Looking for some Western short stories?Ĭheck out our collection of Western shorts submitted to our weekly contests. Such Western tales go to show that stories in this category can go beyond stereotypical lasso-throwing action: indeed, they can delve headfirst into the complexities and diversity of life in this time and place. Introducing new, nuanced characters, like indigenous people who didn’t get much of a say before, or delving into the dark side of this glorious exploration, are stories like Louise Erdrich’s The Round House and Patrick DeWitt’s The Brother’s Sisters. But that does not mean that the atmospheric settings of the Great Plains and iconic dusty towns under the scorching sun are no longer enjoyable! Modern Western stories use these mesmerizing surroundings and breathe new life into them, spinning old tropes or creating new devices altogether. These are often tales of righteous cowboys or pioneers facing both natural and man-made challenges in the Wild West.įrom perilous duels to encounters with Native Americans, the ideas behind Western stories are, of course, long outdated. 2 … 16 Next › Last » The Best Western Short StoriesĬlassic Western stories take us back to 18th-century America, when settlers were venturing westward in the name of discovery and the American Dream.