this post was submitted on 03 Apr 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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Would you consider Wild Wild West to be a Weird West movie? (lemmy.zip)
submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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When I was thinking about starting this Lemmy community, I tried writing down every single Weird West work I'd seen, read, or played. In that list, I added Wild Wild West. But now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I'd call it a Weird Western.

Most Weird West works involve some sort of supernatural or fantasy element added to a Wild West setting. But does steampunk count as supernatural or fantasy? I mean, technically there weren't any giant steam-powered spiders in the Wild West but is that "weird" enough to qualify? The fact that it was steam-powered makes it harder for me to call it sci-fi. Besides, if I call Wild Wild West a Weird Western, does that mean Back to the Future Part 3 is a Weird Western too? I'm at the point where I'm questioning the definition of the genre to determine whether or not to post something.

Here's a trailer, and I'm sorry if watching it gets that theme song stuck in your head. The movie isn't streaming anywhere though.

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[–] [email protected] 59 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Wait, you wouldn't call a giant robotic spider Sci-fi just because it's powered by steam? What about the concealed, man-sized robotic spider legs? Or the semi-sentient flying death saws? Or all the myriad old-timey James Bond-esque gadgets?

I haven't looked in detail at all the other movies you've included, but WWW is definitely a western and definitely weird AF. It's also possibly my (quite inexplicably and unironically) favourite movie.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago (4 children)

I know, this really gets to be splitting hairs about genre definitions. I don't mind calling Cowboys & Aliens a Weird West movie because it takes place in the Wild West and then goes full-blown scifi. Something about upending a normal Western setting with scifi seems to work for me.

Yet creating James Bond-esque gadgets using technology that technically existed in the era (steam-power, magnets) doesn't feel as scifi to me because while the devices are new to the residents, this isn't "sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from magic". Besides, if we consider James Bond-esque gadgets to be scifi, does that mean the James Bond series itself is scifi? I would've said no, but I can see your argument for it.

In the end, it doesn't really matter. I just thought it'd be fun to discuss where we define the boundaries of this genre.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The flying saw blades that homed into the collars and the giant spider were either sci fi or magc as both break the laws of physics. Not just fantastial abilities, but they could not possibly be steam powered.

James bond using super future tech is sci fi, like when he went to space in Moonraker. Some Bond films aren't when they just use spy tech.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, that's fair. Just because the movie says a giant robot spider is steam-powered doesn't mean that explanation makes any sense at all.

I thought the saw blades were just magnetic but it's been awhile since I watched the movie so I'm sure "magnets" isn't enough to justify what those blades did anyway.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Yeah, they said in the movie they were magnetic, but they fly in circles like drones. The characters even duck and the blades go right over the headas nd back up into the airnfor another pass, which isn't how magnets work.

It is a very entertaining movie!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The scene with the head & projector alone makes it qualify in my mind!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I mean... the reason it's science fiction and not fantasy is because it has some kind of backing in explainable phenomenon. Just because you can say "It's powered by steam" or "it's pushed by magnets" doesn't mean it's not in some way fantastic.

Would more grounded science fiction not count as science fiction to you? Things like The Martian or The Expanse don't count because they don't involved magical fantasy technology that turn the world on its head?

Frankenstein is undoubtedly science fiction... but it's just using electricity to awaken a cobbled together corpse. There's no magic space rays or warp drives or matter transporters.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

That's true, just because an explanation is given doesn't mean that explanation makes any sense. You still have to suspend disbelief either way.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

the expanse features a fair amount of fantasy in regards to the protomolecule and its fantastical effects and results, as well as it's opponents as the story goes on.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

You're making me think too hard!

Seriously, though, I never thought about Bond being sci-fi, but I guess most spy movies would fall into that category. Especially the ones that have "secret government technology not available to the public."

This is what I love about the internet.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

Man Kevin Smith's story about the dude behind WWW is so absurd and funny. Absolutely obsessed with making a movie involving a giant spider (machine? can't remember if it had to be a machine) and it's basically the sole reason that exists in the movie.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

Sci-fi has certain standards of world building and a tradition of social commentary that WWW is simply removed from.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Its one of the first things I would list when naming Weird West movies so I'd say yes.

Edit: if it matters the Wikipedia page lists it as an example

[–] [email protected] 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

In my opinion steampunk is 100% fantasy. It is all form, no function, purely aesthetic.

The technology aspect could possibly be considered science fiction, but I'd argue that steampunk tech is about style, not function, so should be considered fantasy.

Wikipedia goes both ways, calling it sci Fi and fantasy, so perhaps it can be both.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_steampunk_works

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Even within sci fi there's a divide between "hard" and "soft", where the former puts emphasis on plausible technology and the latter can be little more than an aesthetic.

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling is an example of hard steampunk.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

I've read Gibson but not that one, I'll check it out. Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

Science fantasy is also a genre. I would usually say it's acience fiction though. Star Wars is more form than function that most steampunk, but people (usually) don't debate that. It's just soft sci-fi.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Will Smith sucks.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

It does make me feel a certain satisfaction that he passed on The Matrix to make this

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Agreed. There were several good actors in this movie and the whole thing still came out awful.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Kevin Smith talking about Superman Lives, Jon Peters, and giant fucking spiders part 2

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

Him telling that story will never not be funny to me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

In the "Superman Doomsday" DC animated film, the first thing Superman does after being revived is fight a giant mechanical spider. Here's a link to the immediate aftermath:

https://youtu.be/lAH4aXN6VZk?si=INkj2Ao7OqvcEciJ

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

I enjoy more these stories than his movies, and I do like some of his movies.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago

I would consider it to be a hot mess.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

I would say it's steampunk in a Wild West setting but not weird west.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

It absolutely is Weird West. The TV show it's based on is quintessential Weird West

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

It's barely a movie 😂

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Pre-slap-action-comedy. Too light and plastic for weird.

[–] zero_spelled_with_an_ecks 3 points 7 months ago

I dunno, there was that weird part where the guy without legs implied he was going to mechanically penetrate the female lead and it had a visual aid.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

After suffering through it once, I don't consider it at all

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

It started out as a script of The Sandman by Neil Gaiman.