Monday, May 30, 2011

Black Hats

Jedidiah Ayres picks his western noir favorites. He didn't pick any of my stories and I ain't a-going to hold it against him. EVEN though I should after all those shenanigans he pulled at BTAP a few weeks ago. Anyway here's the link. He has me interested in reading Scott Phillips' COTTONWOOD.

Quick question: who are some of your favorite western noir writers?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ed Gorman, Robert J. Randisi, and Loren Estleman.

Mike Dennis said...

David, I have to leapfrog over all of them and nominate Lewis B Patten's DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER, which was made into an outstanding movie starring Richard Widmark. For western noir, you just can't get any better than that.

jedidiah ayres said...

David, I've been trying like hell to mail you a thank you for putting up with all my shit, but they keep coming back to me, empty... Maybe something other than a six-pack next time.

David Cranmer said...

Three of my favorites, Anonymous. I just finished a Gorman paperback a few weeks ago.

Thanks, Mike. A new title for me to search out. And I'm a big Widmark fan which reminds me I need to watch KISS OF DEATH again.

Jed, I will have to go to the po tomorrow and knock some heads around.

Ron Scheer said...

I've heard THE SISTERS BROTHERS is a good one. Today I'm deep into Max Brand's SOUTH OF RIO GRANDE, which is gr-r-r-reat!

James Reasoner said...

I second Mike Dennis's recommendation of Lewis B. Patten. And my admiration for Ed Gorman's Westerns knows no bounds. But the noirest Western writer of them all is H.A. DeRosso.

James Reasoner said...

By the way, I agree with Ron, too. SOUTH OF RIO GRANDE is top-notch Max Brand.

David Cranmer said...

Ron, I never get tired of Max Brand. Some stories are better than others but he has the most unique approach to westerns I've ever read. I'm hoping to re-publish a western of his in BEAT to a PULP one day.

James, Pulpetti has an interesting bit on H.A. DeRosso. http://pulpetti.blogspot.com/2007/10/1000th-post-ha-derosso.html
I'm intrigued to know more now. And I'm sure I've read a novel of his but I can't remember the title at the moment.

Chris said...

There's this dude named Grainger whose writing I can't get enough of...

David Cranmer said...

Ha. Thanks, Chris. That eBook collection is right around the corner. Two weeks tops.

Dave King said...

For some reason, Blood Meridian recommended itself to me.

David Cranmer said...

I believe Blood Meridian was more of a western historical novel. But still damn good. Thanks, Dave.