Erotics and Horror - compatible at all?

[PoisonPen33]

I've been trying to write an erotic story filled with slasher tropes for years. Much like in the movies, however, the sex often brings the tale to a screeching halt.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Erotic horror? What can I say? Buzzzzzzzzzz would be happy to zeeeeeee you and have a little chat, OP, so allow me to extend a friendly Welcome to Nockatunga Station

 

[SecretlifeofAL]

Hello dear writer colleagues,

I've noticed that most of the highly rated releases in the "erotic horror" category are not really horrific, but rather "soft". True, there are some typical elements like deaths of secondary characters, tentacles, demons or the like. But the stories themselves don't seem to be written to evoke horror and creepiness in readers.

I specifically don't mean to disparage anything here. The stories themselves are very well written, I enjoy reading them. What concerns me is whether genuine horror felt by the reader is compatible with erotic feelings, or whether that is an irresolvable contradiction. In real life, it is. As long as you're busy trying not to get killed by something, you don't have much interest in sex.

The reason for this question: I've written some harder erotic horror stories (German LIT only, sorry), but they got remarkably worse feedback than my others. So I'm looking for a way to incorporate horror into an erotic story that will appeal to readers.

Perhaps there are older discussions on this topic - I've scoured the forum but haven't found much, so I'd appreciate any pointers. Also, if you know of well-received LIT stories that contain hardcore horror (either Stephen King-style psychohorror or simple splatter stuff), please give me a link.

Thanks and best regards from Germany

Dingo

I write in exclusively erotic horror mostly because it turns me on for some strange reason. I guess if you want to get down to it, most of what I have written might be better in the nonhuman or science fiction categories because there's a lot of those elements in the stories as well but the main reason I don't is because it's a bit more monster eats human type of thing. The "monster" becomes this force that the main characters have to deal with. Something that turns their world view around or makes them realize nature still has things that can be terrifying. Then there's the natural visceral reaction to the partner you just met growing appendages and doing things normal humans don't do.

I, honestly think the erotic and the horror aspects of these types of stories can both appeal to readers. Some people like the weird transformations in the middle of sex before whoever is doing it gets their prey. I can't explain it really but for some reason I like this type of thing. Think of things this way, the seduction between one partner and the other is sort of comparable to the way a predator lures in whatever it eats. For me, at least when it comes to monsters or whatever consuming their lunch, with erotic horror it's a little of both.

I will say vampires and succubi have both been done to death (pun not entirely intended) same with werewolves. I've been trying to stay away from those types of things with my writing.

 

[RetroFan]

The Erotic Horror is a small category on the site, not a lot of stories posted, not a lot of views or votes and not a lot of comments posted whether good, bad or indifferent. I think it might have been bigger back in 2007-2012 when stories about vampires and the supernatural were popular, but a decade on there is no longer such a big market for these stories.

And a lot of readers in other sections don't seem to respond well to supernatural or science fiction themes in their stories either. For example I wrote a Fetish story written in first person from the perspective of a young male ghost who uses his invisibility to spy on girls in private situations, and the readers weren't overly enamoured of it.

 

[JuanaSalsa]

https://www.literotica.com/s/red-callum-sweet-cate

Horror disclaimer, though it's on the comedy end of things.

I loved it! Writing that many lines of rhyming couplet to fill out a thousand word story can't have been easy. I have to shake my head at the commenter who said he gave it 4 stars for an instance or two of imperfect meter. It was 5 stars from me, and well deserved - just for the text alone. The audio was a nice cherry on top.

 

[Winter_Fare]

The Erotic Horror is a small category on the site, not a lot of stories posted, not a lot of views or votes and not a lot of comments posted whether good, bad or indifferent.

Absolutely spot on in my experience. I tried cross posting between non human and erotic horror with my first series last year and the EH got half the views and votes of NH. Plenty of good horror stories hidden away in Sci Fib and Fantasy seem to have been well received, might try that next.

 

[lovecraft68]

I have but I prefer Lilith herald
https://www.literotica.com/s/korinthia-koire

I'll give it a go, I like the name, gives me a Robert Howard vibe.

 

[lovecraft68]

I write in exclusively erotic horror mostly because it turns me on for some strange reason. I guess if you want to get down to it, most of what I have written might be better in the nonhuman or science fiction categories because there's a lot of those elements in the stories as well but the main reason I don't is because it's a bit more monster eats human type of thing. The "monster" becomes this force that the main characters have to deal with. Something that turns their world view around or makes them realize nature still has things that can be terrifying. Then there's the natural visceral reaction to the partner you just met growing appendages and doing things normal humans don't do.

