The Virginian (novel)

The Virginian
First edition cover
AuthorOwen Wister, (1860–1938)
Original titleThe Virginian
LanguageEnglish
GenreWestern
PublisherMacmillan
Publication date
1902
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
OCLC65699996
TextThe Virginian at Wikisource

The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains is a 1902 novel by American author Owen Wister (1860–1938), set in Wyoming Territory during the 1880s. Detailing the life of a cowboy on a cattle ranch, the novel was a landmark in the evolution of the western genre, as distinguished from earlier short stories and pulp dime novels. The Virginian paved the way for westerns by authors such as Zane Grey, Max Brand, Louis L'Amour, and others. The novel was adapted from several short stories published in Harper's Magazine and The Saturday Evening Post between Nov 1893 and May 1902.