Cyber-horror

January 3, 2019 7:33 AM

I'm looking for media that combines cyberpunk with horror

I know cyberpunk on its own is often very dark but I'm looking for where it definitely combines with or merges into horror (preferably Lovecraftian type horror but not totally restricted to that).

Re media - my scope is very broad: so novels and short stories, film and tv, comics, anime, computer games, board games, illustration and art, even music.

I could give examples of stuff I know already but I want to keep it open and be surprised.

posted by fearfulsymmetry to Media & Arts (18 answers total)

Videodrome comes to mind! Might be kind of obvious though.
posted by miltthetank at 7:35 AM on January 3, 2019

You should play >observer_ and Soma.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 8:03 AM on January 3, 2019

eXistenZ - Cronenberg again
Tetsuo: The Iron Man - Shinya Tsukamoto
posted by crocomancer at 8:12 AM on January 3, 2019

Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo trilogy comes to mind. Tetsuo the Iron Man, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, and Tetsuo the Bullet Man.

damn it, crocomancer!
posted by Naberius at 8:14 AM on January 3, 2019

While lots of "Black Mirror" comes to mind for this, I think you're looking for Season 3, Episode 2, "Playtest".
posted by hanov3r at 8:15 AM on January 3, 2019

Hardware is terrific.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:26 AM on January 3, 2019

I would broadly recommend the music of Front Line Assembly. It expresses cynicism about humanity and it's ultimate moral potential, along with an interest in failed/sick systems, warfare, and technology. I love them because I feel that they get what The Future has turned out to be, and probably will continue to be, since we turn every new tech marvel into another instrument of inhumanity. The dark flipside of the beloved upbeat Black Mirror episode San Junipero is their "Electric Dreams."
posted by heatvision at 8:37 AM on January 3, 2019

How about Eclipse Phase? It's not quite cyberpunk, more transhumanism, but has the horror angle down pat.
posted by Alensin at 8:57 AM on January 3, 2019

To a certain extent Metal Gear Solid 5 does this.

You've presumably already fallen down the H.R. Giger rabbit hole.

Heavy Metal in its heyday quite often featured stories with aspects of cyberpunk and horror.

Hard Boiled (written by Frank Miller) and Shaolin Cowboy, both illustrated by the fabulous Geoff Darrow.

Not exactly cyberpunk, but Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country is essentially the Chthulu mythos meets Jim Crow, which scratches that itch for me somewhat.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:00 AM on January 3, 2019

Benjamin Rosenbaum's short story "Feature Development for Social Networking" may be of interest.
posted by ryanshepard at 9:56 AM on January 3, 2019

* Serial Experiment Lain
* Psycho Pass
* Ergo Proxy
posted by lemon_icing at 10:21 AM on January 3, 2019

Pi is described as a "psychological thriller," but it felt like techno horror to me, if not true cyberpunk.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:22 AM on January 3, 2019

I think the TV show Orphan Black definitely fits here though the horror is mostly body horror.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:28 AM on January 3, 2019

Upgrade. The horror element comes late in the movie.
posted by Sunburnt at 10:28 AM on January 3, 2019

I'm reading Moderan and it is very up your alley.
posted by Dmenet at 12:47 PM on January 3, 2019

It's a little out there, but the collected writings of the CCRU (Cybernetic Culture Research Unit) are a strange mix of cyber-accelerationism and lovecraftian weirdness.

Its not mind-blowingly great writing, but it _might_ scratch that specific itch.
posted by shanek at 2:27 PM on January 3, 2019

As a foundational text of cyberpunk, maybe it’s a bit obvious, but Akira has strong horror elements - the ancient psychic children, Kaneda’s arm, etc.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 3:09 PM on January 3, 2019

Thanks for all of those! Crazy busy at the moment but will come back later with further comments etc
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:29 AM on January 8, 2019