Techno-horror

Techno-horror is a subgenre of horror fiction where the major source of horror is modern technology. It may be seen as a subgenre of techno-thriller, though techno-horror often relies heavily on elements of science fiction or fantasy.

Techno-horror focuses on how technology can be a force of evil, either in their own right or as pawns of mad scientists/engineers. Another form of techno-horror is inclusion of technology into otherwise classical horror narratives. An example is the evolving J-horror genre: classical "scares", such as ghosts, spirits, curses, etc., propagate via hi-tech media: computer networks, cell phones, etc. Here, modern technology is not a threat per se, but rather a new conduit for various dark forces.[1] The subgenre is notably most popular in the Western world and Japan, with little prominence elsewhere in the world.[2]

The earliest techno-horror films were produced in the 1950s, where they began to appear in large quantity, mostly of low quality and undeserving of critical reception. Exceptions to this include 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still and 1956's Forbidden Planet. [2]

See also

References
  1. Sonny Bunch, "Techno-Horror in Hollywood. Japanese Anxieties, American Style", The New Atlantis, Number 14, Fall 2006, pp. 137-140.
  2. Tony Magistrale, Abject Terrors: Surveying the Modern and Postmodern Horror Film, 2005 p. 82

Further reading
  • Clarke, Julie (2009). The Paradox of the Posthuman: Science Fiction/Techno-Horror Films and Visual Media. VDM Verlag. ISBN 3639143795.
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