Western writers

[Rafter S]

I've seen discussions here about people's favorite western music, movies, and television series, so I thought I'd ask for opinions on authors. Louis L'Amour is probably a lot of folk's favorite, and I wouldn't argue with them, but in my opinion Elmer Kelton was at least as good. And though he mostly wrote crime drama, Elmore Leonard also wrote a couple dozen Western short stories and several novels that I think rank right up there with them.

After those three, I'd probably say Giles Lutz, and then maybe Luke Short and Walt Coburn.

I'm sure someone will chastise me for not mentioning Zane Grey, but for some reason I never really got into his stuff.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan, even wrote a couple of Westerns, but it's probably been 30 years since I read them and I really don't remember how good they were.

Anyone else?

 

[TN Cattle Man]

Rafter, you name some good ones... but don't forget about Larry McMurtry!!

 

[Jalopy]

I listen to a lot of books on CD as I drive and I enjoy books by Steve Hockensmith. "HOLMES ON THE RANGE" is fun. Not real in-depth but enjoyable as well as his others. :2cents:
M

 

[backhoeboogie]

THose are some good ones.

James Michener deserves some respect simply for his historical research and reality. He wrote fiction, but he added historical elements that were factual.

 

[Deepsouth]

L'Amour hands down. I like Max Brand and I'm reading Zane Grey right now. Some of Grey's is hard to get into, he gets to detailed for me.

 

[Calman]

You mentioned some good ones but I think I would prefer William W Johnstone as my favorite.

Cal

 

[3waycross]

Steve Frazee. Grew up in the same town where he lived. He wrote a lot like Lamour.

If you like cowboy poetry and some good stories look up a fella named Bertrand, Denny Bertrand. we cowboyed a little together and he worked for my Dad for w while. He tells a good story.

 

[Isomade]

I've seen discussions here about people's favorite western music, movies, and television series, so I thought I'd ask for opinions on authors. Louis L'Amour is probably a lot of folk's favorite, and I wouldn't argue with them, but in my opinion Elmer Kelton was at least as good. And though he mostly wrote crime drama, Elmore Leonard also wrote a couple dozen Western short stories and several novels that I think rank right up there with them.

After those three, I'd probably say Giles Lutz, and then maybe Luke Short and Walt Coburn.

I'm sure someone will chastise me for not mentioning Zane Grey, but for some reason I never really got into his stuff.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan, even wrote a couple of Westerns, but it's probably been 30 years since I read them and I really don't remember how good they were.

Anyone else?

I read on average 60 Westerns per year. To put L'Amour in the same category with Kelton is blasphemy. Kelton is hands down the best that ever lived and I've read every book that both if them wrote. "The Cowboy and The Cossack by Clair Huffaker is one of the best westerns ever written, along with "The Time it Never Rained" by Kelton. Dusty Richards started out well, but he has gott worse with every novel, I don't even look any more. I'm more concerned with the new up and coming writers as I'm scared to death I'll run out of stuff to read in western fiction. Brad Dennison is showing promis as is Kirby Jonas.

 

[boondocks]

Anything by Annie Proulx, but especially The Half-Skinned Steer. Read this, I beg of you! http://www.theatlantic.com/past/issues/97nov/proulx.htm

I have it in a book of her short stories on Wyoming. Can't believe I found it online. As a teaser, here's the first 2 paragraphs:

In the long unfurling of his life, from tight-wound kid hustler in a wool suit riding the train out of Cheyenne to geriatric limper in this spooled-out year, Mero had kicked down thoughts of the place where he began, a so-called ranch on strange ground at the south hinge of the Big Horns. He'd got himself out of there in 1936, had gone to a war and come back, married and married again (and again), made money in boilers and air-duct cleaning and smart investments, retired, got into local politics and out again without scandal, never circled back to see the old man and Rollo, bankrupt and ruined, because he knew they were.

They called it a ranch and it had been, but one day the old man said cows couldn't be run in such tough country, where they fell off cliffs, disappeared into sinkholes, gave up large numbers of calves to marauding lions; where hay couldn't grow but leafy spurge and Canada thistle throve, and the wind packed enough sand to scour windshields opaque. The old man wangled a job delivering mail, but looked guilty fumbling bills into his neighbors' mailboxes.

 

[tater74]

I agree that Elmer Kelton is the best. Other good ones are Clarence Mulford,Will James, and for kids, Glen Balch

 

[wacocowboy]

You mentioned some good ones but I think I would prefer William W Johnstone as my favorite.

