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criticisms are sourced. ok, the bar is redundant, but the criticisms are sourced and meaningful.
→top: still: only written fiction. virtually there are no mentions in the article of other media beside manga, anime, movies and TV series, so why not put still only written fiction? please don't revert, let's improve from here.
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| outertitle = Space western fiction examples
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| heading1 = Standalone novels
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* ''[[The Icarus Hunt]]'' by Timothy Zahn
* ''[[Star Wars: Scoundrels]]'' by Timothy Zahn
* ''[[A Forest Apart]]'' by Troy Denning
* ''[[Rules of Engagement (Star Trek novel)|Rules of Engagement]]'' by [[Peter Morwood]]
* ''[[Allegiance (novel)|Allegiance]]'' by Timothy Zahn
* ''[[Death Troopers]]'' by [[Joe Schreiber]]
* ''[[A Planet for Texans]]'' by [[Henry Beam Piper]] and [[John J. McGuire]]
* ''[[Millennium Falcon (novel)|Millennium Falcon]]'' by [[James Luceno]]

| heading2 = Novel series
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* ''[[The Expanse (novel series)|The Expanse]]'' by [[James S. A. Corey]]
* ''Linesmen series'' by [[S. K. Dunstall]]
* ''[[The Han Solo Trilogy]]'' by [[Ann C. Crispin]]
* ''[[The Han Solo Adventures]]'' by [[Brian Daley]]
* ''[[Deathstalker (series)|Deathstalker]]'' by [[Simon R. Green]]
* ''[[Star Trek: New Frontier]]'' by [[Peter David]]
* ''[[Star Trek: New Earth]]'' by [[John J. Ordover]]
* ''[[Bas-Lag]]'' by [[China Mieville]]
* ''[[Star Wars Republic Commando (series)|Star Wars Republic Commando]]'' by [[Karen Traviss]]
* ''[[Galaxy of Fear]]'' by [[John Whitman (author)|John Whitman]]
* ''[[The Dark Nest trilogy]]'' by [[Troy Denning]]
* [[Grand Admiral Thrawn|''Thrawn Trilogy'' and ''The Hand of Thrawn duology'']] by [[Timothy Zahn]]


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}}{{short description|Media genre}}
{{Redirect|Space Frontier|the advocacy group|Space Frontier Foundation}}
{{Redirect|Space Frontier|the advocacy group|Space Frontier Foundation}}
'''Space Western''' is a [[subgenre]] of [[science fiction]] that uses the themes and tropes of [[Western (genre)|Westerns]] within science-fiction stories. Subtle influences may include [[Deep space exploration|exploration of new, lawless frontiers]], while more overt influences may feature literal cowboys in outer space who use [[raygun]]s and ride robotic horses. Although initially popular, a strong backlash against perceived [[hack writer|hack writing]] caused the genre to become a subtler influence until the 1980s, when it regained popularity. A further critical reappraisal occurred in the 2000s with ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' and ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''.
'''Space Western''' is a [[subgenre]] of [[science fiction]] that uses the themes and tropes of [[Western (genre)|Westerns]] within science-fiction stories. Subtle influences may include [[Deep space exploration|exploration of new, lawless frontiers]], while more overt influences may feature literal cowboys in outer space who use [[raygun]]s and ride robotic horses. Although initially popular, a strong backlash against perceived [[hack writer|hack writing]] caused the genre to become a subtler influence until the 1980s, when it regained popularity. A further critical reappraisal occurred in the 2000s with ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' and ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]''.


