| "The Killers" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Ernest Hemingway | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Crime fiction |
| Publication | |
| Publisher | Scribner's Magazine |
| Media type | Short story |
| Publication date | 1927 |
"The Killers" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway, first published in Scribner's Magazine in 1927 and later republished in Men Without Women, Snows of Kilimanjaro, and The Nick Adams Stories. Set in 1920s Summit, Illinois, the story follows recurring Hemingway character Nick Adams as he has a run-in with a pair of hitmen, who are seeking to kill a boxer, in a local restaurant.
Historians have some documents showing that the working title of the piece was "The Matadors".[1] Hemingway received $200 for the story, and told F. Scott Fitzgerald he submitted it solely "to see what the alibi would be" should it be rejected.[2] Hemingway's depiction of the human experience, his use of satire, and the themes of death, friendship, and the purpose of life have contributed to make "The Killers" one of his most famous and frequently anthologized short stories,[citation needed] and it has been adapted or referenced in various other works since its initial publishing.