Weird West Fiction: What To Read Right Now

Here are some of the top books, short stories and other content to add to your TBR shelf.

Ready to dive into Weird West fiction? Whatever your interests, from horror to fantasy, Weird West fiction spans the gamut of subgenres and mashups.

Here’s a starting list of suggested reading of Weird West fiction, both pulpy fun readings as well as refreshing new takes. Please note, this is not comprehensive by any means! Titles will be updated regularly, and feel free to share in the comments your favorites that didn’t make the list.

Books

Fresh off the press: recent Weird West Novels to check out

• The Drowned Horse Chronicle – Volume One by David Boop
•  Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger by KC Grifant
• The Saga of Dead-Eye by Ronald Kelly
• Noose by Brennan LeFaro
• The Devil’s Revolver by V.S. McGrath
• Pteranodon Canyon by Tim Meyer
• On Stolen Land by Stephanie Rabig
• The Weird West Otherworld Outlaws series by Tammy Salyer

TIP: Check out the weird west Author Spotlight Series for a plethora of indie and traditional writers spanning the genre. You’ll find everything from sci-fi to fantasy to horror Westerns in these author interviews.

You can’t go wrong with these classic and cornerstone Weird West books:

• Territory by Emma Bull
• Dead in the West by Joe Lansdale
• River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
• The Horror From the Mound by Robert E. Howard
• The Etched City by K.J. Bishop
• Deadlands: Ghostwalker by Jonathan Maberry
• The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
• The Six-Gun Tarot and The Shotgun Arcana by R.S. Belcher
• Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
• The Good, the Bad, and the Infernal by Guy Adams
• The Dead of Winter by Lee Collins
• A Book of Tongues by Gemma Files
• Portlandtown: A Tale of the Oregon Wyldes by Rob DeBorde
• Shadow on the Sun by Richard Matheson
• The Buntline Special by Mike Resnick

Novellas, Graphic Novels and Short Story Collections

Weird West tales are particularly suited for the visual form of graphic novels, as well as the shorter, more intense storytelling of novellas and short stories. Here’s a sampling:

• Dead Man’s Hand: An Anthology of Weird West edited by John Joseph Adams (anthology)
• Six Guns Straight From Hell 3: Horror & Dark Fantasy From the Weird Weird West edited by David B. Riley and J.A. Campbell (anthology)
• SNAFU: Dead or Alive (anthology)
• Jonah Hex by John Albano & Tony DeZuniga (comic)
• The Witch Owl Parliament (Clockwork Curandera) by David Bowles, Raúl the Third, Stacey Robinson, Damian Duffy (comic)
• Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente (novella)
• Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse (novella)
• Sisters of the Wild Sage: A Weird Western Collection by Nicole Givens Kurtz
• Queer Weird West Tales, edited by Julie Booza (anthology)
• Blood in the Soil, Terror on the Wind edited by Kenneth W. Cain (anthology)
• Preacher series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon (comic)
• Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick (comic)

Bonus: Splatter Horror Westerns

One indie publisher in particular, Death’s Head Press, has launched a Splatter Horror Western series that deserves a special callout. Not for the faint of heart, these novels dive deep into the brutal weird west and feature authors such as Wile E. Young, Kenzie Jennings, Kristopher Triana, Patrick C. Harrison III, Christine Morgan, and others.

Read more about the subgenre of Splatter Westerns, as well as detailed recommendations, here.

Further Reading

If you’re looking for articles on Weird West, these are some of my go-to articles covering this intriguing genre:

• Six-Guns and Strange Shooters: A Weird West Primer (article – Tor)
• 11 Totally Bizarre Takes On The Western Genre (HuffPost)
• Wanted, Dead or Alive or Undead: The Weird Wild West (Novelist)
• Weird West Fantasy (Best Fantasy Books)
• The Best of the Weird Western (True West)
• Goodreads list of Weird Westerns
• The Best of the Weird West: 8 Alternate History Weird Westerns (Book Riot)

Do you have a favorite weird west story? Share in the comments below.