Horror in Space

In sharp contrast to 1960s cinema which created an idolized view of space exploration, Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) redefined filmic horror by terrifying audiences with the oppressive nature of space. The Alien films launched a new generation of horror films set in the great unknown, while also inspiring genre filmmakers to take Earth-bound franchises like Leprechaun and Friday the 13th to space. This unique collection of essays analyzes the space horror subgenre and its rise as a cinematic phenomenon since the 1950s. With a focus on films including Paul W.S. Anderson's Event Horizon, Duncan Jones' Moon, Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires, John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars, and numerous others, these essays provide a historical retrospective of the genre's cinematic journey and an in-depth examination of how genre filmmakers explored the concepts of the final girl/survivor, the uncanny valley, the isolationism of space travel, religion, and supernatural phenomenons to terrify audiences within the confines of space.