I, honestly think the erotic and the horror aspects of these types of stories can both appeal to readers. Some people like the weird transformations in the middle of sex before whoever is doing it gets their prey. I can't explain it really but for some reason I like this type of thing. Think of things this way, the seduction between one partner and the other is sort of comparable to the way a predator lures in whatever it eats. For me, at least when it comes to monsters or whatever consuming their lunch, with erotic horror it's a little of both.

I will say vampires and succubi have both been done to death (pun not entirely intended) same with werewolves. I've been trying to stay away from those types of things with my writing.

Horror related more than erotic or lit related, but have you checked out the youtube channel "Alter" all short horror films by both small indy, and bigger directors and varied in content. Some of the work there is far more interesting, and disturbing than the shit Hollywood is turning out.

 

[NightPorter]

Erotic Horror is a fun category to write in. It's a small category. So not a lot of views but if you write what the viewership likes, they will love you for it. It's not very hard to get the H over there. Comments tend to be on the positive side. Not a bad first category for an author just starting out in my humble opinion. My first (and still unfinished) series is there. The guy who does the succubus stories the best is:

manyeyedhydra

https://www.literotica.com/s/a-summer-dance-with-a-succubus
https://www.literotica.com/s/halloween-nyte
https://www.literotica.com/s/iron-girders-and-steel-springs
https://www.literotica.com/s/a-night-at-mchooligans

 

[PennameWombat]

I have a few I've written but none pass the Lit rules on snuff so I wont be posting them here. I'm working on fleshing one out into a novella or novel to put in the marketplace. The others might get tossed together into an anthology of sorts.
<snip>

I have a couple of Erotic Horror stories, my 2019 Nude Day and Halloween entries. The latter had a scene that edged toward snuff (a sex cult was about to sacrifice a couple who were having sex) when two of my main characters knocked over a brazier and caused a fire that burned down the abandoned church a biker gang had taken over. A few dozen folks died, but otherwise the sex and violence were separate.

My other entry danced along NonCon and snuff. My heroine is an alien body snatcher who takes over a beautiful red headed young woman in Los Angeles. She ‘feeds’ by having sex with men or women, after climax she absorbs their consciousness, leaving them in persistent vegetative states, but not caring if they live or die (some die, some don’t.) She also ‘suggests’ people have sex in public to cause news events so her lost mate can find her.) Whether it was the post-Sunday service orgy in and around the church or something else (or commenter liked that scene), never quite made it to H territory. But I was very attentive to the ‘boundary’ lines.

The first one is part of a number of interconnected stories, mostly in SF&F but also some in NonHuman. So easy enough to expand here.

The latter is in that Universe, but expanding the stories of the two aliens would, as in your case, be difficult. The second alien took over a young male, and he ‘feeds’ on people’s pain (i.e., torture…) His antics were offscreen, although they got together at the end (he was in Ohio and saw the news reports about the church orgy). Whether I do this for outside Lit, it’s sketched out, I’ve never yet decided. But it would be hard to do here.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I loved it! Writing that many lines of rhyming couplet to fill out a thousand word story can't have been easy. I have to shake my head at the commenter who said he gave it 4 stars for an instance or two of imperfect meter. It was 5 stars from me, and well deserved - just for the text alone. The audio was a nice cherry on top.

Thanks! That one was easier than usual to write because it gave me an excuse to not work on another story that I was stuck on. Also I was angry and that's sometimes good creative fodder.

 

[Black_and_White_Writer]

Erotic Horror is a fun category to write in. It's a small category. So not a lot of views but if you write what the viewership likes, they will love you for it. It's not very hard to get the H over there. Comments tend to be on the positive side. Not a bad first category for an author just starting out in my humble opinion. My first (and still unfinished) series is there. The guy who does the succubus stories the best is:

manyeyedhydra

https://www.literotica.com/s/a-summer-dance-with-a-succubus
https://www.literotica.com/s/halloween-nyte
https://www.literotica.com/s/iron-girders-and-steel-springs
https://www.literotica.com/s/a-night-at-mchooligans

Manyeyedhydra is a very good writer. I loved the recent Subway story.

 

[Dingo_Triplesix]

Thank you all for this discussion. I read some of the mentioned stories and mused about the topic. Up to now my conclusion stays the same: It seems to be very hard to combine hardcore horror with hot erotics.

Nevertheless I feel intrigued to try it out. I got an interesting idea out of this, so if it works out it may serve as an example. I will write a note here if I get it written.

