Non-Human Vs. Erotic Horror

[Selena_Kitt]

Ok, when do you post in one rather than the other?

Can non-human stories also have horrific elements, or are those readers more looking for fantasy stories?

I've got a cat woman story in mind, which ends sort of horrifically... and I want to put it in non-human... but I'm not sure what readers expectations are for that cat... ?

 

[Guest]

Good rule of thumb...
death or dismemberment in a really BAD way means erotic horror

non-human and sci fi are pretty closely related

 

[Munachi]

i often get unsure where to place a story between non-human, phantasy, and horror... have a horror story that could also be non-human - but what mattered most to me was the fear, the horror of the situation, less the fact that some of the characters weren't human... another one i have in phantasy, but now think i should put it into non-human...

also one thing i noticed while reading non-human stories - a lot of them are "nearly human" characters... like, there are vampire or witch stories, but in the story these characters especially in the sexual parts could just as well be human, the fact they aren't is just a small twist on the plot - i must say that i when reading these stories am often disappointed, because for me personally that's not what i look for when i go reading stories in that category... but i guess that's just me.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

also one thing i noticed while reading non-human stories - a lot of them are "nearly human" characters... like, there are vampire or witch stories, but in the story these characters especially in the sexual parts could just as well be human, the fact they aren't is just a small twist on the plot - i must say that i when reading these stories am often disappointed, because for me personally that's not what i look for when i go reading stories in that category... but i guess that's just me.

see, that's what I really wanna know... what you look for when you go to that category...

the point of the catwoman story is that she is definitely not human... it's the having sex with a girl who's a cat thing that's really the point of the story... but she does kill someone at the end... so does that make it horror? that's my conundrum...

 

[3113]

Can non-human stories also have horrific elements, or are those readers more looking for fantasy stories?

I honestly don't get the difference between non-human and sci/fi fantasy. I can understand separating out horror for more grizzily, creepy, disturbing stuff...but a friendly werewolf is a friendly werewolf whether in sci-fi/fantasy or in non-human.

I'm GUESSING, however, that some folk feel that sci-fi/Fantasy means other worlds. So werewolf in present day Chicago, sending out e-mail, going to gym, locking up the backyard before having a beer then stipping down to change under the full moon...Non-human. Werewolf in the Kingdom of Zort where the wolfies hunt in packs and have a king who has a meeting with the human king about the elves who are hunting in their mutual forest...sci-fi/fantasy.

Personally, I think that werewolf in present day Chicago is STILL sci-fi/fantasy, but I can understand how people have preconcieved notions of what sci-fi/fantasy is and some would not read said werewolf story if it was in sci-fi/fantasy but would if it's in non-human (and vice versa).

Horror is if backyard werewolf does something terrible to someone in the end--or something terrible happens to him by something even more terrible.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

also one thing i noticed while reading non-human stories - a lot of them are "nearly human" characters... like, there are vampire or witch stories, but in the story these characters especially in the sexual parts could just as well be human, the fact they aren't is just a small twist on the plot - i must say that i when reading these stories am often disappointed, because for me personally that's not what i look for when i go reading stories in that category... but i guess that's just me.

You know I have found the same thing. It's why I stopped working on my werewolf story...because I felt that others would not want to read the kind of thing I like...especially after reading some of the other offerings.

 

[rgraham666]

I put my story, Abyss, in Non-human because the main character was not human, just looked like one.

And because the point of the story was not to horrify the reader, although it had horrific elements. The point of the story was to examine how, regardless of type, what power does to every sentient being and how they have to handle the choices power gives them.

My fantasy story, The Tease, went into SF/Fantasy because it had fantastic elements although set in modern day. But all the main characters were human. Mostly.

Does this help?

 

[3113]

I put my story, Abyss, in Non-human because the main character was not human, just looked like one....My fantasy story, The Tease, went into SF/Fantasy because it had fantastic elements although set in modern day. But all the main characters were human. Mostly.

