Sci-fi/western

[rabidrage]

Is there still much of a market out there for this unique blending of genres? I know its success has mainly been in shows/movies, but I've just published a sci-fi/western about mutants in the wild west, and I'm wondering how I can market it. It's tough! Also, has anybody read any good books in that subgenre lately? If so, I'd like to see what other authors have done and how they've managed to make it work. Mine is called "Cash Chronicles: The Book o' Samson" in case anybody's interested.

[Alton]

Is there still much of a market out there for this unique blending of genres? I know its success has mainly been in shows/movies, but I've just published a sci-fi/western about mutants in the wild west, and I'm wondering how I can market it. It's tough! Also, has anybody read any good books in that subgenre lately? If so, I'd like to see what other authors have done and how they've managed to make it work. Mine is called "Cash Chronicles: The Book o' Samson" in case anybody's interested.

As a matter of fact this seems to be the main type of Western or Weird Western these days.I think Dynamites Lone Ranger and Zorro are the only 2 out there that are straight ahead Westerns right now.Red 5 is just finishing up Dead and Alive (zombie western)and Ape Entertainment just finished up Helldorado (Vampire Western) and those of course are Horror Westerns,but a sci-fi western would fit in with those companies quite nicely.Don't forget Marriottes Desperados from a few years ago and more recently the Trumans Hawken that should be hitting trade soon.I'm not sure if others see Trumans Scout as a western or not ,but it is close.The Misadventures of Jefferson and Clark used Weird Western themes.I can't remember who published that one,but I think it was Ape or Red 5.If you could get your cast of Cowboys and Mutants to the moon it would give it a different spin from the standard Wild West setting.

[rabidrage]

Nice to know that it's popular, but it sounds like I'm facing stiff competition! Thanks for the insight. Think I've got a chance to compete in a market like this?

[Jinn-Suu]

I think this is one of the more interesting sub-genres, kinda related to the Jane Austen & zombie books, or something like Abe Lincoln: Vampire hunter. Personally, I've never really cared for straight western, but mix in some funky Wild, Wild West-type sci-fi/fantasy elements, and now you're talkin'. I would certainly think this category is not too overly populated, depending on what you do with it. Mutants sound interesting, I'd try to blend in some high tech as well, imo. Stephen King's Dark Tower series was essentially in this mixed genre. At any rate, best of luck with your book-

[rabidrage]

Heh, you know what pissed me off? I was all ready to put an image of Lincoln on an upside-down cross on the cover of my book, but then I saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter on the shelf where I work and got all kinds of pissed off. I still included the image on the inside, as well as an explanation: Lincoln was a mutant, and he was found out upon his death. Since he died on Good Friday, the South looked at him as an Antichrist figure and burned him in effigy. The rest of the US looked on him with suspicion, and only the mutant population praised him after that.

As far as including high tech, well, that's going to take some time. Book one is finished and available already if you're interested, though the price may drop in a little while. It definitely will when the ebook comes out, and then there will be a black and white print version with all the images converted to grayscale. But yeah, with regard to high tech, I want it to make sense, which means I have to do some studying. I'm no engineer, but since it's an alternate history, I'm thinking that some inventions would be different and different things might have taken priority, not to mention mutant abilities would have a profound effect on what could and would be produced. But it has to flow, and it has to be natural. You have no idea how much reading I've done just to get things right.

The trick is that I want it to show historical "accuracy" as much as it demonstrates a sci-fi and a western feel. I think it will help to set my book apart.

Thanks for wishing me luck!

[HMPL]

You can also check out The Merkabah Rider series. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a part of the weird western subgenre with a former high ranking jewish rabbi type as the main character.