== Setting ==
== Setting ==
[[File:Space Western 40 pg00 fc.jpg|thumb|Early space Western print media]]
A space Western may emphasize space exploration as "the final frontier". These Western themes may be explicit, such as cowboys in outer space, or they can be a more subtle influence in [[space opera]].<ref name=weird>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns|last=Green|first=Paul|publisher=[[McFarland Publishing]]|year=2009|isbn=9780786458004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HDnHo993Dv0C&pg=PA4}}</ref>{{rp|3–4}} [[Gene Roddenberry]] described ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' as a space Western (or more poetically, as "''[[Wagon Train]]'' to the stars").<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/22/arts/a-first-showing-for-star-trek-pilot.html|title=A First Showing for 'Star Trek' Pilot|author=<!-- No byline -->|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=1986-07-22|access-date=2014-03-13}}</ref> ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' and its cinematic follow-up ''[[Serenity (2005 film)|Serenity]]'' literalized the Western aspects of the genre popularized by ''Star Trek'': it used frontier towns, horses, and the styling of classic [[John Ford]] Westerns.<ref name=avclub>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/firefly-serenity-75661|title=Firefly: "Serenity"|last1=Murray|first1=Noel|last2=Bowman|first2=Donna|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=2012-06-01|access-date=2014-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20302134_20738454_30025733,00.html#30025733|title=The Simultaneous Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Clichés|last=Franich|first=Darren|journal=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=2013-09-24|access-date=2014-03-13}}</ref> Worlds that have been terraformed may be depicted as presenting similar challenges as that of a frontier settlement in a classic Western.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction|last=Sawyer|first=Andy|editor1-last=Bould|editor1-first=Mark|editor2-last=Butler|editor2-first=Andrew|editor3-last=Roberts|editor3-first=Adam|display-editors = 3 |editor4-last=Vint|editor4-first=Sherryl|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2009|page=508|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y7CNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA508|isbn=9781135228361}}</ref> Six-shooters and horses may be replaced by ray guns and rockets.<ref name=newhorizons/> The term is often synonymous with "'''Science fiction western'''". The idea is that the vast distances of space have formed barriers, forcing people to become independent or even restricted. There are new frontiers in the galaxy and trying to "control" the vast expanse of space are popular themes. The stories focus on the hardship and adventure of the unexplored [[Space Frontier]].<ref>https://toistudent.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/literary-genres/what-is-a-space-western/35060.html</ref>
A space Western may emphasize space exploration as "the final frontier". These Western themes may be explicit, such as cowboys in outer space, or they can be a more subtle influence in [[space opera]].<ref name=weird>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns|last=Green|first=Paul|publisher=[[McFarland Publishing]]|year=2009|isbn=9780786458004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HDnHo993Dv0C&pg=PA4}}</ref>{{rp|3–4}} [[Gene Roddenberry]] described ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' as a space Western (or more poetically, as "''[[Wagon Train]]'' to the stars").<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/22/arts/a-first-showing-for-star-trek-pilot.html|title=A First Showing for 'Star Trek' Pilot|author=<!-- No byline -->|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=1986-07-22|access-date=2014-03-13}}</ref> ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' and its cinematic follow-up ''[[Serenity (2005 film)|Serenity]]'' literalized the Western aspects of the genre popularized by ''Star Trek'': it used frontier towns, horses, and the styling of classic [[John Ford]] Westerns.<ref name=avclub>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/firefly-serenity-75661|title=Firefly: "Serenity"|last1=Murray|first1=Noel|last2=Bowman|first2=Donna|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=2012-06-01|access-date=2014-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20302134_20738454_30025733,00.html#30025733|title=The Simultaneous Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Clichés|last=Franich|first=Darren|journal=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=2013-09-24|access-date=2014-03-13}}</ref> Worlds that have been terraformed may be depicted as presenting similar challenges as that of a frontier settlement in a classic Western.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction|last=Sawyer|first=Andy|editor1-last=Bould|editor1-first=Mark|editor2-last=Butler|editor2-first=Andrew|editor3-last=Roberts|editor3-first=Adam|display-editors = 3 |editor4-last=Vint|editor4-first=Sherryl|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2009|page=508|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y7CNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA508|isbn=9781135228361}}</ref> Six-shooters and horses may be replaced by ray guns and rockets.<ref name=newhorizons/> The term is often synonymous with "'''Science fiction western'''". The idea is that the vast distances of space have formed barriers, forcing people to become independent or even restricted. There are new frontiers in the galaxy and trying to "control" the vast expanse of space are popular themes. The stories focus on the hardship and adventure of the unexplored [[Space Frontier]].<ref>https://toistudent.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/literary-genres/what-is-a-space-western/35060.html</ref>


