I remember when I was in third grade, our computer teacher brought out an 8-inch floppy disk (yes, you read that correctly), and told us that we were in for a treat. We were about to learn all about American history with this computer, by experiencing the trip that so many settlers made into the western frontiers.
It was the first time any of us had played The Oregon Trail, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. I am fully aware of how much I am dating myself, but honestly, there were few things we anticipated more than getting to go to computer class (which we had once every two weeks, kids…back in the dark ages) and watch those little pixelated oxen trudge across the utterly unremarkable pixelated green landscape for an hour. Every once in a while, one of us would commandeer the mouse and go hunting–I’m pretty sure we were solely responsible for wiping out the bison population of the continent several times over in our zeal.
Technology, needless to say, has come a long way since we watched that dopey little oxen shuffle to Oregon, but I don’t know if I’ve ever had quite as much fun as I did then with a game. It was a form of magic to us–a learning tool that forced us to use our imagination and patience, rather than skill, in order to win (or, at least, survive). In fact several media outlets refer to my cohort as The Oregon Trail generation…which may explain an interesting trend literary trend….
Recently, a number of us Library Folk have begun reading “Fantastical American West” novels–that is, books that are set within the 19th century, and deal with all the themes of a traditional western–everything from brushing horses to encountering Natives–but also involve magical elements as a central point of the plot. Some books invoke demons and ghosts, while other bestow otherworldly talents on their characters that develop over the course of their journey. The possibilities are as vast as the Old West itself.
But that magical element serves another purpose, especially for readers, and especially for those readers of the Oregon Trail Generation. It helps us reclaim that sense of not knowing what might happen next; to explore imaginatively; to wonder, purely and simply.
What is also remarkable about this emerging genre, is how prominently it features strong, unique, and powerful heroines at the forefront. There are not your typical westerns by any stretch–but that might just be their strongest point. The original Oregon Trail game was democratic–anyone could lead a wagon train, and anyone could be struck down with a broken leg, or typhus. The Fantastical American West returns that sense of democracy and equality, giving male and female characters alike the power to change their destinies and make the journey that will change them forever.
If you grew up playing the Oregon Trail, I can’t recommend checking out the Fantastical American West genre, starting with the selections below. Oh, and for those of you who would like to revisit the Good Old Days, click here to access the Internet Archive…..where you can play the 1990 version of Oregon Trail for yourself.
Silver on the Road: I’ve mentioned this book before in a different context, but, having just finished it myself, I can say that this book is absolutely worth your time, whether you were (are) a fan of the Oregon Trail, or a fan of magic in literature, or both. Isabelle has spent all her life in a saloon run by the Devil himself, on the edge of the great, unknown west. When she turns sixteen, she agrees to become his left hand–without knowing quite what that entails. So, in order to learn her task, she is sent with Gabriel,a seasoned rider, out to explore the territory, and see what powers are at work there. Laura Anne Gilman has a remarkable talent for crafting a setting–I genuinely felt the dust of the trail on my skin while reading. Best of all, because none of the characters are fully aware of what is going on, the reader is kept somewhat in the dark, as well. Thus, though the pace of this book isn’t rapid-fire, the compulsion to keep reading, to explore, and to understand just what Isabelle is meant to do on her journey, is almost irresistible. I loved that, even in her darkest moments, Isabelle remained the strong, capable, and incredibly determined heroine that she was, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next installment of this series, due out in October.
The Curse of Jacob Tracy: The cover of this book may look like that of a traditional western novel (expect for those bats, of course…), but don’t let that fool you. This is a book as steeped in history as it is in magic, and presents a wholly unique perspective on the idea of a ‘frontier’. Ever since he nearly died at Antietam, Jacob Tracy has been able to see the dead. At first, it nearly drove him mad (especially as he was studying to be a priest before enlisting), but lately, he’s simply been trying to ignore the spirits who cross his path, traveling west with his business partner, Boz, in order to escape the spirits lingering around his home in St. Louis. That is, until his path crosses with the enigmatic Miss Fairweather, a woman as talented as she is infuriating. Miss Fairweather knows about Jacob, and all that he can do, and promises to cure him…for a price. Holly Messenger’s debut is a wildly imaginative–and genuinely creepy one–again, because Trace has a hard time telling the real from the ghostly (and ghastly), it’s often a bit tricky for the reader to tell who is spectral, and who is real. But that only makes Trace’s adventures more intriguing, and his work with Miss Fairweather (who is a force of nature in and of herself) that much more enjoyable.
Walk on Earth a Stranger: The Fantastical American West is also a prominent setting for YA novels, as well, offer the later subset of Millennials a chance to savor all the wild and wondrous things the West has to offer those who chose to explore. In this adventure, Lee Westfall is making that journey along with her family and best friend, in the hopes of making it to the Klondike, and gold that is reported to found there. But Lee has a secret gift–she can sense gold. And while that gift has helped her keep those she loves safe, it also opens her up to a world of danger. Because Lee lives in a world where gold is the be all and end all, and there are plenty who would kill to know how to find it . This opening of Rae Carson’s Gold Seer Trilogy is a fascinating and richly detailed gem of a book that not only treats its setting, but also its heroine with an enormous amount of respect.