Closing

When people hear the words “science fiction” they often immediately think, “Take me to your leader!” and “little green men” (a fallacy based on stereotypical human assumptions of gender). Aliens, UFOs, and unknown worlds beyond Earth represent staple motifs of the genre, and though otherworlders are sometimes portrayed as dangerous beings that do not “come in peace”–think The Andromeda Strain (1971), Independence Day (1995), Attack the Block (2011), and The Tomorrow War (2021)–the films do not cross into the boundaries of horror even when humans die as a result of the clashing civilizations. On the other hand, the look of the aliens, their plans for humanity, how they kills humans, etc. convert the cautionary and morality tales of The Andromeda Strain, Independence Day, Attack the Block, and The Tomorrow War into horror-fueled nightmares like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), The Thing (1982), The Faculty (1998), and Life (2017). A thin line separates science fiction from horror, a division so thin that its permeable nature allows the two genres to commingle with ease; form a hybrid genre; highlight our fascination with science, technology, engineering, and medicine; heighten our collective fear, anxiety, and dread; and sometimes confuse one genre with the other. As we close on this chapter, consider your own perspective on SF horror for what comprises its staple themes and elements, how to differentiate the two categories, and what we may learn from a close reading or viewing of the texts and their respective creators. As a part of the fantastic, these stories inspire awe in their characters within the fiction and audiences outside the fiction. No matter our reactions and responses to the works or our reviews, analyses, and critiques of the works, it is imperative that we allow the readings and viewings to inspire our writing to go where no one has gone before toward unique perspectives on texts whose forms and contents are anything but ordinary or commonplace.