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Westerns influenced early science-fiction [[pulp magazines]]. Writers would submit stories in both genres,<ref>{{cite book|title=The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy|editor-last=Westfahl|editor-first=Gary|editor-link=Gary Westfahl|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2005|page=888|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3JXnz9x9sO4C&pg=PA888|isbn=9780313329524}}</ref> and science-fiction magazines sometimes mimicked Western cover art to showcase parallels.<ref name=weird/> In the 1930s, [[C. L. Moore]] created one of the first space Western heroes, [[Northwest Smith]].<ref name=weird/> [[Buck Rogers]] and [[Flash Gordon]] were also early influences.<ref name=newhorizons/> After [[superhero comics]] declined in popularity in 1940s United States, [[Western comics]] and [[horror comics]] replaced them. When horror comics became untenable with the [[Comics Code Authority]] in the mid-1950s, science-fiction themes and space Westerns grew more popular.<ref name=weird/>{{rp|10}} By the mid-1960s, classic Western films fell out of favor and [[Revisionist Western]]s supplanted them. Science-fiction series such as ''Lost in Space''<ref>{{cite book|last=Abbott |first=Jon |title=Irwin Allen Television Productions, 1964-1970: A Critical History of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants |publisher=McFarland Publishing |location=Jefferson, N.C |year=2006 |isbn=0786486627|page=131}}</ref> and ''Star Trek'' presented a new frontier to be explored, and films like ''[[Westworld (film)|Westworld]]'' rejuvenated Westerns by updating them with science-fiction themes. [[Peter Hyams]], director of ''[[Outland (film)|Outland]]'', said that studio heads in the 1980s were unwilling to finance a Western, so he made a space Western instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/peter-hyams-film-film/|title=Peter Hyams Film By Film|last=Williams|first=Owen|work=[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]|date=2014-07-24|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref> [[Space opera]]s such as the ''[[Star Wars]]'' film series also took strong cues from Westerns; [[Boba Fett]], [[Han Solo]] and the [[Mos Eisley]] cantina, in particular, were based on Western themes. [[George Lucas]] attributes the character of [[Boba Fett]] to the [[Man with No Name]] in the DVD commentary on ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]''.<ref>''The Empire Strikes Back'' DVD Commentary</ref> [[Han Solo]]'s original costume and charming rogue gunslinger mannerisms also reflects the Western's influence on [[Star Wars]]. These science fiction-films and television series offered the themes and morals that Westerns previously did.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303795304576454180418557322|title=Hollywood Frontiers: Outer Space and the Wild West|last=Steinberg|first=Don|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=2011-07-22|access-date=2014-03-15}}</ref>
Westerns influenced early science-fiction [[pulp magazines]]. Writers would submit stories in both genres,<ref>{{cite book|title=The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy|editor-last=Westfahl|editor-first=Gary|editor-link=Gary Westfahl|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2005|page=888|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3JXnz9x9sO4C&pg=PA888|isbn=9780313329524}}</ref> and science-fiction magazines sometimes mimicked Western cover art to showcase parallels.<ref name=weird/> In the 1930s, [[C. L. Moore]] created one of the first space Western heroes, [[Northwest Smith]].<ref name=weird/> [[Buck Rogers]] and [[Flash Gordon]] were also early influences.<ref name=newhorizons/> After [[superhero comics]] declined in popularity in 1940s United States, [[Western comics]] and [[horror comics]] replaced them. When horror comics became untenable with the [[Comics Code Authority]] in the mid-1950s, science-fiction themes and space Westerns grew more popular.<ref name=weird/>{{rp|10}} By the mid-1960s, classic Western films fell out of favor and [[Revisionist Western]]s supplanted them. Science-fiction series such as ''Lost in Space''<ref>{{cite book|last=Abbott |first=Jon |title=Irwin Allen Television Productions, 1964-1970: A Critical History of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants |publisher=McFarland Publishing |location=Jefferson, N.C |year=2006 |isbn=0786486627|page=131}}</ref> and ''Star Trek'' presented a new frontier to be explored, and films like ''[[Westworld (film)|Westworld]]'' rejuvenated Westerns by updating them with science-fiction themes. [[Peter Hyams]], director of ''[[Outland (film)|Outland]]'', said that studio heads in the 1980s were unwilling to finance a Western, so he made a space Western instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/peter-hyams-film-film/|title=Peter Hyams Film By Film|last=Williams|first=Owen|work=[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]|date=2014-07-24|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref> [[Space opera]]s such as the ''[[Star Wars]]'' film series also took strong cues from Westerns; [[Boba Fett]], [[Han Solo]] and the [[Mos Eisley]] cantina, in particular, were based on Western themes. [[George Lucas]] attributes the character of [[Boba Fett]] to the [[Man with No Name]] in the DVD commentary on ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]''.<ref>''The Empire Strikes Back'' DVD Commentary</ref> [[Han Solo]]'s original costume and charming rogue gunslinger mannerisms also reflects the Western's influence on [[Star Wars]]. These science fiction-films and television series offered the themes and morals that Westerns previously did.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303795304576454180418557322|title=Hollywood Frontiers: Outer Space and the Wild West|last=Steinberg|first=Don|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=2011-07-22|access-date=2014-03-15}}</ref>


