author
Les Savage
1922–1958
A fast-rising western writer from California, he brought unusual depth and tension to frontier stories before his life was cut short at just 35. His novels and screen work helped carry classic western storytelling from the pulp era into film and television.
1 Audiobook
Treasure of the Brasada
by Les Savage
About the author
Born in Alhambra, California, in 1922 and raised in Los Angeles, Les Savage Jr. first hoped for a career in art before turning seriously to writing while attending Los Angeles City College. He began publishing western fiction while still very young, and his early stories appeared in pulp magazines during the 1940s.
Savage went on to write a large body of western short fiction along with more than twenty novels. He also worked in film and television, and his writing was connected with productions such as The Hills of Utah, Black Horse Canyon, and Return to Warbow. Readers remember him for westerns that often feel tougher, more psychological, and more character-driven than the usual saddle-and-shootout tale.
He died in Santa Monica, California, on May 26, 1958. Though his career was brief, his reputation endured, and he is still admired by western readers for bringing intelligence, atmosphere, and emotional weight to the genre.