The New Western Canon: 15 Contemporary Novels That Revived America’s Quintessential Genre

As genres go, the Western is more resilient than you might think — even as rumors of its demise continue to pop up every few years. While the familiar elements of an old-school Western may no longer be quite as common as they once were on bookstore and library shelves, the DNA of the genre has taken on other forms in more recent years. Some authors have opted for a revisionist approach, telling stories that were left out of certain familiar narratives all those years ago. Others borrow elements and archetypes and place them in contemporary settings. If you look at it that way, the Western is alive and well — and here are 15 examples of great work being done in the genre.