Genre Roots

I recently completed an interview with L. Andrew Cooper over my debut western horror novella, The Screaming House. Andrew is an excellent interviewer with a deep knowledge of the horror genre who asks a ton of insightful questions, and I think you’ll enjoy reading the full interview.

There was one question I wanted to expand on, and since I didn’t want to turn in an answer the length of a blog post, I decided to write a blog post! The main character of my story, Aggie, is female. In most westerns, male protagonists are the norm, to the point that female characters are often reduced to “damsel in distress” roles. The question Andrew asked was: Why make a young woman the hero of your western horror novella?

The short answer is, “Because I can!” 

When you combine genres like western and horror, you have to merge the traditions of both to maintain the roots that connect the book to both. In many cases, horror authors crossing over to westerns bring lots of blood, gore, magic, and mythical creatures to the party. While I never mind blood and gore (and I think there are plenty of westerns with enough blood and gore to border on horror), I wanted to keep this original story grounded in something that could have happened in the real world. So instead of bringing a horrific creature to represent the horror side of things, I brought the (SPOILER ALERT) final girl trope.

And it worked out marvelously.

The western genre is technically speculative fiction. Most westerns qualify as alternative history (there are a few rooted in things that actually happened, but even then there’s a fair amount of speculation), and as such, can be treated through a speculative lens: What would have happened if everyone in the west was armed with blowguns instead of pistols? What if gender roles were reversed in one town? What if someone from the future was dropped into the old west? These are questions that can (and should) be answered by writers exploring the western genre. When a second genre (like horror) is introduced, the possibilities only multiply. Authors can ask all kinds of crazy questions and produce answers that are satisfying both to themselves and to readers. 

I love Aggie as my western hero. I love that the men in her life treat her with respect and allow her to be a hero (with one exception you’ll meet in a future adventure). While I could have done that in a purely western novella, I love that I can add horror and bring in elements that aren’t normally found in westerns. It makes for a fun adventure, as a writer and hopefully for you as a reader. 

So when you go out to merge genres, I encourage you to think outside the box, and not be afraid to cross traditions in search of new ground. Genre roots are strong, and can withstand the efforts of authors to grow new ideas for readers to enjoy.