This frontier view of the future is only one of many ways to look at space exploration, and not one embraced by all science-fiction writers. The Turkey City Lexicon, a document produced by the [[Turkey City Writer's Workshop|Turkey City science-fiction writers' workshop]], condemns the space Western as the "most pernicious" form of a pre-established background that avoids the necessity of creating a fresh world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshops/|title=A Primer for SF Workshops|last=Sterling|first=Bruce|author-link=Bruce Sterling|editor-last=Shiner|editor-first=Lewis|editor-link=Lewis Shiner|work=[[Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America]]|date=2009-06-18|access-date=2014-03-14}}</ref> ''[[Galaxy Science Fiction]]'' ran an advertisement on its back cover, "You'll never see it in Galaxy", which gave the beginnings of make-believe parallel Western and science-fiction stories featuring a character named Bat Durston.<ref>{{cite journal|title=You'll Never See It in ''Galaxy''|journal=Galaxy Science Fiction|volume=1|issue=1|date=October 1950}}</ref> The genre of space Westerns has been informally—and often derisively—known as "Bat Durston" stories since.<ref>[http://www.strangehorizons.com/2009/20091130/lilly-a.shtml The Emancipation of Bat Durston]</ref> Such scathing attacks on the subgenre, along with further attacks on space operas, caused a perception that all space Westerns were by definition hack writing and not "true" science fiction.<ref name=newhorizons>{{cite web|url=http://www.strangehorizons.com/2009/20091130/lilly-a.shtml|title=The Emancipation of Bat Durston|last=Lilly|first=Nathan E.|work=[[Strange Horizons]]|date=2009-11-30|access-date=2014-03-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314104907/http://www.strangehorizons.com/2009/20091130/lilly-a.shtml|archive-date=2014-03-14}}</ref> Although the underlying themes remained influential, this bias persisted until the 1980s, when the release of the film ''Outland'' and children's cartoons such as ''[[Bravestarr]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers]]'' re-popularized explicit themes of cowboys in space. ''Bravestarr'' chronicles the adventures of the Space Marshal, as he seeks to uphold law and order in the 23rd century.<ref>https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-best-of-bravestarr-15-amazing-episodes/</ref> The opening trailer of ''The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers'' shows [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]]-like heroes riding across a prairie landscape on robotic horses. Spaceships and sixguns both feature prominently throughout.<ref>https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-121</ref>In the late 1990s, anime series such as ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' and ''[[Trigun]]'', which differs from most space westerns by taking place entirely on one planet, that planet just happening to not be Earth, became prime examples of the genre. [[Mecha anime and manga]] like ''[[Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs]]'' and ''[[Voltron]]'', [[manhua]] like ''[[Cyber Weapon Z]]'' and ''[[Dimension W #9.5]]'', also are very popular and has significant influence over the genre.<ref>https://www.ranker.com/list/best-western-anime/ranker-anime</ref><ref>https://www.cbr.com/must-read-sci-fi-manhwa-for-fans-of-manga/</ref><ref name=newhorizons/>
