Owen Wister
Owen Wister essentially invented the Western as a literary genre with The Virginian, which established all the major conventions — the laconic cowboy hero, the showdown, the civilizing power of women — that would define the form for decades. The novel was an immediate bestseller and its influence on Western fiction and film is immeasurable.
Works
- The VirginianFoundational Western novel of a mysterious gunfighter enforcing justice in the Wyoming territory
- Lin McLeanCollection of interconnected stories portraying Western frontier life and character
- Lady BaltimoreNovel of Southern belle who must choose between family pride and personal happiness
- Red Men and WhiteShort story collection depicting life in the American West
- Philosophy 4Novelistic comedy set in Harvard where cynical students grapple with philosophy and love
- The Jimmyjohn BossWestern novelette about a frontier manager's struggle against a corrupt cattle empire