Western writers of note: Love him or not, Louis L’Amour was a force of nature

If and when the average reader thinks of "Westerns" he probably things of a small hand full of writers. Somewhere near the most-recalled names of Western writers would be Louis L'Amour.

I know first-hand that many fine Western writers who have done and continue to do better work than Louis L'Amour do not think of him as a particularly outstanding writer. But all would respect the impact he has had on modern Western novels. He was indeed a force to be reckoned with, and a pioneer in popularizing the Western novel during his heyday. And with all his failings as a writer, L'Amour indeed knew how to tell a story. If you haven't read his stuff, look around this site, "The Louis L'Amour Trading Post," and you'll find some good books and some fascinating information by L'Amour's son about the writer's career. (If you've read my "About-Contact Us" page regarding the "Old Hoppy" nickname, there's an especially interesting discussion of the Hopalong Cassidy books L'Amour refused to claim authorship of.)

About Gary Speer

Gary Speer, aka "Old Hoppy," has been hanging around the Old West since way back when "Hoppy" meant "Hoppalong Cassady," the Clarence E. Mulford Western novel character transformed into a bona fide movie (and later TV) hero portrayed by William Boyd. Gary's "Old Hoppy" nickname came from fun loving friends and family members because of his love for the Old West -- and for all of the American Story in history.