Jim Janke’s List of Some Western Authors
- Henry Wilson Allen/Will Henry/Clay Fisher
- Don Bendell
- Larry Bjornson
- Mike Blakely
- Win Blevins
- Stephen Bly
- Johnny D. Boggs
- B.M.Bower
- Bill Brooks
- Don Coldsmith
- Robert J. Conley
- Ralph Cotton
- Peter Dawson
- Loren Estleman
- Stephen Harrigan
- Ernest Haycox
- Ray Hogan
- Denzel Holmes
- James A. Janke
- Terry C. Johnston
- J. A. Johnstone
- Elmer Kelton
- Louis L’Amour
- Steven Law
- Elmore Leonard
- Stan Lynde
- L.J. Martin
- Karl May
- Max McCoy
- Michael McGarrity
- Larry McMurtry
- Meg Mims
- John D. Nesbitt
- Lauran Paine
- Cherokee Parks
- Lucia St. Clair Robson
- Luke Short
- Larry D. Sweazy
- Jodi Thomas
- Charles G. West
- Stewart Edward White
- David Whitehead
- Owen Wister
- Michael Zimmer
The Most Famous Line in any Western Novel
From Owen Wister’s The Virginian, 1902:
[The villain Trampas has just casually called the Virginian a son-of-a-bitch during a poker game.]
The Virginian’s pistol came out, and his hand lay on the table, holding it unaimed. And with a voice as gentle as ever, the voice that sounded almost like a caress, but drawling a very little more than usual, so that there was almost a space between each word, he issued his orders to the man Trampas:- “When you call me that, smile!” And he looked at Trampas across the table.
Yes, the voice was gentle. But in my ears it seemed as if somewhere the bell of death was ringing.
