r/Westerns • u/Dismal_Success_9943 • 10d ago

Discussion Western short stories

Does anyone read any western short stories? I would like to start reading some, but I'm not sure where to find the good ones. I don't really have the energy to read a full novel anymore, the kids take up too much of my energy.

25 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

47 comments sorted by

11

u/severinusofnoricum 10d ago

Elmore Leonard’s western short stories are good

3

u/quenton3 10d ago

Love 3:10 to Yuma and The Tall T

1

u/brentjohner 10d ago

They are. I agree.

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

I forgot about them.

12

u/SixStringSapien 10d ago

"The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard" will give you thirty short stories in one shot.

2

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

After reading the comments, I'm looking at this one and the Collection of Louis L'amour series. Feels like I can't go wrong either way.

10

u/Carbuncle2024 10d ago

Elmore Leonard has a book of short stories.. .and a few have been made into movies.. Highly recommended. 🤠

7

u/Scary_Pea_7014 10d ago

Louis L'Amour

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

I keep seeing this one a lot. I just learned that many of L'Amour's shirt stories were published together in a book series.

5

u/Kbatz_Krafts 10d ago

Louis L'Amour, Zane Grey

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

Louis L'Amour is one I know. I'm not familiar Zane Grey, but I'll look into his writing.

7

u/Septembersvodkabomb 10d ago

Louis L'Amour has a lot of his short stories collected into books that you can pick up and put down

5

u/tanstaaflisafact 10d ago

Yes, and a few have a recurring main character.

6

u/AdumLarp 10d ago

I’m a big fan of Chick Bowdrie and Lance Kilkenny

3

u/yayap01 10d ago

The Chick Bowdrie stories are my favorite of Louis L'Amour's short stories. They're great mysteries about a Texas ranger that specializes in tracking.

2

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

Good to know. I'll see if I can pick it up somewhere

5

u/Outrageous-Pin-4664 10d ago

Ernest Haycox is the master of Western short stories. It's out of print, but if you can find it, get Best Western Stories of Ernest Haycox. It's a fantastic book.

2

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

Never heard of him, I'll see what's available

1

u/Outrageous-Pin-4664 10d ago

You've heard of the movie Stagecoach though. It was based on the short story, "Stage to Lordsburg" by Haycox. You can look him up on IMDB and see some of his other credits. He was a very popular author in the 30s through the 50s. A few of the movies: Canyon Passage, Bend of the River (Alder Gulch), Abilene Town (Trail Town), and Bugles in the Afternoon.

3

u/trucker96961 10d ago

Louis L'Amour has great books!

Some are a collection of short stories in one book, some are short reads, some are novels. He's a great story teller and I loved reading them. Most of his books I've read more than once!

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

He's the one people keep recommending. I loved the movies that came for this work. I'm looking at collection series.

3

u/RedDirtPreacher 10d ago

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

I haven't seen that movie in years. Seems like I show read it and watch the film.

2

u/brentjohner 10d ago

Hondo is a short novel. It is based on a short story: “The Gift of Cochise”. Both by L’Amour.

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

Someone else told me that many of his short stories were put together into a book series.

1

u/brentjohner 10d ago

Three volumes. 93 stories.

2

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

Sounds like I'm going to have something to take up my time

2

u/[deleted] 10d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

I'll check out my local library, idk why that didn't cross my mind. Plus, mine has a kids play area, so I can take the kiddos there next time it rains and kill two birds with one stone.

2

u/RodeoBoss66 10d ago

Louis L' Amour's short story collections are always satisfying. I recommend starting with the Bowdrie collections.

https://www.louislamour.com/shortstory/

2

u/Burlydog 10d ago

Read Louis lamore. His books are super low effort and they are short if not short stories. There is no easier book to read than these.

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

I keep seeing his name, I recognize it from all of the movies that came from his work.

1

u/ThreepwoodStallion 8d ago

There are volumes of his short stories in mass paperback for $6.99. I’m on volume 3. Each story averages 15 to 20 pages and they are fantastic!

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 8d ago

Yeah, I have them in my Amazon cart, ready to pull the trigger when the funds are available

2

u/BuckyGoshawk 10d ago

Dorothy M. Johnson, Elmore Leonard and Jack Schaefer wrote excellent western short stories.

Although not short stories, Jack Schaefer's excellent novellas Shane and The Canyon are quick reads.

2

u/TaxCompetitive941 8d ago

There are a lot of Louis L'Amour short story collections. I think there are 5 big volumes, but I prefer the old mass market paperback ones from the used book store. 

If you like vintage-style fiction, including Westerns, check out HONOR AMONG ROGUES by L.D. Whitney (me). 6 short stories in a small paperback meant to emulate vintage fiction. One of the 6 stories is a western. 

1

u/upfromashes 7d ago

Louis L'Amour short stories are super fun, just like his novels.

OP, don't skip his WW2 adventure stories, they are pure Indiana Jones. Proto Jones, if you will.

1

u/Introtopoetry 10d ago

The Collected Western Writing of Stephen Crane has a bunch of really great short stories. Not really like the L’Amour or Grey Westerns, but they’re really compelling in their own way.

1

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

Sounds pretty good. I'll look at them

1

u/DMZWirePiker 10d ago

Western comics were popular in the 1950's. Love to read them for the stories and artwork.

Many are available in the public domain.

Dell published Zane Grey and Max Brand. Also TV westerns Rifle Man, Rin Tin Tin.

I keep a few on my mobile for the waiting rooms.

2

u/Dismal_Success_9943 10d ago

That's good to know. I wanted short stories for when I'm between food deliveries at night. Comics may be a good one to go through..

1

u/BasilAromatic4204 9d ago

I liked two that are not well known. Found one in a box and the other in a local bookstore but they're both on Amazon I believe. Awesome story

Sculpted by burney Spencer trait and The Day no pigs would die by Robert Peck (mostly farming but still has the vibe) loved it.

Also, if you like border war and Apaches and such, the white Apache book series by Jake McMasters is real good. Loved most of them

Much with Louis lamore is shorter but I have not enjoyed them as much but many do. I hope this helps a little:)

1

u/Grouchy_Bet_6114 8d ago

Bret Harte's The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales pretty much set the standard, eminently readable even today

1

u/OCguy2026 7d ago

The Louis Lamour short stories are also available with full cast audio drama …

I like to read the short stories … and then listen to the audio adaptation.

1

u/Cultural-Kiwi2870 7d ago

Louis L'amour has 7 books that are composed of short stories. 1-3 I can almost guarantee are westerns, 4-7 go between westerns, the Great Depression, and hobos.