Dime novels were cheap, sensationalist fiction books that became popular in the late nineteenth century. They often depicted exaggerated and romanticized versions of cowboy life, creating myths about the Wild West.
Related terms
Frontier Myth: This term refers to the idea of the American frontier as a wild and lawless place filled with heroic cowboys, which was perpetuated by dime novels.
Pulp Fiction: These were similar to dime novels but focused on crime or detective stories rather than western themes.
Buffalo Bill Cody: A famous figure who capitalized on the popularity of dime novels by creating his own Wild West show that showcased staged versions of cowboy life.