among others) later on.

Later TV movies on A&E have replaced Urich with Joe Montegna, and Brooks with Shiek Mahmoud-Bey and Ernie Hudson. The movies, unlike most episodes of the show, are each based directly upon one of the novels.

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* [[Scary Black Man]]: Hawk, though a certain part of it is cultivated intentionally.

{{quote| ''When [Hawk] wanted to, he could look as warm and supportive as a cinnamon muffin.''}}

* [[Shout Out]]: Characters from the Spenser series often show up in Parker's other novels. Both [[Jesse Stone]] and [[Sunny Randall]] have appeared in Spenser's stories, while most of Spenser's supporting cast have shown up in those books. Spenser himself has yet to do more than get referred to outside of his own series, perhaps owing to the issue concerning his name.

* [[Shout-Out]]: Characters from the Spenser series often show up in Parker's other novels. Both [[Jesse Stone]] and [[Sunny Randall]] have appeared in Spenser's stories, while most of Spenser's supporting cast have shown up in those books. Spenser himself has yet to do more than get referred to outside of his own series, perhaps owing to the issue concerning his name.

** Also, Spenser will occasionally run into Boston-area celebrities, although they never have a speaking role.

** The books are full of cultural references, ranging from old movies to Hemingway to various poets. T.S. Eliot, Shakespeare, [[William Butler Yeats]], and [[EE Cummings]] are quoted the most often, with several novels taking their titles from Yeats's "The Second Coming."

** The books are full of cultural references, ranging from old movies to Hemingway to various poets. T.S. Eliot, Shakespeare, [[William Butler Yeats]], and [[E. E. Cummings]] are quoted the most often, with several novels taking their titles from Yeats's "The Second Coming."

** In the earlier books, Spenser often compares himself to famous fictional gumshoes as part of his running internal monologue.

* [[Show, Don't Tell]]: Spenser ''never'' says how he feels emotionally, even in his internal monologue. He only describes how he feels physically, and what he is doing. Despite this, the reader never has any doubt about how he feels - he throws up after being forced to kill people, and when Susan leaves him he drinks a lot and even has trouble hitting the heavy bag at the gym - no rhythm, just sledgehammering it.

* [[Spin-Off]]: ''[[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|A Man Called Hawk]]'' began on ABC in 1989 after ''Spenser For Hire'' was canceled; it only lasted for thirteen episodes, though.

* [[Spin-Off]]: ''[[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|A Man Called Hawk]]'' began on ABC in 1989 after ''Spenser For Hire'' was canceled; it only lasted for thirteen episodes, though.

* [[Straight Gay]]: Tedy Sapp is an ex-Airborne weightlifter and nightclub bouncer with a black belt in karate, and on par with both Spenser and Hawk for sheer badass potential. He actually dyes his hair a very bright blond in order to gay himself up a bit.

* [[Take That]]: Parker, who had a doctorate in English literature from Boston University, apparently had a low opinion of teachers and professors. In the novels where Spenser must investigate a case on or near a college or high school campus (''Playmates'', ''School Daze'', ''Hush Money''), almost every teacher or administrator he encounters is completely out of touch with reality. There are exceptions, but they're rare, and usually clock in at one per book. Relatedly, Susan initially started as a school guidance counselor, but eventually left to pursue private practice, citing administrative drama as one reason.

* [[The Stoic]]: Both Spenser and Hawk, naturally.

* [[Suicide By Cop]]: {{spoiler|1=DeSpain}} in ''Walking Shadow''.

* [[Suicide by Cop]]: {{spoiler|1=DeSpain}} in ''Walking Shadow''.

* [[The Triads and ~~The~~ Tongs]]: Featured in ''Walking Shadow'', based out of Port City. They employee young immigrant men from Vietnam as [[Elite Mooks]].

* [[The Triads and the Tongs]]: Featured in ''Walking Shadow'', based out of Port City. They employee young immigrant men from Vietnam as [[Elite Mooks]].

* [[There Are No Therapists]]: Parker was dedicated to averting this trope, since Susan was not only a professional therapist who offered Spenser advice, but was the therapist to [[Sunny Randall]] as well.

** There are no therapists, because they're all in this series. Constantly. To the point of parody.

* [[True Art Is Incomprehensible]]: The play "Handy Dandy" [[Invoked Trope|featured in]] ''Walking Shadow'' is apparently extremely confusing and obtuse, and when interviewing the playwright Leonard O (who proves to be an enormous snob) about the case, Spenser lampshades it to hell and back and manages to catch O off guard when he points out that he stole the Tiresias stuff from [[TS Eliot]]. O insists it was a "homage" but Spenser isn't fooled.

* [[True Art Is Incomprehensible]]: The play "Handy Dandy" [[Invoked Trope|featured in]] ''Walking Shadow'' is apparently extremely confusing and obtuse, and when interviewing the playwright Leonard O (who proves to be an enormous snob) about the case, Spenser lampshades it to hell and back and manages to catch O off guard when he points out that he stole the Tiresias stuff from [[T. S. Eliot]]. O insists it was a "homage" but Spenser isn't fooled.

* [[The Verse]]: All Parker's books are in the same 'verse and, while neither Sunny Randall nor Jesse Stone actually work with Spenser, they see him at a distance and meet many of the supporting cast.

* [[Wife Husbandry]]: Reversal; a grown-up April Kyle tries to put the moves on Spenser, but he flatly refuses. His narration indicates that when he first sees her as an adult he initially thinks she's good looking, but as soon as he figures out who she is paternal instinct takes over and he feels no sexual attraction to her at all.