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SPACE COWBOY: A Study In Text Transformation

In this essay I will discuss how a genre can be deconstructed by its codes and conventions and consider how a story can be transformed into another genre by reference to their respective codes and conventions

CONTENT

Example of Text Transformation

Essay on Genre Deconstruction

Appendices

References

Bibliography

Transformation from the western to the science fiction genre

Transformed from Riders of the Purple Sage (Grey, 1998) Chapter 1

As the soft whirling sound of the Helitran died away, the cloud of yellow dust, disturbed by its helium thrusters, quickly settled back on the surface of the dense planet. The Driftrider came to warn her of the approaching fleet from Settlement as Jinda Cintarion gazed thoughtfully through the viewing portal; following the ground craft’s path across the desert landscape where the seams of purple Strantium, exposed by drift mining, glittered in the bright light of Solus as its orbit arched towards the horizon. The Caspian Elders disapproved of her friendship with Outlanders, Valimar in particular; a young Driftrider she had grown fond of who sometimes helped her in the Agrophonic garden.

The riches of the planet Cintar, named after her father who had founded the Caspian settlement in this remote end of Alpha Centuri on the outer reaches of the galaxy, now belonged to her. Its vast resources, including the rich seams of Strantium, a source of power traded throughout the galaxy, had provided enough wealth to build a paradise on this otherwise desolate world and the Agrophonic Plant, controlled by Jinda, provided all that was needed to sustain life for the whole community, creating an easy and peaceful life for the Caspian settlers.

Other Caspian settlements had followed on neighbouring planets in this frontier world, but by the beginning of the 35th millennium Outlanders had begun to settle on these Caspian planets and raiding parties of space pirates found easy pickings, causing the peace-loving Caspians to rise-up against these unwanted intrusions. She feared this unrest was about to land on her own docking bay.

The living pod filled with the comforting sounds of the rain cycle in the Agrophonic garden as Jinda linked her mind to the viewing portal controls and began to drift across the purple seams of Strantium into the vast yellow desert beyond. Swooping over the horizon, she drifted through the frontier worlds of Alpha Centura. First, Sangras, with its red rocks and sparse vegetation, home to the second Caspian settlement, then sweeping past the mystical rings of Janus, its broken rock surface just visible through the purple haze as the illusive beauty of the gas planet Cupiran crept in from above, filling the screen with ethereal light before drifting out of view to reveal the canyon planet, Iveron, hiding its secrets behind grey escarpments and purple turrets. Sweeping back to Caspian, now a twilight world as Solus dips below the horizon and Montas begins its gentle arc across the empty sky, the two satellites drawing life giving energy from a distant sun. Her father designed this life-support system, inspired by stories in Caspian folk law about a long-forgotten mother planet.

The swish of an airlock announced the arrival of her visitors and Jinda made her way to the landing bay to greet them. There were seven men, led by the high ranking Krull, dressed in the dark blue and silver of a Caspian Elder. The rest wore the grey tunics of plant workers with the Caspian seal on their arm. Krull’s harsh voice rang across the empty space.

‘You disobeyed me.’

‘Yes,’ replied Jinda, quietly.

‘Where is he?’

Jinda hesitated, ‘In the Agrophonic garden.’

Krull turned to the others. ‘Fetch him. Stun him if you need to.’

‘Are you arresting Valimar?’ demanded Jinda.

‘What if I am?’

‘It’s against the code. He is under my protection.’

‘Why do you protect this… worthless Outlander.’

‘Worthless! He is the best Driftrider this side of Iveron.’

‘It seems you have feelings for this… boy.’

‘That’s non…’ started Jinda angrily.

‘off my business? All life on Cintar is my business.

‘Then consider the life of Lia. Valimar saved her and brought her under my protection.’

‘It seems you are favouring these Outlanders over your own people.’

Jinda saw no reason why the Caspian code of peaceful co-existence should not include the less fortunate Outlanders.

‘You forget my father was an Elder, I know the code better than any,’

responded Jinda confidently, ‘the Caspian way is a life of peace and goodwill to all.’

‘And you forget your place. You may own most of Cintar and its riches, but as a Caspian woman, you rank not only below me, but below all Caspian men.’

Frustrated and angry, Jinda knew what Krull said to be true and kept silent. Seeing he had won the argument Krull softened his approach, yet remained arrogant.

‘I have no particular objections to you having Lia under your protection. She is young enough to be taught the Caspian way, but Valimar must be punished for his actions.’

‘Punished for what, the fighting in Settlement? He was not involved. He bears no weapons while under my protection and he has never left my side in the last ten orbits.’

‘It seems your misplaced loyalty is born out of love for this man.’

‘And your actions are born out of jealousy.’

‘Either way it is this Outlander who will pay the price.’

Anguished cries proceeded Valimar as he was led into the landing bay, his powerful body straining against the cyber beam that locked his arms to his side. The clinical uniforms of the Caspians contrasted with his rag-tag clothing, torn from the struggle,

‘Will you leave Cintar today and never return?’ demanded Krull.

‘Why should I,’ responded Valimar, defiantly. ‘I worked a claim out beyond the purple plain, earned respect in Settlement and owned the fastest Helitran on the planet. You took it all from me and treated me like a space bandit. Only the kindness of this woman saved my life.’

‘Only Caspians can mine the Strantium.’

‘I was mining Prolium, not Strantium. I did no harm.’

‘So you say, but mining is mining. You broke the code and paid the price. Will you swear now to leave Cintar and never return?’

‘So you can have Jinda for yourself: her lands, the riches of her Strantium mines, her… beauty,’ said Valimar, looking directly at Jinda, who turned away, blushing.

‘Do you love her?’ he demanded of Krull.

‘Love…?’ pondered Krull. ‘Jinda, and everything she owns, belongs to the community. Whoever she pairs with controls her and all her possessions. It is the Caspian way.’

‘I will never leave her,’ protested Valimar.

‘Then you must suffer the consequences.’

Two men fitted a cerebral probe around Valimar’s head. It hummed with latent energy, silver lights pulsing softly.

‘We must cleanse you of these improper thoughts and teach you to obey. If you survive, then I will set you adrift in the galaxy where no Caspian community will suffer you, and even space bandits will think twice before giving you shelter.’

‘Then you’d better make sure I don’t survive, or I will become like Lariston, a law unto myself. No Caspian codes will bind me, I will learn the way of the warrior and no power in the universe will stop me when I come to seek my revenge.’

