A native of Oregon, an area that became the setting of one of his finest novels, The Earthbreakers (1952), Haycox served an apprenticeship writing for pulp western magazines before his novels and short stories began to sell. Haycox is generally credited for introducing a more complex, brooding hero into the western genre; many of his heroes frequently question themselves and often are torn about the correct action to take. Haycox's heroes are loyal, fair, and tough, but they seem almost fatalistic as they face the many dangers in tough western towns. His stories often have two female characters---a "good woman" whose passions sometimes overwhelm her and a "bad woman" who is good inside.… Haycox did careful historical research, and his books are accurate, if fictionalized, depictions of western history.