Does this help?

It doesn't help at all because you forgot to URL the stories so that we could click on the names and read them.

Bad rgraham! You've gotta plug those stories!

Now click on edit there and correct this error

 

[Selena_Kitt]

I put my story, Abyss, in Non-human because the main character was not human, just looked like one.

I actually thought about Abyss while I was formulating this question, Rob because vampires, to me, are horror... but you put it in non-human, and I totally get why...

But, given 3113's description of said categories, mine is gonna fall in erotic horror... which is annoying, cuz I wanted to write a non-human story, and I ended up with an erotic horror story (again... lol)

 

[Guest]

Oh dear...

Hrmm.. I've posted in both, my NonHuman is a love story (of a sort) between two semi-mythical creatures, a demon whose body happens to belong to a goth-rock operatic diva, and a demonic avatar, who started out as a sorceror before being chosen for his current position. There is horror, angst, graphic violence, and a desperate, self-destructive love between them. I at first submitted it as Erotic Horror- and Lit disagreed. So, NonHuman it is and remains. All nth-to the nth degree of it.

On the other hand, I have a story that is a witch taking revenge on a fellow witch who forced her into a shared lucid dream and proceed to rape her. She summons up a shade for vengance, traps the attacker in his own type of web, and proceeds to use light bloodplay and some truly disturbing sexual abuse on him. I thought it was incredibly tame (especially compared to an Ash/Drak love scene where one or both usually end up broken and bleeding before they finally drag themselves into each other's arms) and once again, Lit disagreed. It was not NonHuman - it was Erotic Horror.

*shrugs* Put the story where -you- think it should belong. No, not everyone will be happy with it, but when are they? WE write for ourselves more than anyone else, so put it where you think it should go (if the Mods agree) and say to hell with it.

Personal opinions, two cents and change:

Angel

 

[Guest]

but she does kill someone at the end... so does that make it horror? that's my conundrum...

Erotic Horror... someone dies

 

[rgraham666]

It doesn't help at all because you forgot to URL the stories so that we could click on the names and read them.

Bad rgraham! You've gotta plug those stories!

Now click on edit there and correct this error

Done.

Although you could have just clicked on the links in my sig.

 

[Munachi]

see, that's what I really wanna know... what you look for when you go to that category...

the point of the catwoman story is that she is definitely not human... it's the having sex with a girl who's a cat thing that's really the point of the story... but she does kill someone at the end... so does that make it horror? that's my conundrum...

hm... imho just a death is not enough for a horror story. if i go there, i want it to be creepy. it's something about the whole atmosphere. if the murder is a vital part of the story, if it leaves people kind of afraid to turn the lights off in the evening, then it's horror... or also if it is just a nightmare kind of atmosphere... that's what i intended for example with my story "the haunt", that's why i put it in horror, because what i most wanted was the atmosphere of fear... and a kind of sudden, open end...

 

[rgraham666]

Erotic Horror... someone dies

Then I guess Abyss is Erotic Horror. Six deaths and three maimings.

 

[Munachi]

I honestly don't get the difference between non-human and sci/fi fantasy. I can understand separating out horror for more grizzily, creepy, disturbing stuff...but a friendly werewolf is a friendly werewolf whether in sci-fi/fantasy or in non-human.

I'm GUESSING, however, that some folk feel that sci-fi/Fantasy means other worlds. So werewolf in present day Chicago, sending out e-mail, going to gym, locking up the backyard before having a beer then stipping down to change under the full moon...Non-human. Werewolf in the Kingdom of Zort where the wolfies hunt in packs and have a king who has a meeting with the human king about the elves who are hunting in their mutual forest...sci-fi/fantasy.

Personally, I think that werewolf in present day Chicago is STILL sci-fi/fantasy, but I can understand how people have preconcieved notions of what sci-fi/fantasy is and some would not read said werewolf story if it was in sci-fi/fantasy but would if it's in non-human (and vice versa).

