What Genre Does 'Anything For Billy' Fall Under?

I've always been drawn to books that blur genre lines, and 'Anything for Billy' is a perfect example of that. At its core, it's a western, but not your typical shoot-em-up cowboy story. The novel digs deep into psychological drama, exploring themes of obsession and moral decay through its characters. You get this gritty, almost mythic take on the American frontier that feels more like a dark character study than a traditional western. The violence isn't glamorized but shown in all its brutal reality, which gives it this literary fiction edge. What really struck me was how it plays with historical fiction elements too, blending real frontier legends with completely original storytelling. It's the kind of book that makes you question where one genre ends and another begins, which is exactly why I keep recommending it to people who think they don't like westerns.

The author has this incredible way of making every gunfight feel like a psychological thriller moment, and the relationships between characters read more like a complex drama than anything you'd expect from the genre. There's also this subtle but present vein of dark humor running through it that keeps the tone from getting too heavy. I'd call it a revisionist western first and foremost, but with strong elements of psychological fiction and historical drama woven in. The way it deconstructs cowboy mythology while still delivering all the tense standoffs and frontier landscapes you want from a western is masterful. It's definitely not a clean fit into any one category, which is part of what makes it so special.

As someone who devours westerns, 'Anything for Billy' stands out as something different. It's got all the trappings of a classic western - outlaws, gunfights, the open frontier - but with this dark, almost gothic twist. The characters feel more complex than your typical cowboy archetypes, and the story leans into psychological depth over action. I'd slot it into neo-western territory, with its focus on morally ambiguous characters and gritty realism. It reminds me of those late 20th century westerns that started questioning the romanticized myths of the Old West, blending traditional elements with more modern, literary sensibilities. The pacing and atmosphere give it this thriller-like quality at times too, especially in the tense standoffs between characters.