John Larison books in order

Q: "How many books has John Larison written?"

"John Larison has written five books across two series."

Q: "What was John Larison's first book?"

"John Larison's first book is The Complete Steelheader: Successful Fly-Fishing Tactics, published in 2008."

Q: "Is John Larison primarily a literary fiction writer or a genre author?"

"Larison writes literary fiction that uses genre frameworks, particularly the Western. Whiskey When We're Dry (2018) is his best-known work and is regarded as serious literary fiction in the tradition of Cormac McCarthy and Paulette Jiles, though it has Western genre trappings. He also writes non-fiction about fly-fishing."

Non-Fiction

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
The Complete Steelheader: Successful Fly-Fishing Tactics	2008	Buy

Standalone Novels

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
Northwest of Normal	2009	Buy
Holding Lies	2011	Buy
Whiskey When We’re Dry	2018	Buy
The Ancients	2024	Buy

John Larison is an American author and writing instructor based in Oregon. He writes literary fiction set primarily in the American West and is also a recognized authority on fly-fishing, having written a non-fiction guide to steelhead fishing. His fiction is known for its precise, spare prose and its attention to the natural landscape as a force that shapes character.

His debut novel, Northwest of Normal (published as a short story collection in 2009), was followed by Holding Lies (2011), a novel about a fly-fishing guide in rural Oregon facing an old conflict. Whiskey When We’re Dry (2018) is his most acclaimed work, a revisionist Western following a young woman who disguises herself as a man to find her outlaw brother in the nineteenth-century American frontier. The novel received wide critical praise for its prose and its feminist reimagining of the Western genre.

His most recent novel, The Ancients (2024), represents a further development of his interest in landscape, survival, and long historical time scales. Larison teaches creative writing and his academic engagement with the craft is visible in the deliberate quality of his prose.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has John Larison written?

John Larison has written five books across two series.

What was John Larison's first book?

John Larison’s first book is The Complete Steelheader: Successful Fly-Fishing Tactics, published in 2008.

Is John Larison primarily a literary fiction writer or a genre author?

Larison writes literary fiction that uses genre frameworks, particularly the Western. Whiskey When We’re Dry (2018) is his best-known work and is regarded as serious literary fiction in the tradition of Cormac McCarthy and Paulette Jiles, though it has Western genre trappings. He also writes non-fiction about fly-fishing.

Non-Fiction#

Standalone Novels#

Frequently Asked Questions

Non-Fiction

Standalone Novels