The Hardy Boys
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | The Hardy Boys |
| Abbreviation(s): | |
| Creator: | Edward Stratemeyer (Stratemeyer Syndicate), various ghostwriters |
| Date(s): | 1927-present |
| Medium: | books, television, video games |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| External Links: | Wikipedia |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Hardy Boys is a series of mystery stories for children and young adults first published in 1927. All works in the series are bylined to Franklin W. Dixon, a house name belonging to the Stratemeyer Syndicate, but have actually been authored by a series of ghostwriters.
Premise
Frank and Joe Hardy are brothers living in the east coast town of Bayport who are skilled amateur detectives, having learned the craft from their father, private detective Fenton Hardy. Some of their adventures arise in connection with Fenton's cases, some from situations involving various of their teen-aged friends, and others from chance encounters during their extensive travels. In later incarnations, the brothers sometimes function as agents of secret law enforcement or intelligence-gathering organizations.
Canon
Books
There have been a half-dozen distinct Hardy Boys" book series published since the characters were created by Edward Stratemeyer of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, but fannish interest is focused mostly on two of the six: the original Hardy Boys Mysteries (whose 58 volumes have undergone considerable revision over the course of decades), and the Hardy Boys Casefiles (together with the associated "Super Mysteries", connecting the Hardy Boys' adventures with those of fellow Stratemeyer sleuth Nancy Drew). The 1990s iteration of the Tom Swift franchise also produced two crossover "Ultra Thrillers" in which the Hardys met and worked with Tom.
Television
Likewise, there have been six television versions of the Hardy Boys, dating from 1956 to the present, but most fannish interest arises from the 1977-79 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries series starring Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy, with the Mickey Mouse Club serials of the late 1950s a distant second. As of 2022, two seasons of a new Canadian-produced Hardy Boys series are streaming on Hulu.
Computer Games
The Hardy Boys appear in several of the HerInteractive computer games starring Nancy Drew.
Fandom
This article or section needs expansion. |
Collectibles
Early editions of the canonical books are collectible, such that a portion of online interest in the series consists of Web sites designed for collectors.
Fanworks
As noted above, the majority of fanworks (though not all) draw chiefly on the original run of 58 volumes and on the 1970s TV series, although there's also measurable interest in the Hardy Boys Casefiles and the associated Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew SuperMysteries. Crossovers involving Nancy Drew are common, many featuring Frank/Nancy as a romantic pairing (although Joe/Nancy also has a following).
Fanfiction
- Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew works at FFN
- Hardy Boys works at AO3
- The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries fanfic recs at TVTropes
- The Hardy Detective Agency Library (via Wayback Machine), fanfic archive
Web Sites
- The Hardy Boys Wiki
- Tumblr tag: the hardy boys, hardy boys
- the hardy boys unofficial home page
- BOYS IN PERIL: The Hardy Boys Episode Guide
- archived here by Morgan Richter