Tapping into the rich seam of anarchist and libertarian currents in noir fiction, this collection of essays explores fictional atmospheres that are dark and sinister—but not without hope. The protagonists of these works are often profoundly flawed but have something of the romantic optimist about them—men and women driven to face moral challenges and to do battle with the forces of evil or banality. Among the authors discussed are Stig Dagerman, Andre Helena, Leo Malet, George Navel, Jean-Marc Raynaud, Leda Rafanelli, B. Traven, and Simone Weil. Also included are an analysis by Agustin Guillamon of Miguel Mir’s Entre El Roig I El Negre, Massimo Ortalli's discussion of The Regeneration of an Anarchist, and essays by Simon Watson Taylor and Stephen Schwartz on the relationship between surrealism and anarchism.