At the mention of Lariston’s name a nervous murmuring broke out amongst the group of men. Krull’s face hardened and his grip on the probe’s control tightened. Jinda watched as he thumbed it to full power. She realised he had no intention of letting Valimar survive.

‘No Krull!’ Jinda cried, rushing forward to grab his arm as he raised the cerebral control towards Valimar.

Krull now turned his attention to Jinda, addressing her in a voice that carried the full authority of a Caspian Elder; forged by hundreds of generations before him down the millennia.

‘The council have been patient Jinda. You have enjoyed the pleasures and freedom of your fathers’ wealth for the full period of a woman’s discovery cycle before pairing must take place. You are nearing your 25^th annum and you know that if you have not found a suitable paring by then, the council will arrange one.’

Jinda felt the pressure of her conditioning and indoctrination.

‘I’m sorry, I forget myself. Spare the boy and I promise I will…’

Krull’s eyes flashed with anticipation. Could this woman and her wealth now be his? ‘You will…?’ prompted Krull.

‘I will…’ Jinda looked at Valimar. Was she willing to sacrifice herself to Krull for the sake of this boy. Did she love Valimar? Did she love him enough? She was unsure, but if she let him die, the council would surely still force her into a pairing with Krull.

‘I promise I will….’ Jinda saw the self-satisfied smile on his cruel mouth and the words stuck in her throat. She thought of the Agrophonic Plant and its beautiful garden, the purple Strantium mines with their loyal workers both Caspians and Outlanders, and feared for their future once Krull had control. She couldn’t let that happen. Surely there had to be another way.

A bleep from the control panel announced the approach of a ship. An image appeared on the viewing screen as the craft crossed the Strantium mines and made its way towards the landing dock.

‘Intergalactic cruiser requesting docking permission,’ announced Porta, the docking platform computer, in the carefully programmed tones of a mid-ranking Caspian Technocrat.

‘Identify,’ instructed Jinda.

‘Identification not recognised,’ responded Porta.

Murmurings came from the group of men as they watched the cruisers approach, bigger and more powerful than the surface craft or the interplanetary vessels that ferried people and goods between the Caspian planets; it bore the scars of meteor storms on its jet-black hull and the tell-tale streaks of hyper-jumps across the galaxy. Its shield still glowed from entry into Cintar’s dense atmosphere.

‘A fine craft,’ said one.

‘Intergalactic,’ said another, ‘It has come far.’

‘You must deny permission,’ instructed Krull, who wanted no interruptions.

Jinda hesitated, this could be the answer she needed. ‘Security check’, she requested.

‘Munitions disarmed and control passed to this system,’ responded Porta.

Jinda hesitated, allowing an unidentified ship to dock was dangerous. Space bandit activity had increased recently, raiding groups swooping during the twilight time to steal from the Strantium stockpiles at the mine.

‘You cannot allow this,’ barked Krull. ‘It’s against foundation Code. You’ll be sanctioned.’

‘Audio link,’ Jinda instructed, ignoring Krull.

White noise cleared to the background hum of powerful warp drives.

‘This is Jinda Cintarion of the Caspian Foundation, identify yourself.’

A slow easy voice responded in an unfamiliar accent.

‘Well, I guess any identification wouldn’t mean much in Foundation records. I’m just a stranger passing through. Need some fuel for my ship… and maybe some directions.’

There was something in his voice that made her think she could trust him.

‘Do you promise to put your weapons under my control while on Cintar?’

There was a long silence while Jinda awaited his response.

‘That’s a hard thing you ask.’ He eventually replied.

‘You will be under my protection.’

He hesitated. ‘Well I guess so then, as long as my life isn’t threatened.’

‘Agreed.’

‘No!’ cried Krull ‘I will not allow it. Permission denied!’ he shouted at the control system.

‘Unidentified instruction,’ replied Porta, who was programmed only to respond to Jinda’s voice.

‘Permission granted,’ instructed Jinda.

‘You’ll come to regret this,’ growled Krull, as the outer airlock door slid silently open.

While the ship went through its decontamination and cooling cycle, Krull whispered instructions to his men who surrounded Valimar, blocking him from view. Eventually the all-clear signal sounded and the inner airlock door slid open to reveal a tall man stepping lightly onto the deck, his feet wide apart. His black jumpsuit bore no markings of rank or nation.

He ambled lazily through the portal onto the inner deck, stretching out his muscles after the cramped conditions of the ship, his sharp eyes scanning the new surroundings and the group of men. His right hand never strayed far from the strobe gun at his side: the handle of a light sabre glowed on his shoulder from the scabbard strapped to his back.

‘Your weapons,’ demanded Jinda.

‘Disarmed,’ he replied, bowing slightly to his host in a universal sign of respect and courtesy.

‘Only you can arm them… unless my life is threatened,’ he continued, looking directly at Krull and his men.

‘See how the strobe gun hangs low on his thigh’, said one.

‘What’s that on his back?’ asked another.

‘A Castarian light sabre,’ replied an older man.

‘He bears no insignia, what master does he serve, who is he?’ demanded Krull of his men.

‘A Sun Warrior, the most dangerous creature in the universe,’ replied the older man, ‘he bends his knee to no authority but his own.’

Krull weighed up the situation and decided to bide his time. ‘Greetings,’ he murmured with the slightest bow of his head.

The stranger ignored him, turning his attention back to Jinda. My ship needs recharging with Strantium, would it be possible to…?’

‘… Of course,’ Jinda interrupted, ‘you are welcome.’

‘Porta, recharge the vessel in Loading Bay Five with Strantium from my own supply.’

‘I can pay with Caspian Crowns or Universal Credits, whichever you prefer.’

‘That is not necessary, as you can see I have ample supplies,’ she responded, indicating the seams of purple Strantium through the viewing portal. ‘Consider it a gesture of Caspian hospitality.’

There was an intensity to this quiet stranger, with his lean frame and watchful eyes, that belied his easy manner. His leathered face, wrinkled from the rigours of hyper-drive and burned from the searing radiation of distant suns, reminded her of intergalactic pilots alone in the depths of space: independent, self-contained. But there was also something vulnerable that touched Jinda’s heart; secret longings haunted him. She instinctively trusted this man and if she could persuade him to stay she may yet save Valimar.

‘That’s uncommonly kind of you,’ replied the stranger, but perhaps you had better know who I am before…’

‘It is of no consequence,’ interrupted Jinda, ‘you shall have Strantium for your ship and food and rest for yourself. It is the Caspian way.’

As Krull moved forward to object, his men broke ranks, revealing Valimar.