Horror is if backyard werewolf does something terrible to someone in the end--or something terrible happens to him by something even more terrible.

well, as i said, for me the difference is whether the sexual kick is really coming from that one or both parties involved are not human (and the differences that might make, sexually)... another thing is that there are some stories in non-human where it goes really quite far on the non-humanness - i have read some with forests or mud, or other things that aren't actually human beings, having sex with a human... sounds weird, but i personally at times enjoy this type of stories (just wait, i have some plans for one in that direction) - and that would probably still be a bit weird in phantasy, even though it is in a way also phantasy... but somehow it's not quite the same...

 

[cloudy]

hm... imho just a death is not enough for a horror story. if i go there, i want it to be creepy. it's something about the whole atmosphere. if the murder is a vital part of the story, if it leaves people kind of afraid to turn the lights off in the evening, then it's horror... or also if it is just a nightmare kind of atmosphere... that's what i intended for example with my story "the haunt", that's why i put it in horror, because what i most wanted was the atmosphere of fear... and a kind of sudden, open end...

I agree. I've written two erotic horror stories, and in one of them, it's very unclear what actually happened to the protag (I did it that way on purpose). To me, erotic horror=creepy, afraid-to-turn-out-the-lights type of story, not just a death.

 

[Munachi]

You know I have found the same thing. It's why I stopped working on my werewolf story...because I felt that others would not want to read the kind of thing I like...especially after reading some of the other offerings.

well but shouldn't you write it anyway? there will be people who like it...

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

well but shouldn't you write it anyway? there will be people who like it...

I had posted the first 3 parts...

2 of which have gotten a nice big *H* but then...I stopped as the 4th part was far more wolf to girl than the previous ones. I probably should finish it though...

 

[3113]

Done.

Although you could have just clicked on the links in my sig.

Sig? Who looks at sigs?

 

[3113]

i have read some with forests or mud, or other things that aren't actually human beings, having sex with a human

So, you mean a guy screwing a tree? (And that tree just being a tree?). Isn't that toys and masterbation?

 

[Guest]

If you want to know the difference between Erotic Horor and NonHuman, read Tyler H's Jack Be Nimble. NonHuman is anything less disturbingly sexy than that, IMHO. And, of course, must pimp out Ty, as I'm a huge fan of their stuff. Very creepy an dyet, actually arousing in a omg-i-can't-believe-that-actually-appealed-to-me kind of way. That's what Erotic Horror should be, to me.

 

[matriarch]

Sig? Who looks at sigs?

Thank you!!
Glad I'm not the only one. I have sigs turned off, they are such a distraction when reading through posts.

(hijack over)

 

[Aurora Black]

Good rule of thumb...
death or dismemberment in a really BAD way means erotic horror

That was my formula for Valentine's, although I really don't know in which cat my story's going to go come Halloween...

 

[Kev H]

Tone, tone, and tone. Are you going to freak people out with your non-human (in general)? Or are you going to turn them on, over all?

As an aside to 3113, Sci Fi is quite different from non-human, though any line can be blurred (with relish in most cases). Sci Fi always, always deals in the future in a method that makes us reflect back upon current day - otherwise it's not really Sci Fi. However, I agree that lumping it together with Fantasy really asks for that line to be blurred. I am laughing as I think of a scenario/challenge where we right stories with the express purpose of giving the site editor fits when they try to categorize them. Perhaps I am just impish like that this morning (only this morning, I swear it).

For non-human, I am guessing it's that single element that is out of place in an otherwise perfectly normal setting. (If it's an entire array of somethings, like Harry Potter, or Gaiman's American Gods, then it's clearly Fantasy.)

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Tone, tone, and tone. Are you going to freak people out with your non-human (in general)? Or are you going to turn them on, over all?

Thanks, Kev... that's a pretty good differentiation