Radiating opulence through the air, October's here to spread its flair. A bit of chill, a bit of sun, makes October one of the most beautiful months.

A birthday on the cards--does anyone follow the darts? Ooorah turns 13th on the 3rd. Ooorah's a Teen! A Tenacious Thirteen! 🥳

This month's theme is a bit different and a dare-I-say, a cultivated taste. Welcoming, scifi horror, let's make some bodies curdle.

Defined as a sub-genre of science fiction and horror, the scifi horror films are usually based and revolve around premises that include but are not limited to alien invasions, mad scientists, apocalyptic explosions, zombies-in-the-making and scientific experiments gone wrong.

Sci-Fi Horror basically uses fear as a tool to showcase the side-effects of scientific advances in futuristic settings. With common genre roots, scifi horror twirls and twists around the strands of fiction using simple science fiction as bait. The branches of horror slither into the unassuming scifi plots and unleash a devastating conundrum of fear and terror, as they possess the body through screams, violences and utter silences.

Remarkably, the first scifi horror book was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, published on 1 January, 1818.

It's the versatility of the original genres of science fiction and horror which empowers this scifi horror blend, myriad ways to take shape: scientific advancements being used for nefarious ends; creating alien, new, dangerous lifeforms; men's pride lead to terrifying consequences due to our dependence on technology; other-worldly monsters intimidating all the characters; or the vast loneliness of outer space being a source of existential dread; branching into a metaphysical story about cosmic isolation and celestial terror.

For instance, if we have a closer look at Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein--originally called The Modern Prometheus. I believe every classical reader has at least read this book out of curiosity or might be familiar with the concept by watching any of the movies, television shows, cartoons and anime that are based or featured Frankenstein, his monster in varying AU's (alternate universes) as the main characters.

Shelley wanted to write an all-out horror story. And while doing so, she not only succeeded in creating one of the finest noteworthy horror novels of all times, but also one of the earliest authentic science fiction novels. Without Victor Frankenstein's laboratory experiment—a science fictional calculation based on Shelley's research about electrophysiology, whatever was known at the time—the whole story would fall apart.

Her "crazy scientist" plot enthralled cosmic horror great like H.P. Lovecraft, and was a trailblazer for Robert Louis Stevenson's "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1886) and H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds" (1897). "War of the Worlds" has the distinct honour of sending America into a frenzy during a 1938 radio broadcast because everyone thought aliens were actually invading earth. This just goes to show how truly unnnerving sci-fi horror can be.

There's a reason why scifi horror works so well and is loved so much. It meshes with other sub-genres seamlessly. On their own, horror is defined and categorised as a precursor of fear, a catalyst for all the good work scientists have done chasing the cobwebs of ignorance from peoples' minds in the world.

On the other hand, science fiction has only put a sharper edge on the shadows that still remain: fears of the unknown, the future, of disease and most of all-death. The finest ground-breaking technology might come across as sorcery to someone who doesn't understand its working, which in turn, is a little frightening(or should I say, terrifying). For those with deeply held religious beliefs, science and rationality seem to represent threats to their faiths, and to have the foundations of one's faith shattered is a horrifying concept.

Some of the fears scifi horror invoke are far more ingrained than what we make them out to be. Real life is full of stories about the dark side of humanity's thirst for knowledge which involve grave robberies, vivisections, monstrosities in jars, flesh-devouring beetles, chemical accidents and scientific experiments gone awry.

In many scifi horror stories, the experimental themes are used to ground the reader instead of magnifying the terror. The writers have used aspects of real science and technology to build a more vivid, more graphic, more relatable world and universe that have a greater, massive impact against the trespassing horrors.

In acknowledging its dark side, the science fiction horror sun-genre frequently delves into many of its dystopian sub-genres. Almost every trope in science fiction horror is, can and has been, perceived through a dark lens. In science fiction adventures like Star Trek, technology is cool and enticing; in science fictional horror like The Terminator and the game Portal--high-tech robots and computers run wildly and wreak destruction.

And the landmark movie 2001: A Space Odyssey portrays both interesting and ominous technology.

Although the first sci-fi horror novel was written more than 300 years ago in 1818, many amazing writers like Ray Bradbury, Philip K Dick, Michael Chricton, Jeff Vandermeer, Octavia Butler, and Scott Sigler have helped popularise this sub-genre with their novels. mainstream attraction along the way.

No mention of scifi horror would be complete without The King. Yes, you are right. I am referring to the King of Horror--the great Stephen King! He has single-handedly revolutionised scifi horror in a way no one has done before. With 65+ books and counting, 350+ million copies sold, he has paved the way for future writers of scifi horror.

There are impressive entries in comics such as Grant Morrison's Nameless and Rob Guillory's Farmhand; and video games like Bioshock, Dead Space, Alien: Isolation, SOMA--to name a few.

