Gothic Western

[4] In literature,[5] the stereotype of the heroic cowboy gives way to a more complex antihero who has experienced trauma or is overcoming personal tragedy, and often associated to the darker side of Weird West monsters and villainy.

[6] The novel The Hawkline Monster: A Gothic Western by Richard Brautigan was one of the first to incorporate the term in its title,[7] while Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy and The Dark Tower by Stephen King are also popular examples of the genre.

The young adult series, The Goodbye Family by Lorin Morgan-Richards, has been considered Gothic Western with an element of humor.

[8] The mixture of goth and Western music has brooding and dark motifs interwoven into cowboy culture while incorporating themes of death, occult and superstition.

[11] Pioneers of the genre include Johnny Cash, 16 Horsepower, Wovenhand, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Heathen Apostles, and Fields of the Nephilim.