Space Westerns

[kmsoice]

Sometime way back I came across a website dedicated to short stories on a genre it calls 'Space Westerns' . A genre which I think is generally well suited to adaptation to the 2300AD universe, not surprising given the parallels between 2300AD and mid 1800's Earth. I was especially struck by the 2300ness of one of the newest entries, Le Grand Bazar , right down to English nobility, stubborn national identities and the ever present French culture that everyone must feel. There maybe no real action occurring in this story but I think it is a great example of what life is like on the French Arm.

 

[samuelvss]

That's good stuff. Many thanks!

 

[kafka47]

Interesting site...I would not have called them so much a Western but classic Science Fiction...growing up in the 70s (and not in the United States), I have a prejudicial view of Westerns which tended to get sloppy before Eastwood's Unforgiven hits the screen...as slam & bang epics.

Interestingly enough, the Western shares many of the motiffs of that early SF including a fascination with with fascism. It seems like the (Leo) Straussian moment deeply inflitrated American culture much earlier...I was drawn into Science Fiction from the Sense of Wonder generated by the Space Race (although, it had slowed to a putter after Apollo) and the belief that we could something better out there.

 

[Drakon]

I was drawn into Science Fiction from the Sense of Wonder generated by the Space Race (although, it had slowed to a putter after Apollo) and the belief that we could something better out there.

I was and am always hoping we just get left alone. Space holds a challenge for the individual to make his own way, whether as a rancher, starship captain, or troubleshooter.

 

[mike wightman]

I have found the space western theme (aka Firefly/Serenity) works pretty well in 2300, MT HT and TNE.

 

[kmsoice]

I have found the space western theme (aka Firefly/Serenity) works pretty well in 2300, MT HT and TNE.

Part of me was annoyed by Firefly, I thought the emphasis on elements from the Old West and attempts at revisionist history of the American Civil War were over the top ( 'Firefly' the lost episodes: Mal berates an Alliance officer for taking away his freedom to own slaves, Cobb goes on night rides with his buddies to remind those sub-humans what is their place *) but I still see the Firefly universe as the basis of my view of what the Chinese Arm looks like. Especially if you read pg 131 of 2320AD and particularily if you read the paragraph at the bottom on the left column. Just switch the names of the the fascist Alliance with the fascist Manchu's including misplaced idealism and petty corruption, give the Reavers a Provolution origin **, replace the Unification War with the CAW*** , give the crew of the Serenity a Texan origin which they pretty much have anyways and POOF! ...you have the Chinese Arm with all of it's chaotic clash of cultures including aliens but an oriental underlay, small&isolated colonies, long distances and distant but totalitarian government.

*Actually not all that unreasonable that some human outposts in the Chinese Arm might have some Xiang slaves. I am not saying that they ever entered public, or common, service but small, isolated farming and mining operations always have labor shortages and after the Slaver War certain Sung families would be seeking to dump their now illicit workers at a cheap price ... sounds like a good basis for a trade.

** or not. I have to think that the relatively large presence of Provolution on the Chinese Arm is because they enjoy a larger degree of public sympathy than other places. Perhaps the only difference between the Manchu government and Provolution on the issue of cyber/bio tech is that while Provolution dreams of being supermen the Manchu government dream of legions of loyal supermen. So the Reavers could still be a berserk government research project but now associated with Provolution. If you really wanted to play against type you could have the players be the 'good' Provolution operatives who set the Reavers free from the evil government bondage ....

*** See the Etranger write-up on the Tunghu for an unconventional response to rampaging conventional French forces. Perhaps the post-CAW French peacekeeping forces could take the role of the evil Alliance, enforcing a liberation of a people from their independence.