Feel free to add your favourite comics and games in the inline comments here 😄

In movies, the term "sci-fi horror" inexplicably conjures images of menacing xenomorphs. With Ridley Scott's Alien franchise at the forefront, John Carpenter's The Thing, David Cronenberg's The Fly, these movies are not only horrifying in concept but also use of their practical effects in the most terrifying way. To this list, we'd like to add Brandon Cronenberg with provocative films like Anti-viral and Possessor and Alex Garland, who has either written or directed such masterpieces as Ex Machina, Sunshine, and Annihilation.

And this brings us to our recommendations on Wattpad. I'd love you to check all these out and let me know your feedback!

Dead Moon Chapel by ebebezerbean

Summary: A young priest makes a deal with a sexy demon to reject his faith and lose his purity in order to save himself from being sacrificed to a looming, all-powerful God.

All that young priest Abel Atherton wants is to become an exorcist, but that dream is shattered when he and the only family he has left are attacked by a powerful demoness. To complete the exorcism, Abel unleashes a sacred power unlike anything the Chapel has ever seen. With the Dead Moon rising and no sacrificial lamb to show for it, being this Holy is dangerous, and a target joins the feathered wings on his back as Abel is declared the next sacrifice. Now, Abel will have to make a pact with a dreadfully handsome demon called Jericho and walk down a path of sin to save himself. His faith comes into question, and he learns that everything he thought he knew-about life, about faith, about God Himself-is all one big, twisted lie.

Down Under by AmyMarieZ

Summary: Shawn, a convicted criminal, never thought she'd see the sun again, let alone call another star system her home. When she's offered an out from her prison sentence, she embarks on a dangerous interstellar expedition along with 18 of Earth's most intelligent criminals.

Their task is to set up a base on a supposedly habitable planet and prepare it for colonization. Although the planet has liquid water and a breathable atmosphere, it is believed to host only microbial life. However, upon arriving, Shawn and the rest of the colonists learn that assumption was grossly incorrect.

In a brutal attack from rampaging wildlife, everyone but Shawn and four other colonists are killed. The five survivors retreat to the cavernous network beneath the ground seeking safety, but they soon come to a terrible discovery. These caves aren't ordinary caves, and they are no safer down under than they were on the surface.

Feeding Frenzy by masonfitzzy

Summary: In a blink of an eye, the whole world can change.

Evey had always lived a normal life. She was an emergency room nurse, had friends, and had a family that she loved. Her mundane world changes when she watches a man attack and feast on the flesh of another man at a gas station.

Unfortunately, this was not an isolated attack. Majority of the population has been infected with an unknown airborne virus. Not only does it cause people to foam at the mouth and bleed from the eyes, but it turns them into mindless creatures that are hungry for flesh.

Zombies? Not quite. They are infected, not dead.

Evey's life is destroyed when her family becomes Infected. Being one of the few Immune, Evey is taken away to a military base with other people who seem to not be infected by the virus. There she meets multiple people including Ford, a stubborn and stern soldier that she is always disagreeing with but finds herself distracted by his eyes.

The Immune band together and work for survival. Will they ever be able to find a cure? At what cost would they go to stay safe? Will they kill each other before being eaten alive?

This story is recommended by neverfakeit

The Snacker by HicksScribbles

Summary: Amber and her girlfriend think they've figured out how their leftovers and snacks keep disappearing, but their diligence quickly leads them to a far more disturbing discovery.

This story is recommended by still_just_me

Tattered Paige | Book 1 by @LLSanders LLSanders 

Summary: An aspiring teen author realizes she is a character in an unwritten horror novel and must use her storytelling knowledge to survive.

Seventeen-year-old romance writer, Ima Jean Paige, questions the afterlife following the recent death of her brother, leading her and her friends Zeke Garble, Felicity Weiland, and Atem Tahir to the remote Ayahuasca forests for a private spiritual retreat.

Although her search is for the meaning of life and beyond, she discovers an odd story outline in her notebook detailing and predicting the night's unsettling and bizarre happenings. Realizing they are characters in an unwritten horror novel, she must rely on the notebook and her storytelling abilities to not only gain control of her life but somehow steer the narrative toward a happily ever after.

For fans of The Cabin in the Woods, Midsommar, and The Babadook!

To satiate your thirst for more scifi horror, the ScienceFiction profile has a special reading list for dark sci-fi! Do check it out! ✨

You know the word "Babadook" reminds me of The Flintstones "Yabba Dabba Doo!" --one of my favourite cartoons in childhood 😄

And with this, we've reached the end of our another, satisfying journey. We meet in December with a new theme and a new article. Till then, stay safe and stay happy! ❤️

Take care! Cheers, Nab =]