Cal

William Johnstone is my favorite, J A is pretty good too, Ralph Compton was always a good read, the very first westerns I ever read where by J T Edson so I have always like his books

 

[Rafter S]

Reading over these posts there are some authors that I need to try. Looking back at my bookshelves I happened to see some of Wayne Overholser's stuff. I haven't read any of his in years, but I seem to remember that they were pretty good also.

 

[greybeard]

I've seen discussions here about people's favorite western music, movies, and television series, so I thought I'd ask for opinions on authors. Louis L'Amour is probably a lot of folk's favorite, and I wouldn't argue with them, but in my opinion Elmer Kelton was at least as good. And though he mostly wrote crime drama, Elmore Leonard also wrote a couple dozen Western short stories and several novels that I think rank right up there with them.

After those three, I'd probably say Giles Lutz, and then maybe Luke Short and Walt Coburn.

I'm sure someone will chastise me for not mentioning Zane Grey, but for some reason I never really got into his stuff.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan, even wrote a couple of Westerns, but it's probably been 30 years since I read them and I really don't remember how good they were.

Anyone else?

I read on average 60 Westerns per year. To put L'Amour in the same category with Kelton is blasphemy. Kelton is hands down the best that ever lived and I've read every book that both if them wrote. "The Cowboy and The Cossack by Clair Huffaker is one of the best westerns ever written, along with "The Time it Never Rained" by Kelton. Dusty Richards started out well, but he has gott worse with every novel, I don't even look any more. I'm more concerned with the new up and coming writers as I'm scared to death I'll run out of stuff to read in western fiction. Brad Dennison is showing promis as is Kirby Jonas.

I used to live In San Angelo--Kelton is king there.
Many of his books are available for download on line thru Epublish.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Rafter, you name some good ones... but don't forget about Larry McMurtry!!

He lost me as a fan when he wrote Isom's favorite Brokeback Mtn.

 

[lovehammer]

I read on average 60 Westerns per year. To put L'Amour in the same category with Kelton is blasphemy. Kelton is hands down the best that ever lived and I've read every book that both if them wrote. "The Cowboy and The Cossack by Clair Huffaker is one of the best westerns ever written, along with "The Time it Never Rained" by Kelton. Dusty Richards started out well, but he has gott worse with every novel, I don't even look any more. I'm more concerned with the new up and coming writers as I'm scared to death I'll run out of stuff to read in western fiction. Brad Dennison is showing promis as is Kirby Jonas.

I thought the exact same thing about L'Armour and Kelton when I read the first post! The Time it Never Rained is probably the best book I've ever read. I give it as a gift whenever possible. I like the authors you listed. Someone not on your list is Cormac McCarthy, he's not a western only guy but All the Pretty Horses is a great book and he wrote No Country for Old Men too. If you like historical books, The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan is a great book. It's a collection of accounts from folks that lived through the Dust Bowl. Most are from the Oklahoma panhandle. I know the lady Hazel Shaw that tells her story in the book. I went to the same church as her growing up. She's a remarkable lady.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Rafter, you name some good ones... but don't forget about Larry McMurtry!!

He lost me as a fan when he wrote Isom's favorite Brokeback Mtn.[/quote]
amen, its made it harder to rerun lonesome dove

 

[3waycross]

Rafter, you name some good ones... but don't forget about Larry McMurtry!!

He lost me as a fan when he wrote Isom's favorite Brokeback Mtn.[/quote]
amen, its made it harder to rerun lonesome dove

The book and the movie gave me the creeps but for any sane person to deny that there are gays in every walk of life(including cowboys) is just plain crazy.

McMurtry is a hellova author even if he does write about things that bother us.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

He lost me as a fan when he wrote Isom's favorite Brokeback Mtn.[/quote]
amen, its made it harder to rerun lonesome dove[/quote]

The book and the movie gave me the creeps but for any sane person to deny that there are gays in every walk of life(including cowboys) is just plain crazy.

McMurtry is a hellova author even if he does write about things that bother us.[/quote]
To deny it is one thing and I don't...but acceptance is what they want ,,and I don't....I've been called crazy before but I'm on this side of the institution door...

 

[Rafter S]

To deny it is one thing and I don't...but acceptance is what they want, and I don't.

This thread seems to have taken a 90deg turn somewhere, but I agree with you.