 

[GrushaVashnadze]

Here's a story which, I hope, combines horror with eroticism (or at least, filthy lust):

The Cursed Cunt

It's short-listed for "Best Erotic Horror Story", as well as "Best Erotic Story by a New Author", on the Clitorides Awards. Please visit, and vote honestly!

 

[MsNatalie99]

Gingersnaps, sleepaway camp, It Follows, I spit on your grave, etc etc. Quite a bit of sex in Rice's Vampire stories. You can find a ton of examples of horror mixed with elements of sex and vice versa. You also have Horror Porn and a ton of parodies. This is a good old fashioned case of Rule 34. There is an audience for every story, the question is how big.

 

[oggbashan]

I think I got it right with these two:

https://www.literotica.com/s/birth-and-death
https://www.literotica.com/s/birthed

 

[lovecraft68]

Gingersnaps, sleepaway camp, It Follows, I spit on your grave, etc etc. Quite a bit of sex in Rice's Vampire stories. You can find a ton of examples of horror mixed with elements of sex and vice versa. You also have Horror Porn and a ton of parodies. This is a good old fashioned case of Rule 34. There is an audience for every story, the question is how big.

The sex in I Spit on Your Grave was a brutal gang rape....the sex was the horror, unless of course you're a loving wives reader then gang rape is stroke material.

But this does call to mind the real advantage of writing in EH for those inclined, you can break all of lits already fake rules and its always okay.

 

[MsNatalie99]

The sex in I Spit on Your Grave was a brutal gang rape....the sex was the horror, unless of course you're a loving wives reader then gang rape is stroke material.

I agree 100%. To be honest, I am not one to be aroused by any such material. All I'm saying is there is an audience for it. People who can be outraged, terrified, disgusted, and yes, turned on at the same time. It's not my thing, but there is an audience.

 

[lovecraft68]

I agree 100%. To be honest, I am not one to be aroused by any such material. All I'm saying is there is an audience for it. People who can be outraged, terrified, disgusted, and yes, turned on at the same time. It's not my thing, but there is an audience.

I'm a huge horror fan and its disturbing to see how we've devolved. Before the original I Spit on your Grave was Last House on the Left also featuring a brutal rape scene, then the subsequent revenge, there was never meant to be any titillation to the rape, it was meant to upset you, and set up the vicious revenge where you would cheer for their demise. I went to see the Last House remake some years ago the rape scene was taken to the Nth degree and there were a bunch of college age idiot boys clapping and cheering it on. The ISOYG remakes took the attack way to far as well, to where they were glorifying it.

Film making and its audience have hit rock bottom in many ways.

 

[MsNatalie99]

The ISOYG remakes took the attack way to far as well, to where they were glorifying it.

Film making and its audience have hit rock bottom in many ways.

Agreed. And I'm by no way condoning it, or saying that it's healthy. Scenes like Last House on the Left, the original first two Death Wish movies, or ISOYG, traumatized me growing up. I've never actually seen the original I spit on your grave, but I have seen Last House on the Left. None of those are movies that I've ever seen twice. I don't like the idea of a category for non-consent reluctance, but it has its audience. Hopefully, that won't always be the case.

 

[lovecraft68]

Agreed. And I'm by no way condoning it, or saying that it's healthy. Scenes like Last House on the Left, the original first two Death Wish movies, or ISOYG, traumatized me growing up. I've never actually seen the original I spit on your grave, but I have seen Last House on the Left. None of those are movies that I've ever seen twice. I don't like the idea of a category for non-consent reluctance, but it has its audience. Hopefully, that won't always be the case.

I imagine I'm older than you. I saw the original ISOYG at the age of 12 (parenting in the early 80's. what was that?) I'd already seen my father beat my mother, my uncle's my aunts, and seeing that movie sent me into a rage I think I still have remnants of to this day, back then we weren't as stunted and blunted as kids are now due to the net and the gore galore of modern fil making, so it hit hard.

My first EH novel Abigail is a homage to that movie, opens with the catalyst scene shall we call, it but I do a cutaway, leaving you knowing what will happen, but I didn't write it because A, unlike modern TV and film making (looking at you GOT) it can be more effective not to show everything. B, I don't know that I could have done it, I do brief descriptions in the MC's nightmare flashbacks and even that pissed me off. But the revenge scene is in painstaking bloody savage detail to the point a beta reader told me its the most brutal thing he's read since Offseason. I took great pride in that comment. I still hope to top it someday. Maybe I should re-watch Last house or Grave.