My grandpa was a huge fan of westerns. And he would often tell me that he’s read just about every Western the library could send him. I wish I would have asked him what it was he enjoyed most about them…was it the sprawling landscapes? The rugged cowboys? The detailed descriptions of a way of life that no longer truly exists? I’m not sure. But, I enjoy watching Western movies for many of those reasons, myself. So, I think that I understand.
In today’s installment of Genre Journeys, we’ll be looking at Westerns. So, saddle up your horse, partner, and get ready for a wild ride!
What are Westerns and Why Do We Enjoy Them?
To put it simply, Western Fiction is a genre that encompasses stories set in the Old West (or the Wild West) and is set between the 18th and 19th centuries. If you could make it into a movie starring John Wayne, then you can guess it’s probably a Western, ha. These stories feature cowboys, outlaws, Native Americans, references to the American Civil War, and a beautiful landscapes that are generally untouched by large-scale industrialization.
Readers enjoy Westerns for the lush descriptions of this landscape, and for dramatic stories of freedom, justice, and adventure. I think, too, that many readers enjoy these stories for the same reasons that we enjoy Historical Fiction–Westerns transport us to another place and time. There is a certain nostalgia, especially as many people view this time period as simpler time.
Wait… What About Modern Westerns?
I’m sure there were at least a few of my readers who said “Wait a second! What about Westerns not set in the 18th and 19th centuries?” We’re talking of course about authors like Cormac McCarthy, Robert B. Parker, Linda Lael Miller, Craig Johnson, and Jennifer Ryan. Well, now’s the time to get a little controversial…
According to my research, Westerns really are only considered Westerns if they’re set during the 18th and 19th centuries as I mentioned above. Books set in the modern west, including titles by the authors that I just shared, are considered “Neo-Westerns” or contemporary Westerns. You might even group them by their other genres instead, such as Romances or Thrillers.
The biggest difference is the feel of the stories. Classic Westerns embody certain qualities that I’ve already spoken on, and while there are certainly related elements, such as rugged ranch hands or shared locations, the modern Western of today doesn’t always include the same appeals, and each category tends to attract different readers. This is not to say that there aren’t reader who enjoy both, but they are different enough to be two separate genres.
Western Flavors
There are various types of Westerns that appeal to various readers. Here are some of the most common themes:
- Ranchers: Stories are set on ranches or homesteads and focus on hardworking families struggling to survive
- Revenge: A dark antihero seeks redress for wrongs committed against him
- Calvary and Indians: These stories highlight the struggles between the American military and Native Americans over land and resources
- Outlaws: The stories follow the bad guys, their exploits, and their fates
Related Genres
- Weird Western: For those who prefer their Westerns with a heaping helping of horror and science fiction
- Neo-Western: Books set in the 20th century to the modern day, but in the Western states
- Historical Fiction: Fiction set sometime in the past, with a strong focus on the setting
- Adventure: The main focus of the story is a journey, a quest, or…an adventure
Reading Recommendations
True Grit (Charles Portis) Mattie Ross was just fourteen years old when coward Tom Chaney shot her father in Fort Smith, Arkansas, robbing him of his life, his horse, and $150 in cash. Filled with an unwavering desire to avenge her father’s death, but also realizing that she can’t do it alone, Mattie sets out to find a partner to help her. After much finagling and fast-talking, she manages to convince the one-eyed Rooster Cogburn–the meanest US Marshal in the territories–to accompany her as her bodyguard and hired gun.
Made into two movies (starring John Wayne and Jeff Bridges, followed by a sequel to the John Wayne title), this classic tale is one that I almost always hear talked about in the most glowing of terms.
The Broken Bow (Larry D. Sweazy)
Targeted for vengeance, a lawman finds his face on a wanted poster-and facing every cutthroat gunslinger willing to put a bullet through his badge for the bounty. Theodore Marberry is a grieving father. He groomed his daughter Jessica to take her rightful place among the wealthy families of St. Louis high society. Instead she married a common lawman whose tin star and six-gun made him worthy of her affection. She lost her life bringing his child into the world. Although bestowed with a beautiful granddaughter, Marberry is consumed with hate towards the baby’s father. U.S. Deputy Marshal Sam “Trusty” Dawson lives under a death sentence. His only crime was falling in love with a woman who saw more worth in his character than in his bank account. Now, every deadly manhunter, desperate bushwacker, and vicious outlaw throughout the Dakota Territory is looking to put the lawman six feet under to collect $1,000 in silver. But there aren’t enough guns or bullets to stop Trusty from rescuing his daughter-and bringing Marberry to justice . . .
Catch Kid Curry (W.R. Garwood)
Butch Cassidy’s notorious Wild Bunch was the last of the great robber bands that pistol-whipped the West from the wilds of Montana to the Mexican border. Even its mortal enemy, the Pinkerton Detective Agency, acknowledged that hell-raising gang of long-riders as men ‘who’d rather fight than eat.’ It was a war to the death between the Wild Bunch and the Tin Stars, and when the gunsmoke had vanished, so had the Wild Bunch, yet epic tales of these free-booters of the saddle remain–the cool and humorously calculating Cassidy, the hot-headed Sundance, and that ‘trapper of posses’ the Tiger of the Wild Bunch, Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry.
Adam Stark had found gold. In the confusion of the mesas and canyons near Rockinstraw Mountain, Stark, his wife, Consuelo, and his sister, Miriam, were quietly working a rich vein while keeping their presence a secret from raiding Apaches. Worried that his wife might leave him, Stark wanted to make enough money to take her to San Francisco, where she could enjoy the style of life she craved. But when Taggart, a stranger on the run from a vicious bounty hunter, enters their camp, tensions soon mount. Consuelo, against all good judgment, cannot resist testing Taggart. Is he the man who can make her happy? Will he give her the life her husband cannot? With thousands of dollars of gold in his packsaddles, the Apaches are now no longer Adam Stark’s only threat.
Eye of the Hunter (Frank Bonham) Searching for a missing man in the Arizona territories was a job Henry Logan was eager to take. His lungs, damaged from malaria during the Spanish-American War, could use a rest. But when the people of Nogales got the mistaken impression that he was a gunman instead of a gunsmith, Logan suddenly found himself the target of jeers — and bullets. All of which made it harder to uncover the truth about the missing Rip Parrish, especially when the evidence pointed to murder, and the chief suspect was Rip’s bewitchingly beautiful wife.
