Erotic horror

Originating from the ero guro nansensu subculture of the Shōwa era,[4] it first gained prominence in the popular literature of Japan in the 1920s and 1930s,[5] and regularly features violent scenes such as dismemberment, disembowelment, eyeball gore, and exploding wombs.

[6] Following the Sada Abe Incident of 1936, in which a woman strangled and castrated her lover for sexual pleasure, ero guro media faced censorship.

[12] Many feminist erotic horror pieces involve romantic relationships with a monster, such as vampires or werewolves, and/or the reworking of existing fairytales in order for female protagonists to take control of their own sexual fate.

[14] More generally, although early works were limiting, modern lesbian erotic horror transgresses popular conceptions of what appropriate sexual desire can look like and celebrates difference.

Typical monsters in the genre include dinosaurs[16] and zombies,[17] as well as folkloric or mythical creatures such as cryptids,[15] vampires, or werewolves.

[18] Vampires have been known to be icons of erotic horror since conception, especially Bram Stoker’s Dracula which includes overt female sexuality and voyeurism.

The works of Jean Rollin, such as Le Viol du Vampire and Fascination, are considered quintessential erotic horror films, blending deeply sexual imagery with gore.

Dracula by Bram Stoker is an early example of erotic horror fiction [ 1 ] [ 2 ]
Tamatori escaping from the Dragon King by Utagawa Kuniyosh , circa 1844
The design of the Xenomorph in Alien intentionally evokes horrific erotic imagery