Essentially an adventure novel set in the American West. The story line can be derived from any point in the entire westward movement in North America beginning in the early 19th century with traders, trappers and explorers up to the present. The genre usually has a story that is strong on adventure and thrilling action, readily defined characters and a satisfying resolution of conflicts in terms of good and evil, right and wrong.
Print Resources
Web Resources
- Genreflecting: Western Fiction - Information headings include Discover a New Favorite, Must Read Authors (Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Cormac McCarthy, and Larry McMurtry), and Genre Resources (Books about Western Fiction, Western Fiction Journals, and Western Fiction Organizations).
- Spur Award
- Western Writers of America - Western Writers of America, Inc. was founded in 1953 to promote the literature of the American West and bestow Spur Awards for distinguished writing in the genre of Westerns. While exploring the site, be sure to read the current online issue of Roundup Magazine. Information about the Spur Awards, given annually for distinguished writing about the American West, is also available.
