Author Description

The most familiar scene in Western American lore is the gunfight: two men slowly walk toward each other, ready to test speed, accuracy, and nerve in a duel to the death. Writers of the American West have long written this scene—sometimes to the point of tired formula. From hundreds of such stories, James C. Work has collected thirteen that feature unique and surprising treatments. Spanning a century, the stories in Gunfight! prove the popularity, vigor, and variety of the form. These stories demonstrate ingenuity and creativity. The writers use the gunfight to explore numerous motives and complex personalities and situations. Three of the stories were made into films, one the basis for High Noon. Two stories are based on historical episodes, and two are as modern as modems. Each story is preceded by a biographical sketch of the author and followed by a brief commentary on the work and its relation to the genre.