I want to write a western with a nameless, amnesiac protagonist who's a quick draw with a pistol, accurate, and has a quick reaction time, allowing him to face off against most individuals even when outnumbered. And I'm thinking about adding some sort of sci-fi or fantasy element to give it a bit of spice. Really, I'm mostly inspired by the 2011 film Cowboys & Aliens. My only problem is that I don't really know the lingo or general conventions of westerns. Does anyone have any books to read or movies to watch as reference. Or just list general conventions that the genre carries with it. Surely some of you have played the recently released red dead or watched the also recently released ballad of buster scruggs. I could also use some work setting the scene, but that's a thread for another time.
adam ruins everything - adam ruins the wild west actual information that has not beeb falsified for the sake of entertainment.
You can start by scratching the multiple enemies at once. Western characters tend to be special but not overly so. No bs 1 vs 5 without a tactical advantage.
I don't really know many Westerns, but those movies are generally from the mid to late 1900s. Drunk History also had an episode (Season 1 Episode 8 - "The Wild West") about real life historical events in the West. There's some clips from that episode on YouTube: Teddy Roosevelt, Billy the Kid, The Alamo
I'd rather not rely on a single source for the actual truth. And I dislike the idea of a single person claiming to preach the actual truth. Also, I think I would rather write about a romanticized fictional time, instead of a parody of the genre that deconstructs the conventions. I'm not nearly learned enough to attempt such a feat. I'll check it out. Hm, I agree. That's why I'm giving the protagonist the act first, win first mentality. You know how some people are afraid to fight immediately because of the potential danger toward their lives? I'll make the protagonist have no such fear, use to the idea of dying quickly from inaction in dangerous situations.
If you haven't then go watch Trigun! It's pretty much what you're looking for in terms of aesthetic and world building.
I'll check 'em out. No, I mean, like, the wild west. Cowboys and Indians. I'm not really sure what steampunk is other than that it has steam powered technology as the most advanced. And the first think I think about when thinking about it is the Ghibli films, but I don't think I've ever seen or read anything with a fully incorporated steam punk setting. Would love to know of any if you have a suggestion. I liked the setting, but I didn't really like how much luck Vash had when dodging bullets and fighting people. I only remember the early episodes though. An old classic I've heard. I'll check it out.
Lonesome Dove is a historical fictional movie about the time period that you might find inspiration from
Steampunk is actually rather Western-based. Imagine the wild west but people developed lots of technology using steam power or a Western base with more machines somewhat reminiscent of trains or clocks. There's usually some focus on trains (sorta one of the main steam-powered technologies). As an example of what it looks like, Panic! At The Disco's music video for their song, "A Ballad of Mona Lisa" has a steampunk setting. Also: Spoiler: steampunk
Honestly, watch some of the classic Western films to get an idea of the setting. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is one of my personal favorites. And Blazing Saddles is a great satire/parody of many of the tropes as well if you want comedy. Also @checkm8 references some of the famous classical authors of Westerns, so there's also a good starting point. If you are looking for something more recent that combines the Western genre with fantasy and is downright excellent, you could read Joe Abercrombie's Red Country. Though, technically, that is the sixth book in that world's setting and it contains spoilers for other previous books and some aspects of certain characters make more sense having read the previous ones. It is still a standalone to be clear.
Spoiler: Trigun 'Luck' Ah that's because it wasn't luck in the least, Vash is a badass which you find out not too far along from where you stopped. He's just playing weak to prevent attention from the massive bounty on his head.