California has had a rich history of adventure (the 1849 Gold Rush), suspenseful tragedy (The Donner Party), outlaws (Joaquin Murieta) and answering to no higher authority (the Vigilance Committee of the Barbary Coast). It is a natural setting for both writing about the Western frontier and also romanticizing it after the creation of the Hollywood movie industry.

Some popular authors:

• Isabel Allende
• James D. Houston
• John Steinbeck
• Richard S. Wheeler
• Earlene Fowler
• Mark Twain