This frontier view of the future is only one of many ways to look at space exploration, and not one embraced by all science-fiction writers. The Turkey City Lexicon, a document produced by the [[Turkey City Writer's Workshop|Turkey City science-fiction writers' workshop]], condemns the space Western as the "most pernicious" form of a pre-established background that avoids the necessity of creating a fresh world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshops/|title=A Primer for SF Workshops|last=Sterling|first=Bruce|author-link=Bruce Sterling|editor-last=Shiner|editor-first=Lewis|editor-link=Lewis Shiner|work=[[Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America]]|date=2009-06-18|access-date=2014-03-14}}</ref> ''[[Galaxy Science Fiction]]'' ran an advertisement on its back cover, "You'll never see it in Galaxy", which gave the beginnings of make-believe parallel Western and science-fiction stories featuring a character named Bat Durston.<ref>{{cite journal|title=You'll Never See It in ''Galaxy''|journal=Galaxy Science Fiction|volume=1|issue=1|date=October 1950}}</ref> The genre of space Westerns has been informally—and often derisively—known as "Bat Durston" stories since.<ref>[http://www.strangehorizons.com/2009/20091130/lilly-a.shtml The Emancipation of Bat Durston]</ref> Such scathing attacks on the subgenre, along with further attacks on space operas, caused a perception that all space Westerns were by definition hack writing and not "true" science fiction.<ref name=newhorizons>{{cite web|url=http://www.strangehorizons.com/2009/20091130/lilly-a.shtml|title=The Emancipation of Bat Durston|last=Lilly|first=Nathan E.|work=[[Strange Horizons]]|date=2009-11-30|access-date=2014-03-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314104907/http://www.strangehorizons.com/2009/20091130/lilly-a.shtml|archive-date=2014-03-14}}</ref> Although the underlying themes remained influential, this bias persisted until the 1980s, when the release of the film ''Outland'' and children's cartoons such as ''[[Bravestarr]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers]]'' re-popularized explicit themes of cowboys in space. ''Bravestarr'' chronicles the adventures of the Space Marshal, as he seeks to uphold law and order in the 23rd century.<ref>https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-best-of-bravestarr-15-amazing-episodes/</ref> The opening trailer of ''The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers'' shows [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]]-like heroes riding across a prairie landscape on robotic horses. Spaceships and sixguns both feature prominently throughout.<ref>https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-121</ref>In the late 1990s, anime series such as ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' and ''[[Trigun]]'', which differs from most space westerns by taking place entirely on one planet, that planet just happening to not be Earth, became prime examples of the genre. [[Mecha anime and manga]] like ''[[Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs]]'' and ''[[Voltron]]'', [[manhua]] like ''[[Cyber Weapon Z]]'' and ''[[Dimension W]]'', also are very popular and has significant influence over the genre.<ref>https://www.ranker.com/list/best-western-anime/ranker-anime</ref><ref>https://www.cbr.com/must-read-sci-fi-manhwa-for-fans-of-manga/</ref><ref name=newhorizons/>