The stranger’s eyes took in the cyber beam that locked his arms and the cerebral probe around his head.

‘Seems I might have interrupted something’, he looked enquiringly at Krull.

‘None of your business,’ Krull snapped in reply.

‘Looks like what you Caspians call an Outlander and blame for all the trouble in your world. What is he: space bandit, credit trader, life-taker? Must be something real bad to warrant treatment like this.’

‘He’s no bandit or life-taker,’ responded Jinda.

The stranger moved to where he had clear sight of Krull and his men.

‘So tell me boy,’ he said gently, ‘What is it you’ve done?’

‘I said this is none of your business,’ interrupted Krull, ‘now charge up your ship and be on your way.’

The stranger’s hard gaze fell firmly on Krull.

‘Seven armed Caspian and a helpless Outlander that this woman says has done no wrong. That don’t seem quite fair to me.’

‘This is Caspian business, not yours. Now, be on your way,’ fumed Krull.

‘Well, this woman who has kindly given me her hospitality seems to think differently.’

‘Caspian law is not governed by what women think.’

‘Then I spit on Caspian law and all its followers.’ He raged, his hard eyes challenging Krull and his men.

They gasped in astonishment at the insult. Outraged by this challenge to his authority, Krull moved to protest, but the stranger, keeping his gaze on the others, spoke directly to Valimar.

‘Tell me what you did to deserve this, or is it the way Caspians treat all Outlanders?’

‘I befriended this woman, that is all. This Caspian Elder wants her for himself,’ he blurted out, looking to Jinda for support.

‘He speaks the truth,’ said Jinda.

‘Who would not want to befriend a woman of such beauty and compassion,’ the stranger remarked.

Jinda blushed and lowered her head.

‘A cerebral probe can do a man much harm, even kill him. Is that their intent?’

‘It is,’ replied Valimar, ‘the controller is set to maximum.’

Krull fumbled with the controller as he tried to hide it.

‘Enough of this’, he fumed. Bring him,’ he commanded, striding towards the airlock.

The men hesitated as the stranger’s body stiffened and a hard look came into his eyes.

‘No!’ cried Jinda, turning to the stranger, ‘Please… save him.’

‘At any cost?’ The stranger asked, indicating his weapons, ‘these are your own people.’

‘I…’ Jinda nodded.

‘You foolish woman,’ snarled Krull, ‘You will pay a heavy price for this.’

‘Bring him, I said.’

The diodes pulsed on the stranger’s light sabre and a quiet hum came from his strobe gun as it changed from standby mode to armed.

‘The young man stays here.’ The stranger’s voice bit through the air like a Salesian laser.

Krull stopped in his tracks and he turned to the stranger, his hand hovered over the butt of his strobe gun. ‘I warn you stranger, any more interference and you will answer to me. We are seven and who are you?’

Suddenly, the stranger’s light sabre was in his hand swooping across his body in the universal salute of his kind, finishing its path out to his side where it pulsed and crackled with deadly energy.

‘I am Larason,’ he declaimed, ‘Sun Warrior of the 35^th millennium, and I answer to no man.’

Krull and his men froze, staring at Larason with fear in their eyes. Death was but a moment away. An aggressive intention anticipated; an innocent movement misinterpreted. The parsecs clicked by until the spell was eventually broken by Valimar crying out unbelievably.

‘Larason.’

Krull gathered himself, and tried to save face.

‘We will leave without the boy, but you have not heard the last of this Jinda. You have broken the Caspian Code and you will pay the price.’

………………

GENRE DECONSTRUCTION

In 1912, Harper Brothers of New York published an adventure romance novel, set in the American West, written by Zane Grey; an unknown dentist from Ohio who was to shape the formula of the Western genre for the rest of the 20^th century. Riders of the Purple Sage was Grey’s first novel to gain critical and commercial success.

In this essay I will discuss how a genre can be deconstructed by its codes and conventions with particular reference to the Western genre and consider how Riders of the Purple Sage (Grey, 1998) contributed to the genre’s specific codes and conventions, successfully employing them to meet the expectations and needs of the perceived audience, taking into consideration the authors’ subjective view and the ideological and cultural influences of the time.

Every genre has a set of codes which from it may be recognised. Therefore, we describe a book, films, play or other media as being a classic Historical Romance, for example Pride and Prejudice, (Austen, 1813), or a conventional Western, for example High Noon (Fred Zinnemann, 1952), because they conform to most of the codes and conventions and are therefore more prototypical of their genre (Swales, 1990). One code and convention of a typical Western is that the hero is usually white, male and heterosexual, signifying strength and power and symbolising masculinity. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005), on the other hand, could be described as an unconventional Western, because the main characters are gay, but still a Western, as they are white males. The other codes and conventions of the genre, including settings, and their job as cowboys still conforms to genre conventions. Omit or change too many of the genre conventions, however, and the distinction becomes blurred, resulting in a sub-genre; for example, City Slickers (Ron Underwood,1991), a Comedy Western, or a hybrid, for example, Cowboys and Aliens (Jon Favreau, 2011), which displays elements of the codes and conventions of both the Western and Science Fiction genres.

The semantic codes that identify a genre are mainly composed of signs that the viewer recognises as being a convention of the genre. However, a familiar setting: prairie landscape, a re-occurring plot: revenge and retribution, a typical theme: man against the wilderness, a stereotypical character: laconic stranger, or the style of dialogue: few words – more action, can also form part of the genre code. The signs within a genre can be iconic; the image of a gunfighter iconically of a gun fighter which signifies danger and symbolises the law or lawlessness, depending on the context, or as Chandler (1994) says, ‘the code in which it is situated,’ in this case the character, who may be a Sheriff or an Outlaw. Adding a further sign, the symbol of a star-shaped badge on his waistcoat, a culturally-constructed sign, would identify him as a Sheriff, therefore symbolising law and order. Similarly, the ubiquitous index of a smoking gun would indicate that a gunfight had occurred, symbolising the lawlessness of The Wild West.

In the earlier example of High Noon (Fred Zinnemann, 1952), the code of the hero being white male and heterosexual, although a typical of the Western genre, is not exclusive to the genre and therefore not ‘prototypical of a particular genre’ (Swales, 1990, 52) as this code could also be said to be a convention of the Action Adventure genre. However, a pair of six guns, a Winchester rifle or a cowboy hat are all signs that are prototypical of the Western genre.

