Quotation: “Few Western wonders are more inspiring than the beauties of an Arizona moonlit landscape; the silvered mountains in the distance, the strange lights and shadows upon hog back and arroyo, and the grotesque details of the stiff, yet beautiful cacti from a picture at once enchanting and inspiring; as though one were catching for the first time a glimpse of some dead and forgotten world, so different is it from the aspect of any other spot upon our earth.” (Burroughs, 9-10).
Comment: This description is very reminiscent of other depictions of the West that emerged in the wake of its colonization. It paints a romanticized picture of the Western frontier several decades after the fact, appealing to the notion that this time period was a better, almost mythical reality that is now unattainable. Burroughs later takes this a step further by basing his version of Mars upon the old West, which serves to increase the romanticization of the bygone time and place.
Question: How can Western geographical influence be seen today in fictional works?