What does a Weird Western ideally Need?

[Justin]

As I was thinking about the many types of weird westerns there are and the many unique things we put into them it got me thinking. What are ideal things or typical things every Weird Western needs? Clearly it requires certain thats that make it what it is but what do you believe those qualities to be? I'll throw some examples out there...

-A supernatural force within a western setting(Zombie, Werewolf, Ghost, Ghoul, Vampies, Aliens, etc)

-Weird Weapons

-Western Setting

-Not You Typical Good Vs Evil Plot

[audrey]

Mud. Or dust. Something gritty or dirty and weather-related.

[Ashe]

At the very least, it requires something besides human interactions in the American West. So monsters, aliens, some sort of Other that goes beyond humanity.

I don't think Weird Weapons are a requirement though. They can be fun, no doubt, and they certainly ramp it up, but a regular revolver or rifle or knife still works if you have the right base.

The Western setting is, of course, a mandatory piece. Though, I'm biased about what that means since I didn't write a world set on Earth, so the American West doesn't exist in my book. There is a frontier though, so, ultimately, I think that's the real basis. There's so much atmosphere to pull from the standard settings though so it's not a problem.

I think "typical good vs evil" plots can work though. That said, it's usually more interesting to introduce some shades of gray to your good and evil.

[audrey]

There is a frontier though, so, ultimately, I think that's the real basis.

This exactly. The frontier should ideally be dual in some way; not just a geographic frontier but also a frontier of social change or evil or end-times or or or.

[Ashe]

There's a reason Star Trek had the nickname Wagon Train to the Stars (I think that's what it was). That is the biggest aspect we got from that period: exploring a new frontier. Including, as you said, social changes, evils, apocolypseseses.