The context of a sign is also important for its connotation: how the viewer interprets it. The distant view of a rider on a horse would have different connotations in a Historical Drama than in a Western. If the viewer is unaware of the context, they would look for other signs to connote the meaning. Setting is an important sign in interpreting meaning; put the rider in the wide-open plains of Utah and the viewer would immediately recognise they were watching a Western and have expectations accordingly. If the distant rider were seen in the English countryside the viewer’s expectations would be different, but they would need more signs to give context and therefore connotation. If, as the rider approached, he could be seen wearing a top hat and frock coat, signifying landed gentry of the 18^th and early 19^th century and symbolising wealth and privilege, it would indicate they were watching or reading a Historical Drama. Adding the iconic image of a young lady waiting for him in front of a grand house could suggest a Historical Romance. However, if the rider were seen to be riding past an electricity pylon wearing a red jacket and a riding hat, it would change the viewer’s perception of the historical setting. Add an admiring smile from a glamorous young lady as he rides past and it could suggest a Jilly Cooper style romantic romp. Give the young lady a frown and a sign with a picture of a fox and it could suggest a drama about the Hunting Ban; the picture of the fox, although iconic of a fox, due to the context of a hunt, signifies protest and symbolises animal rights.

By interpreting these codes, which represent the conventions of the genre, the viewer gains reference points to help them interpret and understand the connotations of the book or film and have expectations accordingly. If, at the beginning of a Western movie or book, a rider is seen in the distance by a group of men bullying a man, who a woman is pleading to save, the conventions of the genre signify to the viewer that this rider is likely to be a gunman who will come to the rescue and probably turn out to be the hero of the story. The author has the choice then whether to conform or subvert genre conventions by either: have him join the side of the bullying men, make him a coward, make him a preacher who tries to persuade the men to stop their actions through his words or make him, a her. It is important for the writer to understand these codes and conventions when considering reader’s or viewer’s expectations and make informed decisions as to whether to conform to, or subvert, them.

Because the Western genre is set in a specific place and time: the Western Frontier of America between 1850 and 1920 when recognisable examples began to emerge, it is valid to consider it to be more trans-historical than say Science Fiction, examples of which began around 1800 when the present day technological advances were unknown and the setting can be anytime in the past, present or future and anywhere in the universe. Genre Theorists argue that there are predictable cycles of change (John Cawelti 1986, cited Altman, 1999). In her study of the Hollywood Romantic Comedy, Glitre (2006) proposes there are four cycles, however, the Western genre more closely reflects the cycle suggested by Jane Feuer (1993, cited Altman, 1999). Feuer suggests a Period of experimentation, illustrated in Last of the Mohicans (Fennimore-Cooper, 1826), The Oregon Trail (Parkman, 1847), The Virginian (Winston, 1903), The Log of a Cowboy: A Narrative of the Old Trail Days (Adams, 1903), The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter, 1903) and Last of the Plainsmen (Grey, 1908). This is followed by a classic period where the rules were established, starting with Riders of the Purple Sage (Grey, 1998), first published in 1912, and would include all Grey’s Western novels published between 1912 and 1963. Films in this period of the cycle include The Big Trail (Raoul Walsh, Louis R. Loeffler, 1930), Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939), Red River (Howard Hawks and Arthur Rossen, 1948), High Noon (John Ford, 1956) and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (Sergio Leonne, 1966). Feuer goes on to describe a third period recognised by three characteristics. Parody, for example Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974). Contestation, for example Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2006), where the gay leading characters contest the convention of heterosexuality, or Brother’s in Arms (Jeane-Claude le Marre, 2005), featuring a black hero, contesting the convention of race. Deconstruction, for example Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992), where the traditional perceptions of morality, revenge, justice, and frontier myths are closely inspected and challenged, together with heroism and responsibility. Exceptions to this cycle include the critically acclaimed and commercially successful remake of True Grit (Ethan Cowen and Joel Cowen, 2010), which displays many of the codes and conventions of the classic Western genre.

When Grey (1998) wrote Riders of the Purple Sage the genre codes and conventions of the Western as we understand them today were still being established. I will discuss its prototypicality both in the context of its time and its trans historicity by comparing it with subsequent examples of the Western genre.

Although sharing some of its themes, codes and characters with contemporary literature set in the Western frontier, including The Virginian (Winster, 1903), Grey’s novel owed as much to contemporary Romance novels, including Far from the Madding Crowd (Hardy, 1874), sharing many of their codes and conventions including a rural setting, plots, themes, and a female heroine. Grey’s heroine, Jane Withering, is a rich landowner who is under pressure to marry Tull, an elder in her Mormon community, but she is attracted to a young cowboy, Venters, who ultimately betrays her by running off with Bess. She eventually realises she loves Lassister, the man who has helped and protected her all along. Likewise, Hardy’s heroine, Bethsheba, is under pressure to marry rich landowner William Boldwood, but is attracted to a soldier, Troy, who betrays her. Again, she eventually realises she loves Gabriel, the man who has helped and protected her all along. In both cases the heroine must relinquish her wealth and freedom to the man she marries. Although considered to be of different genres, settings and locations, the intertextuality between these two novels would provides the reader of one, with a set of parallel codes and conventions with which they would the other. This intertextuality also means that readers of Grey’s novel, not having the benefit of established codes and conventions of the Western, would still have a feel familiarity with the plot: a heroine in distress being rescued by a laconic stranger, a story recounted endlessly across many genres and described in Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces.

In writing Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane (1912) cannot be credited with inventing the Western genre any more than Author Conan Doyle (1887) can be credited with inventing the Detective genre; ‘Both authors adapted elements from their predecessors to fix the separate genres into the shapes by which we know them best today’ (Mitchell 1998, page viii). Grey gathered these elements from several sources; Mitchell (1998), refers to Grey ‘drawing inspiration from James Fennimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Saga (Cooper, 1954)’, a series of five novels featuring the adventures of Natty Bumppo, a Western pioneer. Following his hunting trip with Charles Jesse (Buffalo) Jones to the rim of the Grand Canyon, Grey wrote ‘Surely, of all the gifts that have come to me from contact with the West, this one of sheer love of wildness, beauty, colour, grandeur, has been the greatest, the most significant for my work (1908).’ Mitchell also reports that Grey was influenced by The Great Train Robbery (Porter, 1903), an early Western film and, most significantly, The Virginian (Winston, 1903). Many of the characteristics of Grey’s hero, Lasseter, as described by Mitchell below, can be found in The Virginian (ibid).

