I came late to Westworld, but as a devotee of Firefly, Godless, Back to the Future III, and anytime anyone on Star Trek TNG visited the Holodeck, it didn’t take much for me to be won over by this sci-fi western.
If, unlike me, you were counting down the days until Season Two of HBO’s Westworld premier on April 22nd, I have some suggestions while you wait for the season finale. Honestly, don’t they know we just want to binge it all at once?
Deadwood
If Westworld tickles your fancy because of the Wild West elements, Deadwood is for you. Perhaps you didn’t see it during its original run, or maybe you did and its time to revisit it, like an old friend. Deadwoods character driven plot twists, winds, and dances around historical truths making the whole thing an appealing tale where you aren’t quite sure where fiction ends and stranger than fiction begins.
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Stephen King
The Gunslinger marries together science fiction and the Wild West while sprinkling in some horror and a little fantasy for good measure. An Arthurian Legend mixed with an Old Western, The Dark Tower movie was released in 2017 starring Idris Elba as Roland.
Saga Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
If you like Westworld because of the western space opera feel, Saga might be for you. Saga is Romeo and Juliet meets Star Wars meets Game of Thrones, with a: ‘scenes may contain nudity, violence, and sexual situations’ proviso. It is funny, poignant, and at times heartbreaking.
The Lifecycle of Software Objects
Ted Chiang
The Lifecycle of Software Objects is an award-winning novella were something akin to a Tamagotchi developing the mental processing power of a human mind, or at least the Artificial Intelligence version of a human mind. Books like Westworld
Ready Player One Ernest Cline
Ready Player One is definitely more science than western, but if it’s the escapist fantasy and world creation that appeals to you, you can’t do better than this! In 2044 every man, woman, and child on the planet spends most of its time living, working, going to school, and playing in a virtual reality game world, called The Oasis. Ownership of The Oasis, and all the wealth, control, and prestige that goes with it, are up for grabs, but does Parzival have what it takes to save The Oasis?
Battlestar Galactica
Who is human and who is host (or in this case cylon). If the who’s who guessing game if what draws you to Westworld, then Battlestar Galactica is absolutely for you! You could either watch the original series, or check out the graphic novel and novel adaptations. Either way, it’s fracking awesome!
Our Lady of Ice