Hell-Bent for Leather

In Hell-Bent for Leather, contributors explore how sex and sexuality shape the weird western genre, challenging existing norms through various media and narratives.

This edited collection delves into the intricate relationship between sex, sexuality, and the weird western genre—a unique blend that intertwines traditional western elements with aspects of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Hell-Bent for Leather builds upon the groundwork laid by the Locus Award finalist, Weird Westerns: Race, Gender, Genre, offering fresh insights into how these themes manifest across various media, including literature, film, television, and video games. The contributors provide a comprehensive examination of the ways in which sexual identities and power dynamics are depicted in these narratives, challenging conventional notions of gender and sexuality.

Throughout Hell-Bent for Leather, readers will encounter a diverse array of primary texts, from CBS's campy steampunk series The Wild Wild West to the iconic bounty hunter from the Star Wars universe, The Mandalorian. The collection also highlights works such as Ishmael Reed's satirical postmodern western Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down and C Pam Zhang's critically acclaimed novel How Much of These Hills Is Gold. Each chapter engages with a rich tapestry of cultural references, including classic horror films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and popular video games such as BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us II.

By examining both well-known and obscure texts, Hell-Bent for Leather invites readers to reflect on how the weird western genre can both reinforce and subvert established gender and sexual paradigms. This exploration reveals the genre's potential to provoke thought and evoke a range of emotions, from delight to terror, as it navigates the complexities of identity and power in a uniquely imaginative context.