An early source of entertainment for men from the 1840's to
early 1900's were dime novels and within the pages of these
paperbacks, legends were made. The most popular ones
involved Indians, pioneers, and the American Revolutionary
War. In 1860 Irwin P. Beadle & Company became the first
American publisher to issue paperback fiction in a series.
They sold for 10 cents a copy, hence the name.
The first dime novel was Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the
White Hunter by Ann S. Stephens. Its first time in print was
in 1839 in The Ladies Companion. In 1859 Beadle & Company
reprinted the 128 page book as the premier offering of the
Beadle's Dime Novels series and in its first year of publication
it sold about 300,000 copies.
Western formulas soon followed featuring legendary characters
Jane.They were popular with young men who found adventure
--a thrill per page-- within the pages of these paperbacks. Dime
novels started making heroes out of real outlaws, cowboys
became romantic heroes in myths. They were great reading and
people believed them. Those living in the east hungered for Wild
West tales even though at the time of its hype, dime novels were
considered racey and sinful.
Still, they soared in popularity even though there was no kernel of truth. Authors trailed the heroes
of their books to get their stories, and then dramatized it. Dime novels helped to make gunfighters majestic in their bearing, Lochinvars of cow towns, romantic and imperishable American figures in women's eyes. To the bored, restless frontier women, the gunfighter was the romantic hero in contrast to every day tiring life. The authors who penned these books wrote about the dashing men and the interesting lives they led.
Cowboys felt they had a role to live up to after reading dime novels and outlaws continued to live
by their reputations. And one interesting fact is that publishing never went past West of the
Mississippi.
Popular dime novel authors were Ned Buntline and Horatio Alger, Jr.
Ned Buntline wrote Buffalo Bill adventures, The Dashing Toll Takers
and Schoolmarm of Sassafras. Horatio Alger, Jr. published his
first book in 1867, Ragged Dick, and introduced readers to a new
formula - the city story featuring poverty-stricken urban boys who,
through much determination, rose above their awful circumstances.
In 1880, dime novels were condemned by a preacher due to their
content. Still, they continued in popularity. And how could they not?
Dime novels gave readers a sense to lose themselves in these books,
whisk them off to places they would never visit in their life time, wild
little cow towns where the heroes rode in on their horses, fought for
justice, drew up raw courage, and lived by their own codes. It was the
way of the Wild West.
Fancy Frank, of Colorado
William Cody "Buffalo Bill"
Today, you may be lucky enough to find these dime novels in antique stores or flea markets. Their old and yellowed pages tell the western tales...we still crave today.
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