Erotic horror, alternately calledhorror erotica ordark erotica, is agenre offiction in which sensual or sexual imagery are blended with horrific overtones or story elements for the purpose ofsexual arousal.[3]Horror fiction of this type is most common inliterature,film andvideo games.
Ero guro (エログロ), also known as justguro, is a Japanese genre oferotic art that focuses on a mix of eroticism with grotesque and horror elements. Originating from theero guro nansensu subculture of theShōwa era,[4] it first gained prominence in the popular literature of Japan in the 1920s and 1930s,[5] and regularly features violent scenes such as dismemberment, disembowelment, eyeball gore, and exploding wombs.[6] Following theSada Abe Incident of 1936, in which a woman strangled and castrated her lover for sexual pleasure,ero guro media faced censorship.[5][7] Such erotica made a reemergence in thepostwar period, especially inmanga.[8] Later subgenres ofhentai would be influenced byero guro, includingtentacle hentai.[9] In the 21st century,guro hentai has gained popularity in the United States.[6]
Feminists have been hesitant to accept erotic horror, as both the erotic and horror have been primarily locations for the male gaze.[12] Pornography and the erotic, through a non-feminist gaze, are often about the coercion of women to performing sexual acts that they do not consent to.[12] Furthermore, erotic horror media written with rape, monstrous sex scenes, or the exchange of heterosexual power dynamics are not condoned by feminist scholars and activists; these forms of erotic horror are not deemed transgressive, empowering or feminist.[12] Contemporary women's horror, however, celebrates the erotic and encourages combining horror with eroticism in order to express what terrifies and titillates women without penalty, while still centering self-determination and sexual choice.[12]
Writers and readers of feminist erotic horror works use them to express themselves as both a subject and object within a fantasy context.[12] Many feminist erotic horror pieces involve romantic relationships with a monster, such asvampires orwerewolves, and/or the reworking of existing fairytales in order for female protagonists to take control of their own sexual fate.[12] These romantic relationships act as a lens for a transgression of these different monsters and a celebration of rich difference.[12]
Although the vampire is traditionally understood as a masculine devourer of women,[13]: 158 modern erotic stories featuring women vampires are often transgressive in nature – women in these stories do not conform to expectations about marriage, sexual freedom, or heterosexual desire – and may be understood as altogether feminist.[14] Several of these stories feature thelesbian vampire, a trope in which vampirism and lesbian identity are connected.[14] In the 1970s, erotic vampire lesbian films (likeTwins of Evil byJohn Hough, 1971) projected lesbian identity and vampirism as intertwined, and audiences viewed both as horrifying elements.[14] Erotic vampire lesbian horror is a diverse genre, and lesbian identities are constructed in several different ways: As members of a shared sisterhood, sexually violent,sadomasochistic, or supportingbutch and femme distinctions.[14] More generally, although early works were limiting, modern lesbian erotic horror transgresses popular conceptions of what appropriate sexual desire can look like and celebrates difference.[14]
Monster erotica, also known as monster porn,[15] is a genre of erotic art or pornography that features sexual encounters between humans andmonsters. Typical monsters in the genre includedinosaurs[16] andzombies,[17] as well as folkloric or mythical creatures such ascryptids,[15]vampires, orwerewolves.[12]
Monster erotica is generally depicted as different thanbestiality, as the monsters present are often intelligent and sapient; that being said,rape often takes place against humans in the genre.[15] Following media reports in 2013 that such books often contained scenes of rape, incest, and bestiality, various online retailers removed hundreds of self-published monster erotica books from their websites.[15] Monster erotica also appears in Japanese media, with examples such astentacle hentai being popular.[9] Monster erotica sometimes features comedic or ironic themes, such as in the works ofChuck Tingle.[18]
Vampires have been known to be icons of erotic horror since conception, especiallyBram Stoker’sDracula which includes overt female sexuality and voyeurism.[2] In different iterations of vampire stories, the vampire is constantly described as attractive and sexually alluring to humans.[19] Vampire bites and feeding are often described as pleasurable and sexual, as Violet Fenn notes in her analysis of vampire feeding withinDracula: "blood and lust are as one."[19] Killing a vampire has also been analyzed as being sexually charged as it requires impalement or penetration by a stake to the heart.[2] Andrew Green notes in his analysis that the language used by Stoker for the death of the vampire Lucy Westenra is reminiscent of the language used to describe orgasms.[2]
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Erotic horror has had influences on Spanish,[20] French,[21] and Americanhorror films. Theworks ofJean Rollin, such asLe Viol du Vampire andFascination, are considered quintessential erotic horror films, blending deeply sexual imagery with gore.[21] American cinema has also featured notable erotic horror film franchises, such asCandyman.[22] An example of a British erotic horror film series isHellraiser.[23]Alien features heavy erotic imagery, with the design of theXenomorph byH. R. Giger featuring bothphallic and vaginal imagery, intended to symbolize patriarchal guilt[24][25] as well as sex, rape, and pregnancy.[26]
Body horror films, such asCrimes of the Future[27] andTitane,[28] have been likened to erotic horror.[29]
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