Day 10: Traditional Horror Fans vs. Monster Romance Fans
For those who remember 'Lover's Vow,' the last story from the 1990 horror anthology, "Tales From The Darkside: The Movie," it involved a New York artist named Preston, who witnessed a gargoyle kill his friend; she then forced him to keep the murder as well as her appearance a secret in exchange for his life.
The story was a cursed, tragic romance where Preston's wife, Carola, ironically turns out to be the gargoyle when he reveals the secret to her out of vulnerability and genuine love. But as anyone whose seen it, there is no happy ending.
The film came from a cynical era where nihilism, shock value and "Gotcha!" moments in supernatural love, as well as the separation of monster/alien and human was the cold, archaic rule of horror and dark sci-fi film (see also 1983's 'Strange Invaders').
34 years later, the Sapphic romance novel, "The Librarian's Gargoyle" premiered, which completely flips the fatal, forbidden monster/human pairing. The story has a similar premise like 'Lover's Vow:' a young Parisian named Viola is struggling to keep her library running and is arranged to marry a well-off man. She is in trouble, with seemingly no way out.
Likewise, Preston was also struggling with keeping his art career afloat with his agent abandoning him, and on the verge of being broke.
In "The Librarian's Gargoyle," we are introduced to Boudicca, a gargoyle who observes Viola from the rooftop. But unlike Preston, Viola already has an established connection with the beastly sentinel: she confesses her daily troubles and secrets to Boudicca, who is a stone statue at this point.
Boudicca comes to life and assumes a human form, helping out Viola with the library and protecting her from other supernatural forces.
Carola was also a stone statue, overlooking Preston's loft, where she fell in love with him over time. After meeting him disguised as a human, she helped Preston become successful with his career and was a ray of light in the darkness of his life. She gave him two beautiful children.
As was hinted in 'Lover's Vow,' Carola was ashamed of her monstrous appearance and was horrified when she was forced to transform back into her true form. She preferred living as a human. Boudicca is the same way: she is afraid that Viola won't love her in her true form.
One story ends in old-school horror tragedy and heartbreak, while the other has a modern, happy ending. One is rooted in gritty, gory dread with a ticking timebomb secret hanging over the couple, while one is a cozy, sincere but high-stakes story about radical acceptance and empathy of the monster or "The Other."
In the last decade, the monster romance genre has seen an explosion in gargoyles being compatible lovers to the human protagonist. In the late 80s/90s, for which I spent part of my childhood, the scene was quite different and limited.
There was no monster romance/monster fuckers movement and no internet to help garner fans and build a following on social media. Then came the Disney series, "Gargoyles," as well as the 2014 horror film, "I, Frankenstein" where gargoyles were portrayed in a more positive light. And it has had a gradual domino effect.
Why should we fear the stone creatures who were created to ward off evil?
To me, Viola and Boudicca's romance is the hopeful, happy version of Preston and Carola's. It's a legacy of daring to subvert outdated, mean-spirited tropes, and find deep connection and soul-bonding across vast differences by looking inward toward the person, not their appearance.
To note, 'Lover's Vow' was based off of Lafcadio Hearn's Yuki Onna tale (1904), which I personally believe is long overdue for a re-imagining with a more hopeful ending. Screw old, patriarchal cautionary tales.
