Erotic horror

Ero guro (エログロ), also known as guro, is a Japanese genre of erotic art that focuses on a mix of eroticism with grotesque and horror elements. Originating from the ero guro nansensu subculture of the Shōwa era,[6] it first gained prominence in the popular literature of Japan in the 1920s and 1930s,[7] and regularly features violent scenes such as dismemberment, disembowelment, eyeball gore, and exploding wombs.[8] Following the Sada Abe Incident of 1936, in which a woman strangled and castrated her lover for sexual pleasure, ero guro media faced censorship.[7][9] Such erotica made a reemergence in the postwar period, especially in manga.[10] Later subgenres of hentai would be influenced by ero guro, including tentacle hentai.[11] In the 21st century, guro hentai has gained popularity in the United States.[8]

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu is an example of lesbian erotic horror[12][13]

Feminists have been hesitant to accept erotic horror, as both the erotic and horror have been primarily locations for the male gaze.[14] 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.[14] 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.[14] 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.[14]

Writers and readers of feminist erotic horror works use them to express themselves as both a subject and object within a fantasy context.[14] Many feminist erotic horror pieces involve romantic relationships with a monster, such as vampires or werewolves, and/or the reworking of existing fairytales in order for female protagonists to take control of their own sexual fate.[14] These romantic relationships act as a lens for a transgression of these different monsters and a celebration of rich difference.[14]

Although the vampire is traditionally understood as a masculine devourer of women,[15]^: 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.[16] Several of these stories feature the lesbian vampire, a trope in which vampirism and lesbian identity are connected.[16] In the 1970s, erotic vampire lesbian films (like Twins of Evil by John Hough, 1971) projected lesbian identity and vampirism as intertwined, and audiences viewed both as horrifying elements.[16] 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 supporting butch and femme distinctions.[16] 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.[16]

François Sagat on the set of L.A. Zombie, an example of zombie pornography

Monster erotica, also known as monster porn,[17] is a genre of erotic art or pornography that features sexual encounters between humans and monsters. Typical monsters in the genre include dinosaurs[18] and zombies,[19] as well as folkloric or mythical creatures such as cryptids,[17] vampires, or werewolves.[14]

Monster erotica is generally depicted as different than bestiality, as the monsters present are often intelligent and sapient; that being said, rape often takes place against humans in the genre.[17] 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.[17] Monster erotica also appears in Japanese media, with examples such as tentacle hentai being popular.[11] Monster erotica sometimes features comedic or ironic themes, such as the works of Chuck Tingle.[20]

The design of the Xenomorph in Alien intentionally evokes horrific erotic imagery

Erotic horror has had influences on Spanish,[4] French,[5] and American horror films. The works of Jean Rollin, such as Le Viol du Vampire and Fascination, are considered quintessential erotic horror films, blending deeply sexual imagery with gore.[5] American cinema has also featured notable erotic horror film franchises, such as Candyman.[22] An example of a British erotic horror film series is Hellraiser.[23] Alien features heavy erotic imagery, with the design of the Xenomorph by H. R. Giger featuring both phallic and vaginal imagery, intended to symbolize patriarchal guilt[24] as well as sex, rape, and pregnancy.[25]

Body horror films, such as Crimes of the Future[26] and Titane,[27] have been likened to erotic horror.[28]

• Erotic thriller
• LGBT themes in horror fiction
• Paranormal romance

• Bradley, Linda, Love and Death in the American Car: Stephen King's auto-Erotic Horror
• Wilson, Shelby LeAnn (2022). Spectacular Flesh: Erotic Horror as Feminist Praxis in Women's Literature & Film (PhD Literature thesis). UC Santa Cruz.