this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2024
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Weird West

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Weird West (or Weird Western) is a genre of fiction that uses the Wild West period of American History as a foundation and then adds fantasy/supernatural elements to it. So stories where gunslingers encounter zombies, vampires, demons, robots, or any other creatures that wouldn't otherwise be present in a standard Western.

This is a community for sharing various Weird West works. Movies, Books, Comics, Video Games, TV Shows, whatever fits.

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Typically, I define the Weird West genre to be movies that take place in the Wild West and include some supernatural element. This usually means some sort of horror element like vampires or zombies, but that isn't really a requirement. So a movie with cowboys and dinosaurs fits my definition, even though it isn't really what I picture when I think of Weird West.

Yes, it has legendary Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion action, but the whole movie just seems silly to me. I don't know, I guess I'd call this one "Weird West, but I don't care to watch it".

Here's a trailer. I don't think it's streaming anywhere right now though.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 hours ago

No, just a subverting of tropes isn't Weird West to me. As I said, it has to be significant. Something that implies much larger implications to the setting/world. Examples: steampunk tech, some alien/scifi tech, magic users, fantasy creatures, etc.

Even better for me is if it feels like a seamless addition. Like if everything about the town is a standard Wild West town but is also a low magic setting where some heirlooms have enchantments or a magic user is uncommon but not strange.