Lasseter’s first appearance in the book established the iconic image of a Western hero, which would become an important part of the codes and conventions of Western literature for the rest of the 20^th century – ‘a lone man, packing a gun, astride a horse, hat pulled close to his eyes, emerging as if by magic out of a landscape from which he seems to be an ineluctably a part.’ (Mitchell, 1998. P3) The image is also iconic of a gunfighter, signifying violence, masculinity, and symbolising the law or lawlessness, depending on the character. Other characters in the book also conform to the genre conventions; Ventnor the wild young man always getting into trouble, and Tull and the Bishop Dyer, who can be compared with the character of Luke Fletcher in Shane (George Stevens, 1953), symbolise authority which is often corrupt ,although often corrupt, as signified by their collusion with the rustlers to steal from their own people and putting pressure on Jane to gain control of her ranch. Tull’s dark clothing signifies power and authority to illustrate his position as an elder in the Mormon community. Then Bess wears men’s clothing and a mask to indicate mystery and secrets; in this case the fact that she is a woman and raises questions of gender identity. This masking symbolism is often used to protect the identity of villains or heroes, including probably the most famous masked rider, The Lone Ranger (Gore Verbinski, 2013), whose mask, and empty grave, portrayed the fact that he had not died with the rest of his troop. Bess was also abducted by rustlers signifying a damsel in distress, who needs a hero to rescue her, in this case Venter, which symbolises and re-enforces the dominant ideology in both Mormon culture and wider society that men are strong and women are weak, and therefore inferior to men. Zane also uses Bess’s character along with Molly Erne, the Sister who Lasseter has been searching for, to introduce the abduction and white slavery theme that is popular with readers of the day. Oldring, the rustler, is at first perceived as evil but turns out to be good, signifying redemption and symbolising good overcoming evil. The codes of cattle drives, stampedes, working cowboys, rustlers, signifying lawlessness and symbolising The Wild West, would all come to represent prototypical conventions of the genre as do gun fights, the fast draw, and the ubiquitous showdown with the bad guys. Then there are the cattle herds, signifying ranching and symbolising wealth, power, status and influence. As Jane’s cattle herds dwindle, caused by rustlers’ raids in the pay of the Mormons, Jane’s wealth and power diminishes, signifying the power of men over women.

The actions and dialogue also form part of the codes and conventions of the genre. Lasseter’s quiet manner and few words signify that he is a man of action, not words, symbolising the character of the stereotypical Western hero. His respect for women, and in particular Jane, is signified by his courteous manner of speech and actions, ‘Beggin your pardon ma’am’ (Grey 1912, p13), which highlights his respect and symbolises chivalry and honour. This is also demonstrated by Lasseter’s compliance with Jane’s request not to use his guns and Vetner in saving Bess’s life and nursing her back to health. This contrasts with the disregard for women shown by the Mormons to Jane and apparently by Oldring to Bess signifying there disrespect and symbolising the attitude to women within their society. The high regard for horses in the West is signified by Lasseter’s request for water for his horse before himself and the desire to own the best and fastest seen in Jane’s pride in her blacks ‘there never was [a horse] that could Black Star’ (Grey, 1912, p.247).

The syntactic conventions of the genre depicted by Grey include the binary opposites of community and wilderness, Jane’s ranch with its amber spring is compared with the prairie and canyons; good vs. evil, represented by Jane, Lasseter, Vetner and Bess compared with the corrupt and controlling Mormon elders; confinement and freedom, displayed through marriage to Tull or escape with Lasseter; danger and safety, as Bess and Vetner escape to the East. Through the storylines of Bess, Milly Erne and Jane, Grey also explored the public concern of white slavery and abduction, the influence of the Mormons and their practice of polygamy, corruption in authority, together with the dominant ideology regarding the inferior position of women in Mormon culture and society as a whole.

However, some of Grey’s subjective choices are not prototypical of the Western genre as we have come to know it. The main character is a woman and instead of the simple morality tales, for example revenge and retribution, found in many subsequent examples of the genre, Grey’s main plot, featuring Jane, Lasseter and the Mormons is much more complex and supported by an equally complex sub-plot involving Vetner and Bess. These are interwoven with several minor plots involving Jane and Fay Erne, Bess and Oldring and Lasseter and Milly Erne. Zane chooses to vilify the Mormons suggesting he disapproves of their treatment of women, corrupt nature and unhealthy influence on the rest of society, what Grey refers to as ‘The Invisible Hand’ (Grey, 1998, p.129), he completely ignores the existence of Native Americans which probably reflects the ideology of the U.S. Government of the time, and his hero, instead of riding off into the sunset, sets up house with the girl.

Despite these differences and omissions, many of the codes and conventions that shaped the Western genre we recognise today can be found in Grey’s book, and his contribution to founding and developing this new genre is evidenced in the 48 successful Western novels Grey published over a period of 50 years, which have been adapted into 112 films, and a television series. Erle Stanley Gardner, prolific author of mystery novels, said of Grey, ‘[He] had the knack of tying his characters into the land, and the land into the story… he could make action not only convincing but inevitable, and somehow you got the impression that the bigness of the country generated a bigness of character’ (Gardner, cited Gruber 1969, p. 213).

………………

APPENDIX 1

NOTES ON DECISIONS MADE ON TEXT TRANFORMATION

I choose transform the original western text into the science fiction genre for the following reasons

1. The colonisation of the western frontier in late 19^th century America were the original text is set share similarities with the imagined settlement of outer-space in the far future depicted in the novels like Isaac Asimov’s Foundation and Empire trilogy, TV series like Star-trek and films like the forbidden planet.

2. Science fiction was used as the example genre in lessons on text transformation making it easier to understand the process

3. The codes and convention of both genres bear similarities of settings, for example wild and beautiful landscapes, characters, for example, vulnerable women, quiet strangers with powerful skills following a quest and weapons and the skills to use them.

There appears to be some ambiguity when it comes to defining the difference if any between adaptation and transformation. Adaptation arguably owes nothing to the original text but aims to tell the same story through a different media or genre. Transformation on the other hand, aims to provide a more faithful translation of the original text.

I have tried to remain faithful to the themes characters’ settings and events of the original text while at the same time taking into consideration the codes and convention of the new genre. How the characters, settings, and other elements of the original text have been transformed for the new genre are set out in the table below.

I considered staying with the original names but decided something more genre appropriate was called for while maintain some connection to the original. For example, Tull became Krull.

I chose to emphasise the dominant ideology of women being subservient to men within Mormon/ Caspian society that was implicit in the original text by making it more explicit in the transformation. ‘…as a Caspian women you rank not only below me but below all Caspian men.’

