Seven-time Spur Award winner Elmer Kelton (1926-2009), known for penning some of the best literature of 19th and 20th Century Texas (The Day the Cowboys Quit, The Good Old Boys, The Time It Never Rained, The Man Who Rode Midnight) knew his way around short fiction, too. This collection includes “The Black Sheep,” in print for the first time since its publication in Everywoman’s Magazine in 1956. Other titles include “Fighting for the Brand,” “No Music for Fiddle Feet” and “Dry Winter.”

THE COWBOY WAY by well known western author Elmer Kelton is a collection of short stories that vary in the era they take place in, and the settings and characters that make up each tale.

Excellent stories in all, and it’s not surprising given the quality of the author’s prolific output that includes several classics including my favorites “The Time It Never Rained” and “The Day the Cowboys Quit”.

5 stars.

Elmer Kelton has been a must read in the western genre for many years. My uncles introduced me to his titles when I first started reading. These short stories are awesome. They bring to life the people and places of an era when the land dictated your livelihood and the law was enforced with prejudice. If you've never read westerns, this is a great book to start with. If you love westerns as I do, what are you waiting for?

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for an e-galley of this collection of short stories.

Elmer Kelton was a new Western author for me and I sincerely enjoyed reading these short stories as an introduction to his longer fiction. I learn a lot about an author by starting out with this type of collection including style of writing and keeping my interest focused. I will say that Mr. Kelton was successful in both of those instances.

There are 16 short stories included in this collection with publication dating from 1951 to 2010; 12 of the stories are set in the Old West and 4 in modern times. I definitely enjoyed the Old West stories because their subjects were so varied. The stories from modern times had their focus on essentially the same subject which were interestingly written, but not favorites. These stories all follow along with the "code of the West" feeling where there is a specific cowboy way of thinking and living your life. Pride, resourcefulness, determination; all are traits exhibited by the lead characters in these stories. There were no lawman stories so also no outlaws which made each of these short stories highlight the everyday life in the harshness of the west.

Kelton was a very prolific writer so there is much more for me to explore. This would also be a good jumping-off place for anybody who wanted to sample the works of this author with a view to reading his full length novels. I can certainly see myself headed down that trail.