Games such as ''[[StarCraft]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacewesterns.com/articles/116/|title=10 Most Influential Space Westerns | author = N.E. Lilly |publisher= SpaceWesterns.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Nick Cowen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/jan/23/battlenet-championship-gamers-starcraft-2-shanghai |title=Battle.net Championship wows the masses as gamers play to the crowds &#124; Technology |publisher=The Guardian |date=2013-01-23 |access-date=2016-12-27}}</ref>, ''[[Fallout (series)|Fallout series]]''<ref>https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/how-the-space-western-evolved-from-star-trek-to-the-outer-worlds/</ref>, ''[[Borderlands (series)|Borderlands series]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/games/49071/borderlands-2-cult-hit-space-western-game-returns|title=Borderlands 2: the cult hit space western game returns|author=<!-- Staff -->|work=[[The Week]]|date=2012-09-18|access-date=2014-10-22}}</ref> and ''[[The Outer Worlds]]'' have also popularized the space Western theme. Shows such as ''[[Westworld (TV series)|Westworld]]'', ''[[Farscape]]'', ''[[The Mandalorian]]'', ''[[The Expanse (TV series)|The Expanse]]'', ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' and ''[[The Book of Boba Fett]]'' won critical acclaim, further causing a critical reassessment of space Westerns.<ref name=newhorizons/> Movies like ''[[The Chronicles of Riddick (franchise)|The Chronicles of Riddick]]'', ''[[Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'' and ''[[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]]'' also have continued the space Western theme.<ref>https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/movies/riddick-sci-fi-western-movie-review</ref>
Games such as ''[[StarCraft]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spacewesterns.com/articles/116/|title=10 Most Influential Space Westerns | author = N.E. Lilly |publisher= SpaceWesterns.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Nick Cowen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/jan/23/battlenet-championship-gamers-starcraft-2-shanghai |title=Battle.net Championship wows the masses as gamers play to the crowds &#124; Technology |publisher=The Guardian |date=2013-01-23 |access-date=2016-12-27}}</ref>, ''[[Fallout (series)|Fallout series]]''<ref>https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/how-the-space-western-evolved-from-star-trek-to-the-outer-worlds/</ref>, ''[[Borderlands (series)|Borderlands series]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/games/49071/borderlands-2-cult-hit-space-western-game-returns|title=Borderlands 2: the cult hit space western game returns|author=<!-- Staff -->|work=[[The Week]]|date=2012-09-18|access-date=2014-10-22}}</ref> and ''[[The Outer Worlds]]'' have also popularized the space Western theme. Shows such as ''[[Westworld (TV series)|Westworld]]'', ''[[Farscape]]'', ''[[The Mandalorian]]'', ''[[The Expanse (TV series)|The Expanse]]'', ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'' and ''[[The Book of Boba Fett]]'' won critical acclaim, further causing a critical reassessment of space Westerns.<ref name=newhorizons/> Movies like ''[[The Chronicles of Riddick (franchise)|The Chronicles of Riddick]]'', ''[[Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'' and ''[[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]]'' also have continued the space Western theme.<ref>https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/movies/riddick-sci-fi-western-movie-review</ref>

