Researching Erotic Horror is a bit of an eye opener!
What can I say? This has been an interesting week of research!
I’ve seen some stunningly graphic art work, read some eye opening stories and rewatched movies I hadn’t realised were classed as erotic horror.
It seems that erotic horror can encompass anything from a story filled with sexual suggestion using both words and imagery to full sex with the monster itself. The tentacles go where?
The conclusion seems to be though that the sex should be part of the story, pointless sex detracts from the gore and it is a horror story so the gore is important.
Of course erotica also suggests that it should be a turn on and sometimes that isn’t always the case in horror movies. When the sex is not of the erotic kind then the story tends to be termed sexual horror, this tells you that there is sex in the story but that it may not be pleasant to watch, but that it is necessary to the plot (hopefully).
I suppose the distinction between sexual and erotic is whether or not it is consensual, for example ‘I Spit on Your Grave’ is of the sexual nature, and if you haven’t seen it the story is about rape and revenge and, I think, quite inventive revenge.
So the connection with my book? Well I am designating it sexual horror due to one scene in particular but the majority of the sex scenes would be in the erotic horror category it’s not all bad sex but not all of the characters are good people as you can imagine from a slasher horror story.
I could look at the link between sex and horror and the dark part of us that draws them together but i want to leave that for my next blog, which I hope will attempt to explain why we often find both in the same story.
It should be another interesting week of research, if there is anything you think I should look at with regards to my next blog please feel free to let me know either in the comments section or via twitter.
Kate xxx 
Horror and Fantasy Author – Also writing as K.T. McQueen. Love Western Horror, cowboy boots, my cactus Collin, & my Demon Cat.
Moths – I hate moths, the way they flutter at your face!