I decided to put a time limit on Jinda’s freedom to add suspense and drama

When transforming Jane to Jinda I made her a more assertive character which I felt was appropriate for the genre, illustrating this in her exchange with Porta when Larison’s ship is approaching

This also enabled me to introduce the character of Porta, not in the original text but an essential part of the codes and convention of the science fiction Genre. For example Hal, in A Space Odyssey, R2D2 in Star War’s and Holly in Red dwarf. I was tempted to make more of Porta’s character but felt this would be straying too far from the original text.

I change the order of some items for instance Jinda’s reference to the love for her workers is moved from pager 1 to 3

The beauty Jane sees in the landscape of Utah is converted to mind controlled trip around the Caspian system allowing the introduction of genre appropriate technology. I includes a connection back to the original text with the reference to a long forgotten mother planet.

I choose to make a connection to the original with a reference to mother earth

I decided to let Larison do his own reveal as a Sun Warrior, the more theatrical approach suiting the Science fiction genre, leaving Valimar to react.

In the sections of dialogue, I have sometimes followed the original text closely and other times adapted it for the new genre where I considered it necessary. In other cases, as with Porta I have added new sections.

To add to the suspense and drama required for the new genre, I chose to add a time limit for Jinda to be paired, her 25^th annum, which was fast approaching.

I decided to remain mainly faithful to the sequence of events but some references and descriptions are not always in the same place.

Some passages which I did not consider relevant or appropriate for the new genre have been have been omitted or reduced. Others have been added. For example, the character of Porta and the final comments by Krull. Having got to know his character I felt that he would not walk away without trying to save face, and it provided the opportunity to foreshadow of later events.

Subject

Original text

transformation

Character names and role

Jane Withersteen

Ranch owner

Jinda Cintarion

Mine owner

Ventner

Rider on jane’s ranch

Valimar

Driftrider on the strantium mines

Lassiter

Gunman

Larason

Sun Warrior

Tull

Morman elder

Krull

Caspian Elder

Bishop

Master

Fay

Lia

N.A.

Porta

Computer system

Rustlers

Space pirates

Gentile

Outlander

setting

Utah

Planet Cintar

Other settlements in nearby towns

Other settlements on nearby planets

Courtyard

Docking bay

Western frontier

Solar system in Alpha Centura

Amber spring

Agrophonic plant and garden

commodities

cattle

Strentium

Religions

Mormons

Caspians

Mormon Christian religion

Caspian code/way

Weapons and equipment

Six guns

Strobe guns and light sabre

Whip

Cerebral probe

Rope

Cyber Beam

riders

outsiders

gunman

Sun warrior

horses

spacecraft

clothing

Lassiter’s Black leather

Larison’s Black jump suit

Tull’s black clothing

Krull’s blue and silver uniform

APPENDIX 2

NOTES AND BACKGROUND RESEARCH

ON GENRE DECONSTRUCTION

Chandler says: “Since the meaning of a sign depends on the code within which it is situated, codes provide a framework within which signs make sense” (Chandler, 1994)

A communication system based on rules or conventions of meaning-making assumed to be shared and understood by its intended users (eg. a shared language or the traffic light system” (Chandler & Munday, 2011, p.51).

What’s the difference between a sign and a code?

Chandler says: “Since the meaning of a sign depends on the code within which it is situated, codes provide a framework within which signs make sense” (Chandler, 1994).

Social influences Grey includes white slavery, the stories of white women taken by Indians.

Rustlers signifying lawlessness symbolizing the wild west

CONNOTATION for different people civilization wilderness etc

Escape to seeking safety and seeking peace and solitude seen in Ventner and bess’s and escape to freedom hen danger treated

Women’s signifying women’s desire to change man or protect them symbolizing their desire High noon. to

Dominant ideology - heterosexual white male dominated society - brokeback mountain

A police uniform/siren symbolises authority

signifier gun man

Black clothing

Sombrero

Spurs

High heeled boots

The viginian

Comforms

Anti hero

Stranger come for revenge – gunman

Masked rider

Cattle rusling

Panning for gold

Partiarcle society

themes

Subverts or conficts Female protagonists

More complex the simple moralty tales

4 protagonists – 2 women

Man against nature,
Man against himself
and man against his enemies.

Damsels in distress

Revenge and retribution

Prejudice against Mormons

Rounded characters - bern

Flat characters- Bess

antagonists

Bern –

Some traits off the western hero. own code of honour. Shares traits with Lassiter. Respect for animals- Berns dogs- Lassister’s horse

Chivalrous – nurses maske rider

Stands tall and straight

Life ruined by Mormons

His despair is transformed by his love for bess into confoidence and optimism.

Displays c and c’s of a romance

Bern’s love for Bess

Lassiter

The characters of Lassiter is clearly recognizable as the archetype of the Western gunman hero; dressed in black, the fastest gun around, a loner, laconic and soft-spoken, combining a deep respect for women with a quick willingness to use his guns to dole out his own ideas of justice.

protagonsist

Mormons

Dominate and control society in the area

use invisible hand of religion to rule

bishop dyer flat charater douesnt change despite eventually realising his wrongdoings

corrupt religious leader

uses religion for his own ends

compare with Fletcher in Shane.

Truly believes

Tall stern dominating

ELDER TULL flat dousn’t change

Cowardly

Empire buider

Loves jane

Wants to control her and her wealth for Mormons.

Arrogant Reckless violent

More dangerous than bishop dyer

Representations of evil ( along with BD)

In a literary perspective, Tull represents a pestilence that cannot be avoided. Jane Withersteen constantly reminds Lassiter and Venters to avoid Tull in order to prevent violence. However, stereotypical of a Western, readers understand that either Jane’s words will one day be ignored by Lassiter and Venters, or Jane one day will change her position regarding the topic to facilitate for the deaths of Dyer and Tull in a final showdown. By the end of the novel, both Elders had been killed by Lassiter—who ignored Jane’s pleas to kill Dyer, and who obeyed her command to "roll the stone" to kill Tull—who reaffirms his position as the Western hero who carries out his own forms of justice.

The rustlers flat apart from Oldring at the end

These demonstrate Tull and dyers corruptness against their own poeple as the ruslers are allowed to operate in return for being enforces for T and D

As far as we know the rustling continues.

