thread: 2010-11-15 : Scifi vs Horror x3
On 2010-11-22, Chris Chinn wrote:
The difference that stands out to me is a matter how how sci-fi vs. horror handles "How you redefine your life in the face of this (thing)".
In sci-fi, the technology is shaped by, and shapes, society. In most cases, what you're really negotiating is your life in the face of society, perhaps a society that is dynamic ("Hey, our robots just became sentient!") or one that is stagnant (1984).
The horror story, on the other hand, is about something that a) exists outside of society, and b) violates boundaries without regard. The real theme at the heart of it is about maintaining or losing self- morally, physically, rationally, etc.
Instead of asking, "How do I negotiate living with this society?", it's asking, "What do I do with myself in the face of something society is completely unable/unwilling to handle?" (This is also why a lot of horror deals with stuff like abuse, unapproved sexuality, etc. - both superficially and meaningfully).
