This may be my worst idea ever...

smsarber · Apr 11, 2007

Or it could be really good...
I'm asking this question in this, and the horror forum.
Would it be a terrible idea to have a story about zombie gunslingers and cowboys? A kind of undead town.

It was one of those 'about to fall asleep, pop you awake kind of ideas. I thought I would get some feedback before I even consider trying it.

Vincent · Apr 11, 2007

Would make shootouts interesting. And a bit pointless.

alleycat · Apr 11, 2007

Kind of worked for Stephen King . . .

But it wouldn't be a western (or at least not one that traditional western readers would call one).

davids · Apr 11, 2007

Even better-gay zombies and gunslingers

Vincent · Apr 11, 2007

Aw fudgeit... this thread just reminded me that I came up with two cool ideas just as I was falling asleep last night... and now I can't remember what they were!

alleycat · Apr 11, 2007

davids said:
Even better-gay zombies and gunslingers

. . . being hunted down by Mormons.

dpaterso · Apr 11, 2007

Hmm, why do I get the feeling this has been done before?

The story would need a good reason for being set in an undead town, so it doesn't seem like a gratuitous or whimsical throwaway idea.

That's not to say I'm allergic to it. Western genre is big enough and wide enough to cover all kinds of variants, check out the Weird Westerns thread.

I'm just gonna move this thread to the Western discussion forum, and leave a redirect in the SYW Western forum.

Edit:
Just FYI if anyone's interested there's a similar "This may be my worst idea ever..." thread in Horror discussion forum,
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61201

-Derek

smsarber · Apr 11, 2007

You are referring to "The Gunslinger", I assume. I've only ever read the first of the "Dark Tower" series, and there were no zombies in it.

I was thinking maybe a teenage boy living in Arizona comes into possession of a spell book, flubbs a spell, and brings all the former members of the neighboring "ghost" town to life. Maybe they reanimate at sundown, or something cliche like that.

Festus · Apr 11, 2007

Said it before, will say it again. Our forum is only limited by the imagination. Though I think that brokeback mountain zombies is one hell of a stretch, doesn't seem that they'd have much in the way of sexual desires, nor do I think openly gay gunslingers would have had an extended lifespan in the old west.

Check out our comments on weird westerns like Derek said.

Vincent · Apr 11, 2007

smsarber said:
You are referring to "The Gunslinger", I assume. I've only ever read the first of the "Dark Tower" series, and there were no zombies in it.

I was thinking maybe a teenage boy living in Arizona comes into possession of a spell book, flubbs a spell, and brings all the former members of the neighboring "ghost" town to life. Maybe they reanimate at sundown, or something cliche like that.

Simpsons did it.

smsarber · Apr 11, 2007

Sorry... don't watch the Simpson's.
Perhaps a meteor strikes down in rural Nevada, and it causes strange things, such as dead coming back to life.
Let me guess, Futurama did this one?

Cav Guy · Apr 11, 2007

No, but I think Dawn of the Living Dead did....

Festus · Apr 11, 2007

Aw hell, Steven, ain't no reason to drop your idea. A whole bunch of different things could cause zombies in a western town that haven't been written about yet.

Let's see; Pact with the devil, strange mineral leaking into water supply, a curse from an individual or an old medicine man, doctored whiskey that went wrong, an arcane artifact arriving in town, UFO flying by doing a scan - unaware that their scanning beam would cause such an effect, the inhabitants accidentally reading some of my stories - all kinds of stuff!

Vanatru · Apr 11, 2007

If it works for Deadlands it can work for you here. Give it a try and post the work..........we can heckal and decry your work, or praise and salute it.

JeanneTGC · Apr 11, 2007

Look in the Writer's Wanted: Paying Markets forum. There's a thread about cross-genre Cthulu. I'm writing a story to submit there, why not you, too? There IS a market for cross-genre stuff, which is what you're describing.

Also, there are NO new ideas under the sun. Anything the Bible missed Shakespeare covered. So, so what if someone else has done a zombie-cowboy story? The thing is -- no one will write that zombie-cowboy story just like YOU will. That's why we have many creative types, not just one. So, go for it!

smsarber · Apr 11, 2007

There's nothing new under the sun... I want to get that needlepointed to put up over my desk, I love that one!!
I think I'm going to let this idea percolate for awhile, unless someone might be interested in a co-write/joint-partnership kinda thing.

Good news, my wife, son, and myself are moving in to our new apartment tomorrow. (Been living in my parents basement since I got out of prison, 4-3-06)

smsarber · Apr 11, 2007

Okay, I checked out the cross-genre Cthulu. I think I will give it a shot, though I have never read HPL. Hafta stop by the library. The partnership idea is still on the table, as well. I could do a longer piece, and could probably use some guidance. My writing is fast improving, but it needs help.

See, I knew Ktulu (Chtulu) wasn't just a Metallica song off the "Ride the Lightning" album!

poetinahat · Apr 11, 2007

Zombie cowboys and Indians -- hey, add in a zombie motorcycle cop and construction worker... Hey, presto: Undead Village People!

(Actually, a story like yours would catch my eye. It sounds like a hoot!)

dpaterso · Apr 11, 2007

A couple of quick Google searches might be in order:

http://www.google.com/search?&q=zombie+western
http://www.google.com/search?&q=Cthulhu

If you're wanting to get into H.P. Lovecraft, here's a nice site with fiction and info (plus links to other horror author fiction/info):
http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/index.html

You'll find The Call of Cthulhu here... tho' I'd start with At the Mountains of Madness which I think has more spooky atmosphere due to its firmer grounding in reality, but that's just me.

My woefully inept Lovecraftian homage story Blood & Ice earned me the princely sum of $20.00 and got me an admiring fan email from a young lady in Hungary who said the goose bumps creeped her arms.

-Derek

Cav Guy · Apr 12, 2007

You could also dig up the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game if you want handy bite-sized examples of some of the...uhh...'wonderful' things ol' Lovecraft came up with.

alleycat · Apr 12, 2007

poetinahat said:
Zombie cowboys and Indians -- hey, add in a zombie motorcycle cop and construction worker... Hey, presto: Undead Village People!

It's fun to stay at cemetery YMCA . . . !

Vanatru · Apr 12, 2007

I nominate Alleycat and Poetinahat for lashings with wet noodles.

dpaterso · Apr 12, 2007

Cav Guy said:
You could also dig up the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game if you want handy bite-sized examples of some of the...uhh...'wonderful' things ol' Lovecraft came up with.

That's one of my main reference books!

-Derek

smsarber · Apr 12, 2007

I don't know if I could say I want to get into Lovecraft, but if I do astory for this compilation book, I should have an idea. A guy I work with is big into HPL, I figured I'd ask him a few questions.
I've been told in the past if you liked Dante's "Inferno" you'd like Lovecraft; I hated the "Inferno". But who knows--- some of the best books I ever read I was 'warned' about.

Vanatru · Apr 12, 2007

Tell me about. I never believed all those warnings about Playboy, Penthouse.......my eyes, my poor eyes........I was scarred for life.

This may be my worst idea ever...

Coming soon to a nightmare near you

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Coming soon to a nightmare near you

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Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

Living in the backstory

Still around

practical experience, FTW

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

Coming soon to a nightmare near you

practical experience, FTW

I am Catwoman...and Gini Koch