Heh! I've been aware of that inanimate TF fantasies are a knife's edge away from horror for a long time (and indeed, for someone without this fetish, these stories would all be disgusting horror stories).
My first menstrual pad TF story I wrote, way back in 2012, was titled "I Have No Mouth, Yet I Must Barf", which sci-fi/horror fans may recognize as a reference to the Harlan Ellison short story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" in which the final few living humans are subjected to cruel transformations and other torments for all of eternity by an omnipotent supercomputer that resents humanity for building it. The ultimate fate of the protagonist isn't that different than the ultimate fate of the protagonists in these fantasies, but no one would mistake it for anything but horror.
When writing stories exploring the endless nature of a permanent TF, I also think often about the Stephen King short story, The Jaunt, in which King explores the concept of a sentient being facing a near-eternity trapped in a white void without agency.
And yet, the stories that move closest to this fuzzy fantasy/horror dividing line are the ones that are the most exciting to me! Such a bizarre fetish.
The more I read your stuff, the more I realize horror and fantasy aren't as different as I would've previously thought.
ReplyDeleteHeh! I've been aware of that inanimate TF fantasies are a knife's edge away from horror for a long time (and indeed, for someone without this fetish, these stories would all be disgusting horror stories).
DeleteMy first menstrual pad TF story I wrote, way back in 2012, was titled "I Have No Mouth, Yet I Must Barf", which sci-fi/horror fans may recognize as a reference to the Harlan Ellison short story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" in which the final few living humans are subjected to cruel transformations and other torments for all of eternity by an omnipotent supercomputer that resents humanity for building it. The ultimate fate of the protagonist isn't that different than the ultimate fate of the protagonists in these fantasies, but no one would mistake it for anything but horror.
When writing stories exploring the endless nature of a permanent TF, I also think often about the Stephen King short story, The Jaunt, in which King explores the concept of a sentient being facing a near-eternity trapped in a white void without agency.
And yet, the stories that move closest to this fuzzy fantasy/horror dividing line are the ones that are the most exciting to me! Such a bizarre fetish.
This is totally a compliment by the way. I just realized this could come across as negative.
ReplyDeleteHey, no worries, I totally got it. And thanks!
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