Revision as of 06:00, 2 June 2021

Space western fiction examples
Standalone novels
Novel series
"Space Frontier" redirects here. For the advocacy group, see Space Frontier Foundation.

Space Western is a subgenre of science fiction that uses the themes and tropes of Westerns within science-fiction stories. Subtle influences may include exploration of new, lawless frontiers, while more overt influences may feature literal cowboys in outer space who use rayguns and ride robotic horses. Although initially popular, a strong backlash against perceived hack writing caused the genre to become a subtler influence until the 1980s, when it regained popularity. A further critical reappraisal occurred in the 2000s with Firefly and Cowboy Bebop.

Setting

Early space Western print media

A space Western may emphasize space exploration as "the final frontier". These Western themes may be explicit, such as cowboys in outer space, or they can be a more subtle influence in space opera.[1]: 3–4  Gene Roddenberry described Star Trek: The Original Series as a space Western (or more poetically, as "Wagon Train to the stars").[2] Firefly and its cinematic follow-up Serenity literalized the Western aspects of the genre popularized by Star Trek: it used frontier towns, horses, and the styling of classic John Ford Westerns.[3][4] Worlds that have been terraformed may be depicted as presenting similar challenges as that of a frontier settlement in a classic Western.[5] Six-shooters and horses may be replaced by ray guns and rockets.[6] The term is often synonymous with "Science fiction western". The idea is that the vast distances of space have formed barriers, forcing people to become independent or even restricted. There are new frontiers in the galaxy and trying to "control" the vast expanse of space are popular themes. The stories focus on the hardship and adventure of the unexplored Space Frontier.[7]

Definitions by contrast

Main articles: Space opera and Military science fiction

Space Westerns intertwine with space opera and military science fiction and generally with the fictional space warfare. Specifically written space Western fiction, movies and TV series are often based on such established franchises with respective expanded universes of Star Wars and Star Trek.[8] They often consider and view an interstellar war and oppression of galactic empire as backdrop with focus on lone gunslinger in space wielding a raygun with fantastic fictional technologies in a futuristic Space frontier setting.[9]

History

Rear cover of first issue of Galaxy featuring criticism of the space Western subgenre

Westerns influenced early science-fiction pulp magazines. Writers would submit stories in both genres,[10] and science-fiction magazines sometimes mimicked Western cover art to showcase parallels.[1] In the 1930s, C. L. Moore created one of the first space Western heroes, Northwest Smith.[1] Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon were also early influences.[6] After superhero comics declined in popularity in 1940s United States, Western comics and horror comics replaced them. When horror comics became untenable with the Comics Code Authority in the mid-1950s, science-fiction themes and space Westerns grew more popular.[1]: 10  By the mid-1960s, classic Western films fell out of favor and Revisionist Westerns supplanted them. Science-fiction series such as Lost in Space[11] and Star Trek presented a new frontier to be explored, and films like Westworld rejuvenated Westerns by updating them with science-fiction themes. Peter Hyams, director of Outland, said that studio heads in the 1980s were unwilling to finance a Western, so he made a space Western instead.[12] Space operas such as the Star Wars film series also took strong cues from Westerns; Boba Fett, Han Solo and the Mos Eisley cantina, in particular, were based on Western themes. George Lucas attributes the character of Boba Fett to the Man with No Name in the DVD commentary on The Empire Strikes Back.[13] Han Solo's original costume and charming rogue gunslinger mannerisms also reflects the Western's influence on Star Wars. These science fiction-films and television series offered the themes and morals that Westerns previously did.[14]

This frontier view of the future is only one of many ways to look at space exploration, and not one embraced by all science-fiction writers. The Turkey City Lexicon, a document produced by the Turkey City science-fiction writers' workshop, condemns the space Western as the "most pernicious" form of a pre-established background that avoids the necessity of creating a fresh world.[15] Galaxy Science Fiction ran an advertisement on its back cover, "You'll never see it in Galaxy", which gave the beginnings of make-believe parallel Western and science-fiction stories featuring a character named Bat Durston.[16] The genre of space Westerns has been informally—and often derisively—known as "Bat Durston" stories since.[17] Such scathing attacks on the subgenre, along with further attacks on space operas, caused a perception that all space Westerns were by definition hack writing and not "true" science fiction.[6] Although the underlying themes remained influential, this bias persisted until the 1980s, when the release of the film Outland and children's cartoons such as Bravestarr and The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers re-popularized explicit themes of cowboys in space. Bravestarr chronicles the adventures of the Space Marshal, as he seeks to uphold law and order in the 23rd century.[18] The opening trailer of The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers shows Texas Rangers-like heroes riding across a prairie landscape on robotic horses. Spaceships and sixguns both feature prominently throughout.[19]In the late 1990s, anime series such as Cowboy Bebop and Trigun, which differs from most space westerns by taking place entirely on one planet, that planet just happening to not be Earth, became prime examples of the genre. Mecha anime and manga like Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs and Voltron, manhua like Cyber Weapon Z and Dimension W, also are very popular and has significant influence over the genre.[20][21][6]

