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Quick answer: If you like S. Craig Zahler, read Blood Meridian, The Sisters Brothers, True Grit and Butcher's Crossing. All are tough, darkly funny Westerns and crime stories with brutal violence and sharp dialogue. Please note they are graphic.
S. Craig Zahler is an American author and filmmaker known for novels such as A Congregation of Jackals, Wraiths of the Broken Land and Mean Business on North Ganson Street, and for films such as Bone Tomahawk. His work mixes brutal violence, slow-burn tension and unusual dialogue. The books below offer similar rugged Westerns, noir and grim crime tales.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Meridian | Cormac McCarthy | Adult | violent Western |
| The Sisters Brothers | Patrick deWitt | Adult | darkly comic Western |
| True Grit | Charles Portis | Adult | revenge Western |
| Butcher's Crossing | John Williams | Adult | buffalo hunt |
| No Country for Old Men | Cormac McCarthy | Adult | violent chase |
| Lonesome Dove | Larry McMurtry | Adult | Western epic |
| Savage Season | Joe R. Lansdale | Adult | Hap and Leonard |
| Red Harvest | Dashiell Hammett | Adult | brutal city |
| Hombre | Elmore Leonard | Adult | Western classic |
| Winter's Bone | Daniel Woodrell | Adult | Ozarks noir |
| Blacktop Wasteland | S. A. Cosby | Adult | rural crime |
| The Road | Cormac McCarthy | Adult | bleak survival |
| The Gunslinger | Stephen King | Adult | Western fantasy |
| The Cold Dish | Craig Johnson | Adult | modern Western mystery |
| The Friends of Eddie Coyle | George V. Higgins | Adult | Boston crime classic |
1. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
A teenager joins a gang of scalp hunters. Bleak, poetic and violent.
Best for: violent Western.
2. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Two hired killers travel to California. Funny, violent and strange.
Best for: darkly comic Western.
3. True Grit by Charles Portis
A girl hires a lawman to find her father's killer. Dry, funny and classic.
Best for: revenge Western.
4. Butcher's Crossing by John Williams
A young man joins a buffalo hunt in 1870s Kansas. Spare and haunting.
Best for: buffalo hunt.
5. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
A man finds drug money and is pursued by a killer. Spare and brutal.
Best for: violent chase.
6. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Two retired Texas Rangers drive cattle to Montana. Long, sad and beloved.
Best for: Western epic.
7. Savage Season by Joe R. Lansdale
Two friends in East Texas get tangled in a heist. Violent, funny and Southern.
Best for: Hap and Leonard.
8. Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
An agent cleans up a corrupt town and leaves chaos. Violent and cynical.
Best for: brutal city.
9. Hombre by Elmore Leonard
A white man raised by Apaches rides a stagecoach. Lean and sharp.
Best for: Western classic.
10. Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
A teenage girl searches for her father in the Ozarks. Spare, tough and beautiful.
Best for: Ozarks noir.
11. Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby
A mechanic and former getaway driver takes one last job. Fast and tense.
Best for: rural crime.
12. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
A father and son walk through a burned America. Sparse and devastating.
Best for: bleak survival.
13. The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Roland the gunslinger chases the man in black. Strange, spare and epic.
Best for: Western fantasy.
14. The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
Sheriff Walt Longmire investigates a murder in Wyoming. Dry-witted and atmospheric.
Best for: modern Western mystery.
15. The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins
A small-time criminal informs on his friends. Famous for dialogue.
Best for: Boston crime classic.
How to Choose
For classic Westerns choose True Grit, Hombre or Lonesome Dove. For brutal literary Westerns pick Blood Meridian, Butcher's Crossing or The Sisters Brothers. For crime in the same spirit read No Country for Old Men, Savage Season or Winter's Bone. Zahler's work is extreme, so these picks suit readers who tolerate violence in service of mood. Zahler's films, such as Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99 and Dragged Across Concrete, are known for slow tension and sudden violence, and fans of the films often enjoy his novels for the same style. Zahler's fiction is not for everyone, so sampling a few chapters helps before buying. Film fans can watch Bone Tomahawk first. If you want classic Westerns with less gore, True Grit and Lonesome Dove are gentler. Libraries often carry his books, and many are on audio.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is S. Craig Zahler?
An American novelist and film director known for violent Westerns and crime stories.
Where should I start?
With Wraiths of the Broken Land or A Congregation of Jackals.
Are his books graphic?
Yes, very.
Is he a Western writer?
Many of his books are Westerns, but he also writes crime and horror.
Does he make films?
Yes, including Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99 and Dragged Across Concrete.
Are his books like his films?
They share the slow-burn pacing and extreme violence.
Are there audiobooks?
Check current listings.
What should I read next?
Try The Sisters Brothers or True Grit.
Are Zahler's novels like his films?
Yes, in pacing and tone.
Is Bone Tomahawk based on a book?
No, it is an original screenplay by Zahler.
Which book here is best for buffalo hunt?
Try Butcher's Crossing by John Williams, which suits readers looking for buffalo hunt.
Which book here is best for Hap and Leonard?
Try Savage Season by Joe R. Lansdale, which suits readers looking for Hap and Leonard.
Which book here is best for Ozarks noir?
Try Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell, which suits readers looking for Ozarks noir.