SETTING AND THEME

Morality honor isolation confrontation ( religious)

Community founded by religion ( janes father)

She inherits (Thomas hardy, Far from the madding crowd)

Themes include the significance of morality, honor, redemption, isolation and religious confrontation

Spring represents life giving forces

One of the main aspects of the west highlighted by Riders of the Purple Sage was the distance between towns and the mostly uncharted areas between them. The west was often characterized by little towns approximately 50 miles apart from each other. In these sections, locations like Deception Pass and Surprise Valley are found often.

Morality is a main theme in most westerns . Jane questions the morality of both the religious sect and Lassiter In the eyes of the reader, Jane is the righteous one, and thus, she is moral.

She sees the leaders not adhering to the faith.

Honor

Zane Grey shows honor in his characters including Jane. Despite her persecution, Jane’s prized possessions, the Blacks (Arabian stallions), bring her great joy and her friends seek to protect her prized steeds. In the conclusion, Jane surrenders the Blacks to help Venters and Bess escape. Through this close relationship of honor, the trio is able to keep fighting.

Isolation

a major theme in this story is isolation. Jane, Fay, and Lassiter are isolated as they are forced to live forever in Surprise Valley after Balancing Rock fell. Bess and Venters spent quite a bit of time there, avoiding Oldring's rustlers. Because of the isolation of the location, they were protected for a great time.

Empire building - Lassiter attributes this to a vague Mormon desire for "empire." Ranchers and railroads later became the common villains seeking for empire in Western stories.

In grey used Mormons as villains in this story but in some of his later Westerns, Grey treated Mormon men in a more neutral way,

Brief definition of the Western Fiction Genre

Looking briefly at the definition of the Western Fiction Genre, it appears on first view to be a novel or collection of stories set in 19th century frontier America with a strong, self-reliant central character; simple plots; full of action; often involves cowboys, cavalrymen, lawmen and outlaws of the Old West.

It has become apparent that the Western enjoyed its Golden Age in the 1930s and 1940s and remained a vibrant genre through the 1950s and 1960s, however my first views now are that most mass-market publishers have abandoned genre westerns, and the majority of the remaining ones seem to concentrate on dead western authors. Having said this, if your heroes are still Cowboys, then there is a positive outlook: Considering that western fiction is no longer a significant part of mainstream publishing, and exists only as a niche market, University presses have to some extent taken up the slack, publishing a little western fiction and Nonfiction.\

So what is the appeal of the Western Fiction Genre?

A good western novel captures the spirit of freedom, individualism and adventure. The appeal of this genre is Worldwide, based in a dream of freedom in a world of unspoiled nature - a world independent of restraining society. The settling of the west was one of the great dramas of all time. People plunged into a wilderness and were on their own, dependent on their own character and courage. The mystery of the vast nothingness draws men, and men answer the calling - some with morals and some without. These knights of the range galloping across the western frontier on their trusty steeds crusading to save the last watering hole, the vanishing herd, and the beleaguered homesteaders.

Sub Genres

The Western is multi-faceted and that it contains several sub-genres with films that are essentially about the Indian Wars, the Civil War, the Mexican Wars, range wars, the railroad, wagon trains, cattle drives, prospecting, outlaws, gunfighters, town-tamers, revenge, quests and even romance.

The possible range of sub-genres for Western Fiction could even include:

Bad Men and Good
Best Westerns
Black Cowboy
Boy into Man
British Westerns
Buffalo Runners
Cattle Drive
Cattle Kingdoms
Celebrity Western
Classic Authors Early
Classic Authors Recent
Comedy and Parody
Detective Story Western
Doctor and Preacher
Fantasy Western
Gothic Western
Hired Man on Horseback
Indian Captivities
Indians
Indians Today
Inspirational Westerns
Land Rush
Law and Lawmen
Lost Mines
Mining
Mormons
Mountain Men
Mysterious Rider
Picaresque
Pre-Columbian Indians
Racy Westerns
Railroads
Range Wars
Romance
Science Fiction Westerns
Series
Sheepmen
Singular Woman
Stage Lines Mule Trains and Merchants
Sweet and Savage Western
Texas and Mexico
The True West
The West Still Lives
Town Marshal
Wagons West and Early Settlement
Wild Horse Hunt

History of the Genre

Western Novels featuring legendary heroes have been popular for a long time and got its start in the penny dreadfuls and later the dime novels. The origins of the dime novel date back to the first half of the nineteenth century. These stories romanticised American history and the settling of the Far West and were important precursors of the dime novel. At the time numerous authors produced works that dramatized the tensions between the wild, untamed frontier and rapidly encroaching civilization. James Butler Hickok aka Wild Bill Hickock was featured in a series of Dime Novels. It was the end of the nineteenth-century that witnessed the full-blown emergence of the western novel.

The Virginian, published 1902, is considered by many to be the ground-breaking literary western novel, containing the central element of a rugged individual who stick to his guns in the face of trouble, neglecting chances to simply walk away. This seeming collection of clichés was innovative and hugely popular in 1902, and elements of this blueprint appear in most Western stories ever since.

Conclusion

Although it seems doubtful that the Western will ever regain its place as the major American genre and possibly doesn't resonate with people the way it used to; It’s nice to know that far from having passed on to that great round-up in the sky, the Western novel is very much alive.

This is a genre that includes a number of talented writers, and as such is a valid means of expression. It is the lure of the far horizon, the quest, the voyage of discovery, and the illusory hope of starting afresh in a new world. It's what drew the pioneers over a century ago, and it draws us today.

Justus D. Barnes in Western apparel, as "Bronco Billy Anderson", from the silent film, The Great Train Robbery (1903), the first ever, "Western", film.

Conventions of narrative

Many teachers and students view and study the feature film in much the same way as they do a novel because the conventions of narrative in the novel and the feature film are similar. Our youngest students come to school with prior knowledge of many of the conventions of narrative, based on considerable experience of books, film, and television.

Both books (especially novels) and films often have a plot and narrative structure shaped into three main movements, similar to a three-act play. The work typically opens with one or more characters in a situation where an incident incites a conflict. This catalyst then sets off complications, often developing through two or three crises or particularly tense moments. The situation reaches a climax and is then resolved.

However, the structure of narratives in books and feature films differs from that in programmes made for television. Television programmes are scripted, made, and shown in segments, the length of the segments being determined by how frequent and how long the advertising breaks are. Feature films made for continuous screening but shown on television with ad breaks inserted are consequently often interrupted at inappropriate times.

