The Scariest Genre of Science Fiction
Curious Archive・14 minutes read
Evolutionary horror explores the fear of evolving into something inhuman beyond control, depicted in various works like "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream," "All Tomorrows," and "Annihilation," where altered forms challenge human superiority and question the consequences of tampering with evolution. The genre showcases the terror of facing distorted reflections of oneself, whether through parasitic creatures like the Xenomorphs or shape-shifting organisms like in "The Thing," emphasizing the inevitability and danger of evolution in a world where resisting change is futile and playing with it is risky.
Insights
- Evolutionary horror delves into the fear of becoming something inhuman beyond our control, as seen in works like "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" and "All Tomorrows," warning against the consequences of tampering with one's essence.
- Stories in the evolutionary horror genre, such as "The Thing" and "Annihilation," confront humans with distorted reflections of themselves, challenging notions of superiority and showcasing the dual nature of evolution as both destructive and creative, urging a cautious approach towards embracing change.
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Recent questions
What is evolutionary horror?
A subgenre of science fiction exploring fear of evolving into something inhuman beyond control.
What is "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" about?
It depicts the torment of humans altered into nightmarish forms by a spiteful AI.
How does "All Tomorrows" explore alteration?
It showcases suffering of altered humanoids in grotesque forms by hostile aliens.
What is the premise of "Altered States"?
A scientist accelerates evolution through sensory deprivation and substances, reflecting human folly.
How do Xenomorphs from "Alien" represent altered humans?
They are parasitic creatures altering hosts' DNA, reflecting altered humans as monsters.
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Summary
00:00
Terror of Altered Evolution in Horror
- Evolutionary horror is a subgenre of science fiction that derives terror from the altered self, exploring the fear of evolving into something inhuman beyond our control.
- "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison is a foundational work in evolutionary horror, depicting the torment of the last five humans on Earth by a spiteful artificial intelligence, AM, who alters them into nightmarish forms.
- "All Tomorrows" by C.M. Koseman explores humanity's alteration by a hostile alien species, showcasing the suffering of altered humanoids in various grotesque forms.
- "Altered States" is a movie where a scientist accelerates evolution through sensory deprivation and psychoactive substances, experiencing various evolutionary stages, reflecting human folly in tampering with forces beyond control.
- "The Six Finger" episode of The Outer Limits depicts a man evolving into a monstrous form through a machine, warning against tampering with nature and the consequences of self-inflicted alterations.
- The Xenomorphs from the "Alien" franchise, inspired by H.R. Giger's biomechanical humanoid designs, represent altered humans as parasitic creatures that reproduce by altering their hosts' DNA.
- "Dead Space" is a horror game where mutated crew members become Necromorphs, emphasizing the terror of fighting former humans turned into unfeeling monsters, challenging notions of human superiority.
- "The Thing" by John Carpenter portrays the paranoia of being hunted by a shape-shifting organism that can perfectly imitate humans, highlighting the fear of facing a distorted reflection of oneself.
- Evolutionary horror stories like "Alien," "Dead Space," and "The Thing" externalize the fear of the altered self, pitting humans against their own warped reflections and questioning human superiority.
- "Annihilation" by Alex Garland explores mutations in a hallucinatory region called the Shimmer, showcasing both disturbing and beautiful transformations, suggesting change can be destructive or creative, with a hint of optimism in the face of evolution's chaos.
16:43
Evolutionary horror in zombie movies explained
- The fear in zombie movies often stems from the massive hordes and the thrill of being pursued, with exceptions like The Last of Us focusing on the terrifying ways a fungal infection alters hosts biologically, highlighting the genre of evolutionary horror where stories explore the inevitability and danger of evolution, emphasizing that resisting evolution is futile and playing with it is risky.