Games such as StarCraft[22][23], Fallout series[24], Borderlands series[25] and The Outer Worlds have also popularized the space Western theme. Shows such as Westworld, Farscape, The Mandalorian, The Expanse, Firefly and The Book of Boba Fett won critical acclaim, further causing a critical reassessment of space Westerns.[6] Movies like The Chronicles of Riddick, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story also have continued the space Western theme.[26]

Criticisms

This "frontier stories" aspect of the distant future is only one of many ways to look at space exploration, and it's not embraced by all science fiction writers.

The Turkey City Lexicon,[27] a document produced by the Turkey City science fiction writers' workshop, condemns the space Western as "The most pernicious suite of 'Used Furniture' [that is, use of a pre-established background instead of a freshly created world]."

Galaxy Science Fiction ran an advertisement on its back cover, "You'll never see it in Galaxy," which gave the beginnings of make-believe parallel Western and Science fiction stories featuring a character named Bat Durston.[28] The genre of space Westerns has been informally—and often derisively—known as "Bat Durston" stories since.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Green, Paul (2009). Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns. McFarland Publishing. ISBN 9780786458004.
  2. ^ "A First Showing for 'Star Trek' Pilot". The New York Times. 1986-07-22. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  3. ^ Murray, Noel; Bowman, Donna (2012-06-01). "Firefly: "Serenity"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  4. ^ Franich, Darren (2013-09-24). "The Simultaneous Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Clichés". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  5. ^ Sawyer, Andy (2009). Bould, Mark; Butler, Andrew; Roberts, Adam; et al. (eds.). The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction. Routledge. p. 508. ISBN 9781135228361.
  6. ^ a b c d e Lilly, Nathan E. (2009-11-30). "The Emancipation of Bat Durston". Strange Horizons. Archived from the original on 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  7. ^ https://toistudent.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/literary-genres/what-is-a-space-western/35060.html
  8. ^ https://screenrant.com/tabletop-rpg-space-western-game-settings-like-firefly/
  9. ^ https://www.jstor.org/stable/4240753?seq=1
  10. ^ Westfahl, Gary, ed. (2005). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 888. ISBN 9780313329524.
  11. ^ Abbott, Jon (2006). Irwin Allen Television Productions, 1964-1970: A Critical History of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland Publishing. p. 131. ISBN 0786486627.
  12. ^ Williams, Owen (2014-07-24). "Peter Hyams Film By Film". Empire. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  13. ^ The Empire Strikes Back DVD Commentary
  14. ^ Steinberg, Don (2011-07-22). "Hollywood Frontiers: Outer Space and the Wild West". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  15. ^ Sterling, Bruce (2009-06-18). Shiner, Lewis (ed.). "A Primer for SF Workshops". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  16. ^ "You'll Never See It in Galaxy". Galaxy Science Fiction. 1 (1). October 1950.
  17. ^ The Emancipation of Bat Durston
  18. ^ https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-best-of-bravestarr-15-amazing-episodes/
  19. ^ https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-121
  20. ^ https://www.ranker.com/list/best-western-anime/ranker-anime
  21. ^ https://www.cbr.com/must-read-sci-fi-manhwa-for-fans-of-manga/
  22. ^ N.E. Lilly. "10 Most Influential Space Westerns". SpaceWesterns.com.
  23. ^ Nick Cowen (2013-01-23). "Battle.net Championship wows the masses as gamers play to the crowds | Technology". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-12-27.
  24. ^ https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/how-the-space-western-evolved-from-star-trek-to-the-outer-worlds/
  25. ^ "Borderlands 2: the cult hit space western game returns". The Week. 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
  26. ^ https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/movies/riddick-sci-fi-western-movie-review
  27. ^ A Primer for SF Workshops
  28. ^ [Galaxy Science Fiction, Vol. 1 No. 1, October 1950]
  29. ^ The Emancipation of Bat Durston

Further reading

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