Makers of films or television programmes use in-points and out-points to start and end a sequence or narrative in much the same way as writers do. In-points grab our interest, introduce the situation, reveal character conflict, or start the action. Out-points end a sequence of narrative in such a way that the sequence can either be returned to if it is left unresolved or be concluded. If it is concluded, the narrative can be either resolved or left open.

Subplot

As in written narrative, a subplot is common in feature films and television. A secondary story, connected to the main narrative in some way, keeps viewers interested and may reinforce or provide contrast to important ideas in the main story.

Journeys

Many films, such as Watership Down, Once Were Warriors, and An Angel at My Table, are journeys of experience for both their characters and their viewing audiences. So, too, are television programmes like The Simpsons or Friends. As in fiction, the structure of a film narrative can be based on a physical as well as a mental and emotional journey: one well known example is Apocalypse Now, which is closely related to Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Symbols and motifs

Narratives can be unified by symbols. Visual symbols, such as bright sunny weather, might suggest happiness, enjoyment, and hope. Narratives can also be unified by the repetition of symbols, called motifs, as in the sea, rain, mud, bush, and trees in The Piano: motifs that reinforce the sense of isolation and entrapment. The same film has several other recurring symbols or motifs: the fingers and hands and, of course, the piano itself. Sound can also unify narrative, providing recurring motifs. The regular, rhythmic, and sinister musical beat in Jaws, signalling that another crisis or attack is imminent, is a good example. Comedy often has a motif of a particular recurring character or action, such as the mice who appear in the corner of the screen singing to introduce each new adventure in Babe.

Themes

The structured narratives of feature films and television programmes have central ideas or themes. Our interpretation of the theme is related to the expectations we have, which in turn revolve around the external and internal conflicts of the characters.

Forms

The form is the essential structure of the visual language text, including its organisation, style, and sequence. A picture book might be in the form of a series of collages. A film might be structured in flashback or contrasting sequences from plot and subplot.

Settings

The setting, including the period in which the action takes place, is important, too. For example, in science fiction, the setting is usually in the future. Other science fiction conventions might include some scientific development or phenomenon that is central to the narrative; there may be extraterrestrial beings, and the world of good characters may be under threat from evil "baddies" trying to gain power. Again, the conflict may be between the good and evil uses of a discovery or a new world. The expectation, or convention, is that at the climax, usually against the odds, the "goodies" win.

The settings of The Piano in the past and Once Were Warriors in the present are significant in the comments they make about the societies they are set in. Sometimes, however, a production will be located in a period or setting different from its original script - Hamlet probably holds the record for different settings. The setting for a particular film will have been chosen to relate the emphasis of the script to the audience, breaking conventions and their usual expectations or demonstrating the timelessness of a theme.

Rites of passage

The conventions of feature films that deal with rites of passage typically include unsympathetic adults who don't understand or sympathetic adults who do but find themselves in conflict with other adults who don't. The teenagers usually rebel, but in the end, they either conform or find some way of accommodating themselves. This is often as a result of some change by some of the initially unsympathetic adults or authorities as well as of the increased understanding the teenagers may have gained.

Codes

When we are about to read a book or to view a film or a television programme in any particular genre, we have expectations about what it will contain. In a Western, we expect a gun-slinging hero in the American West, probably in a saloon with a barmaid somewhere and a duel at high noon. In a thriller, we expect a female victim, a male killer or would-be killer, and a male rescuer. But such conventions may also be very effectively broken.

The common characteristics or conventions of any genre, including film, are sometimes called codes. These can include structural codes, which are such features as particular kinds of plot, character, or setting. Stylistic codes include such features as particular lighting, shooting style, or music.

For example, take the romance genre. Structurally, it commonly includes two people who fall in and out of love two or three times during the course of the film. Their difficulties often seem huge, though sometimes simple misunderstandings are the cause. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, they are nevertheless usually completely in love at the end. Stylistically, this genre includes low lighting, soft focus, sometimes beautiful settings, and music that might at times be raunchy and at times soft and romantic.

The different genres, or patterns of various conventions and codes, influence our expectations and help us to read closely and to make and present meanings.

Summary of Terms

genres

conventions

conventions of narrative

segments

in-points

out-points

subplot

symbols

motifs

themes forms

setting codes

structural codes

stylistic codes

Exploring Language content page

Exploring Language is reproduced by permission of the publishers Learning Media Limited on behalf of Ministry of Education, P O Box 3293, Wellington, New Zealand, © Crown, 1996.

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Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974). Crossbow Productions. 93 mins.

Bold, C. (1987). Selling the Wild West: Popular Western Fiction, 1860–1960. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2006). Alberta Canada: Focus Features. 134 mins.

Brother’s in Arms (Jeane-Claude le Marre, 2005). Sony Pictures. 85 mins.

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110 mins.

Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992). Warner Brothers. 131 mins.

rm part of the codes and conventions of the genre. Lasseter’s quiet manner and few words signify that he is a man of action, not words, symbolising the character of the stereotypical Western hero. His respect for women, and in particular Jane, is signified by his courteous manner of speech and actions, ‘Beggin your pardon ma’am’ (Grey 1912, p13), which symbolises chivalry and honour. This is also demonstrated by Lasseter’s compliance with Jane’s request not to use his guns and Vetner in saving Bess’s life and nursing her back to health. This contrasts with the disregard for women shown by the Mormons to Jane and by Oldring to Bess signifying there disrespect and symbolising the attitude to women within their society. The high regard for horses in the West is signified by Lasseter’s request for water for his horse before himself and the desire to own the best and fastest seen in Jane’s pride in her blacks ‘there never was [a horse] that could Black Star’ (Grey, 1912, p.247).

TEXT TRANSFORMATION Western to Science Fiction

The living pod filled with the comforting sounds of the rain cycle in the Agrophonic garden as Jinda linked her mind to the viewing portal controls and began to drift across the purple seams of Strantium into the vast yellow desert beyond. Swooping over the horizon, she drifted through the frontier worlds of Alpha Centura. First, Sangras, with its red rocks and sparse vegetation, home to the second Caspian settlement, then sweeping past the mystical rings of Janus, its broken rock surface just visible through the purple haze as the illusive beauty of the gas planet Cupiran crept in from above, filling the screen with ethereal light before drifting out of view to reveal the canyon planet, Iveron, hiding its secrets behind grey escarpments and purple turrets. Sweeping back to Caspian, now a twilight world as Solus dips below the horizon and Montas begins its gentle arc across the empty sky, the two satellites drawing life from a distant sun. Her father designed this life-support system, inspired by stories in Caspian folk law about a long-forgotten mother planet.